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MY GUARDIAN ANGEL

Name: MY GUARDIAN ANGEL
Author: Sylvie Weil
ISBN: 0-439-57681-4

by Sylvie Weil & translated by Gillian Rosner ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2004

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Troyes, France, 1096, and Crusaders are heading to Jerusalem. The Jews, including Elvina, the 12-year-old granddaughter of the famed rabbi and Talmudic scholar Solomon ben Isaac, are terrified of the soldiers and their evil leader. Unlike most females of her time, feisty Elvina is literate, adores studying, and loves writing as much for its tactile satisfaction as for the intellectual exercise. She derives strength from this as well as from her mazal (Hebrew for guardian angel), whom she addresses in times of trouble and doubt. Elvina has much to ask from and tell her guiding spirit in the course of her tale: she secretly aids a wounded young deserter, a brazen act of charity that will have dangerous but ultimately joyful consequences for her and her community. Readers don’t have to be Jewish to appreciate this beautifully written story and its wonderfully realized characters and fascinating setting. Elvina, her grandfather (also known as “Rashi”), and their family members actually lived. Lovely. (afterword, glossary) (Fiction. 10-14)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2004

ISBN: 0-439-57681-4

Page Count: 224

Publisher: Levine/Scholastic

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2004

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION | CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS FICTION

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THE BLETCHLEY RIDDLE

by Ruta Sepetys & Steve Sheinkin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 8, 2024

A rich, enthralling historical mystery that engages and educates.

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Siblings decode familial and wartime secrets in 1940 England.

Headstrong 14-year-old Lizzie Novis refuses to believe that her mother, a U.S. embassy clerk who was working in Poland, is dead. After fleeing from her grandmother—who’s attempting to bring her back to America—Lizzie locates her 19-year-old brother, Jakob, a Cambridge mathematician who’s stationed at the clandestine British intelligence site called Bletchley Park. Hiding from her grandmother’s estate steward, Lizzie becomes a messenger at Bletchley Park, ferrying letters across the grounds while Jakob attempts to both break the ciphers generated by the German Enigma machines and help his sister face the reality of their mother’s likely fate. With a suspicious MI5 agent inquiring about Mum and clues and codes piling up, the siblings, whose late father was “Polish Jewish British,” eventually decipher the truth. Shared narrative duties between the siblings effectively juxtapose the measured Jakob with the spirited Lizzie. Lizzie’s directness is repeatedly attributed to her being “half American,” which proves tiresome, but Jakob’s development from reserved to risk-tolerant provides welcome nuance. The authors introduce and carefully explain a variety of decoding methodologies, inspiring readers to attempt their own. A thoughtful and entertaining historical note identifies the key figures who appear in the book, such as Alan Turing, as well as the real-life bases for the fictional characters. Interspersed photos and images of ephemera help situate the narrative’s time period.

A rich, enthralling historical mystery that engages and educates. (Historical mystery. 10-14)