Best appreciated by reluctant Hebrew school attendees.
It’s Hebrew school vs. Star Wars, football, and science.
Ten-year-old Avery, who narrates his story, has three passions in life: Star Wars, science, and football. Unfortunately, he must attend Hebrew school, which interferes with playing football. He hates studying Torah because what he reads doesn’t always align with scientific evidence. Then the times for football practice change and he can join a team—a participation achieved by winning over his concussion-fearful parents. Hebrew school takes on a different dimension when a new rabbi arrives who amazingly like Yoda talks. He also plays music from the movies and owns a red lightsaber. Rabbi Bob even seemingly equates the Shema prayer with the Force. But Avery still grapples with what it means to be Jewish. Then, injuries on the football field, one to a bully and one to a friend, lead to a discussion of a mitzvah called bikkur cholim, which refers to visiting those who are sick. Avery now considers the possibility that religion and science can coexist, as the rabbi explains that Judaism values the process of questioning more than the certainty of answers. Still, Avery questions his attendance at Hebrew school, an obligation his parents never fully explain or discuss with him. Readers may be drawn to the detailed football plays and the Star Wars references while those in Hebrew school may find a kindred spirit.
Best appreciated by reluctant Hebrew school attendees. (notes about Judaism) (Fiction. 10-12)Pub Date: Sept. 19, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-78438-539-2
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Green Bean Books
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2020
The Baudelaire children—Violet, 14, Klaus, 12, and baby Sunny—are exceedingly ill-fated; Snicket extracts both humor and horror from their situation, as he gleefully puts them through one terrible ordeal after another. After receiving the news that their parents died in a fire, the three hapless orphans are delivered into the care of Count Olaf, who “is either a third cousin four times removed, or a fourth cousin three times removed.” The villainous Count Olaf is morally depraved and generally mean, and only takes in the downtrodden yet valiant children so that he can figure out a way to separate them from their considerable inheritance. The youngsters are able to escape his clutches at the end, but since this is the first installment in A Series of Unfortunate Events, there will be more ghastly doings. Written with old-fashioned flair, this fast-paced book is not for the squeamish: the Baudelaire children are truly sympathetic characters who encounter a multitude of distressing situations. Those who enjoy a little poison in their porridge will find it wicked good fun. (b&w illustrations, not seen) (Fiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 1999
ISBN: 0-06-440766-7
Page Count: 162
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
Like its predecessor, a satisfying, Incredibles-style mix of awesome exploits and common family issues.
Deprived of superpowers in the previous episode (Almost Super, 2014), can the Bailey and Johnson clans put aside their squabbles to tackle their common nemesis, the Joneses?
Determined to prove that they have the mettle to join their parents and relatives in fighting crime, 13-year-old Rafter Bailey, his little brother, Benny, and erstwhile rival Juanita Johnson (definitely the brains of the trio) kick off their own search for the Joneses’ secret hideout. Little do they suspect that those clever villains have planted a ringer in their very midst. Sabotage and other distractions ensue, until Juanita’s sudden disappearance sharpens not only the urgency of the search, but also Rafter’s guilt for being a poor friend. The kidnapping turns out to be a crucial mistake for the bad guys, however, as resourceful Juanita gets off a call for help that both brings the Baileys and Johnsons together for a collective rescue operation and, amid much breakage of glass and heroic feats of derring-do, foils the evil schemes of scenery-chewing archfiend October Jones. Rafter makes a likable narrator, emotionally open and determined to be both a good superhero and a good friend.
Like its predecessor, a satisfying, Incredibles-style mix of awesome exploits and common family issues. (Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-220958-0
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
