Young Llama Thoughts
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Adventurous
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Christian Friendly
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Easy Reading
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Humerous
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Youth Appropriate
Overall
Review
This beautiful story brought tears to my eyes and hope in my heart. Tears because of the memory of all the horrible tales our history holds; but hope because with love, family and God we can still overcome them and keep our story one full of light, joy and hope.
This book is about a young girl named Shirli, who’s passion is the stage! But when she doesn’t get the part she wanted in The Fiddler on the Roof, Shirli begins looking deeper into her family’s past to discover what it is truly like to be Jewish. And with every terrible detail unfolding from her grandfathers past, Shirli realizes sometimes the very thing that broke you can make you whole again…
This novel is amazing. I feel like this is a book our broken world needs to read and love right now. What God’s Chosen people went through was vile, horrible and wrong. However, we shouldn’t forget what happened at the Holocaust, nor should we forget 9/11. And this beautiful story covers both tragedies in a simple story about a simple play about a fiddler on a roof. This book was just beautiful and would be a very powerful read for kids 10 and up who want to read about Jewish history in a modern age story.
Now there is some dark topics mentioned. Mentions of the Holocaust and the millions of Jews that died there. Lots of mentions of gas chambers, (not described only brought up repeatably) Jews dying, starvation and other such things. There is no blood mentioned, but it can be a sad read at times. I believe this book is perfectly clean for kids 10 and up, but prepare yourselves for some tough topics.
Overall, this was one of the most beautiful stories I have read in a long time. I definitely suggest this book to kids, teens and families looking for a life-changing novel on family and music. May you all have a beautiful day. -The Young Llama Reader.
Pros
- A beautifully, heart-breaking book on the power of music and history.
- A good read for kids 10 and up.
Cons
- The Holocaust is mentioned and brought up…
- Death and violence mentioned…
It’s 2002. In the aftermath of the twin towers — and the death of her beloved grandmother — Shirli Berman is intent on moving forward. The best singer in her junior high, she auditions for the lead role in Fiddler on the Roof, but is crushed to learn that she’s been given the part of the old Jewish mother in the musical rather than the coveted part of the sister. But there is an upside: her “husband” is none other than Ben Morgan, the cutest and most popular boy in the school.
Deciding to throw herself into the role, she rummages in her grandfather’s attic for some props. There, she discovers an old violin in the corner — strange, since her Zayde has never seemed to like music, never even going to any of her recitals. Showing it to her grandfather unleashes an anger in him she has never seen before, and while she is frightened of what it might mean, Shirli keeps trying to connect with her Zayde and discover the awful reason behind his anger. A long-kept family secret spills out, and Shirli learns the true power of music, both terrible and wonderful.
