Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds

Image: Penguin Random House

Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds. ~10 hours. Read by Emily Lawrence. Listening Library/ Books on Tape, October, 2022. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library.)

Happy Tuesday! Did you get up to watch the lunar eclipse? It started here around 4AM and I happened to awaken at 4:15 and peeked at it through my bathroom's skylights. I up and dressed and out with the dogs an hour later and saw the last of the moon go dark. It was quite a show, with a beautifully clear sky that also featured a sparkling Orion following the setting moon.

Teen Tuesday features Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds. Shira Barbanel is a bright, driven high school junior who is unlucky in love. She's looking forward to spending her winter holidays in Nantucket at her grandparents' sprawling estate with her extended family. As luck would have it, her uncle's intern and current crush, Isaac will be there as well. She's hoping to move her crush into something more. 

As luck would have it, she shares a flight with her nemesis, Tyler Nelson and ends up sharing a cab to her grandparents' as they are also neighbors. The power is out and the rest of the family are stranded on the mainland, so Shira and Tyler make do and Shira lights a fire and the first candle of Hanukkah. While she detests Tyler for being a player only interested in hooking up, she recognizes that she needs to up her flirting game if she wants to capture Isaac's attention and asks Tyler to teach her to flirt. Tyler wants a meeting with her media mogul uncle in exchange. And so the enemy-to-lover trope plays out on snowy Nantucket where the rich residents host a slew of holiday parties, giving Tyler and Shira plenty of time to get together to practice. There's plenty of angst and humor in this fluffy concoction.

Eight Nights of Flirting is a stand-alone companion to Ms Reynolds' 2021 debut, The Summer of Lost Letters. Emily Lawrence imbued Hannah's narration with angst and self-deprecating humor. Happy reading!

#tbt: The Tie Man's Miracle: a Chanukah Tale by Stephen Schnur

Image: Artist's Website

Happy Thursday! Today is the first day of my break and I am so excited. #tbt features one of my favorite books to read around Hanukkah. I should've posted it earlier this month, but I already had #tbt posts scheduled. I also hadn't realized that this year marks its twenty-fifth anniversary!

In The Tie Man's Miracle: a Chanukah Tale by Stephen Schnur and illustrated by Stephen T. Johnson, seven-year-old Seth is waiting impatiently for his father's return from work on the last night of Hanukkah. He spies Mr. Hoffman approaching the house with his battered box of ties. This was sometime after World War II, when it was common for salesmen to walk from door-to-door trying to make a living. Seth's mother asks Seth to let the man in, but he is impatient for Mr. Hoffman to leave so the family can light the menorah. Once his father gets home, Seth's parents invite the man to stay.

Seth wonders why Mr. Hoffman isn't home with his family and learns that they were "lost" during the war. He doesn't know how a man could lose a family and presses for more information, which his father relates as gently as possible. Mr. Hoffman, feeling sorry that he has saddened the family, tells a story from his village about a miracle that is possible on the last night of Hanukkah - if you watch the candles burn down on the last night, and they all go out together, your most fervent wish will be carried to the ear of God.

I have read this book aloud countless times - to my own children as well as twenty-three years worth of students, and I still can't get through it without crying. The combination of Mr. Hoffman's tragedy, Seth's loss of innocence and his big heart, and the somber watercolor artwork make this book emotionally resonant.

This book has gone out of print, unfortunately. It is available in only five libraries in my library cooperative. My own batterd first edition hardcover copy went missing a few years ago. It made me so sad, that my husband tried to buy me a new one. Because it had gone out of print, he had to buy a used library copy. I treasure this gift and this memory of his ongoing thoughtfulness. I also mourn the fact that many books go out of print and disappear. Treasure your books!

Book Review: A Dreidel in Time: a new spin on an old tale by Marcia Berneger

Image: Kar-Ben Publisher

A Dreidel in Time: a new spin on an old tale by Marcia Berneger. Illustrated by Beatriz Castro. 82 p. Kar-Ben Publishers, 2019. 9781541552654. (Review of pub copy courtesy of PR rep.)

When brother and sister, Benjamin and Devorah seem to lose sight of the meaning of Hanukkah by focusing instead on presents, it's time for Bubbe and Zayde to save the holiday and get the kids back on track. Though initially very excited by the prospect of a visit from Bubbe and Zayde, when it comes time to open presents, the gift is a wobbly old dreidel that doesn't even spin right. The children try to be grateful, but they are disappointed, especially when their mother encourages them to play a game, further delaying the opening of gifts. 

Something strange happens. The two are whisked back in time to the time of the Maccabees.  They are wearing linen garments and most confusing of all, can speak and understand Hebrew. Of course, the Maccabees think they are spies, but the children prove their worth when they warn the Maccabees of Antiochus' plan to attack and earn their trust.

This time-travel adventure earnestly recounts the origin tale of the holiday of Hanukkah and will be sure to appeal to fans of The Magic Tree House series and other time travel adventures. It's a pleasant read and a nice addition to the holiday shelf. My only quibble is that Benjamin is taller than his sister in all the illustration but is eight, almost nine-years-old to Devorah's twelve years. 

Picture Book Review: The Hanukkah Magic of Nate Gadol by Arthur A. Levine

Image: Candlewick Press

The Hanukkah Magic of Nate Gadol by Arthur A. Levine. Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. unpgd. Candlewick Press, September, 2020. 9780763697419. (Review of finished copy given to review as a gift.)

On the first night of Hanukkah my true love gave to me...this book with a touching inscription. We've been together since 1984, married since 1985. Ever since, we've celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah in our own way. Christmas decorations do not go up until Christmas Eve. The years that Christmas and Hanukkah overlap are a tiny bit tricky. All ornaments are secular and, in the first years of our marriage, our tree was balled and burlap and planted in a pre-dug hole two days after Christmas. We also have holiday shelves in our vast home library. This sparkling (literally) book will be our newest addition. 

"Nate Gadol was a great big spirit who had eyes as shiny as golden coins and a smile that was lantern bright." He was a do-gooder, who helped people in small ways by making things stretch a bit. He was especially fond of the Glaser family who, in 1881, made their way in steerage to the United States. He helped Mrs. Glaser make the small bit of chocolate she saved enough for the entire family to celebrate Purim. 

Once the Glaser family settles in America, they are quick to befriend the O'Malley family. The winter of 1881 is a hard one though and Nate helps the Glaser family make ends meet. When baby Kerry O'Malley falls ill, there's nothing that Nate can do; but Mr. Glaser sells a bench he made and gives the money to the O'Malley family to buy medicine. As Christmas and Hanukkah approach, it seems that the celebrations will be spare. Even Santa seems a little at a loss. His sleigh is much lighter than usual. 

Apparently Santa and Nate go way back and the two team up to make the holidays a little bit richer. This includes presents in addition to chocolate for the Glasers. 

An author's note explains the inspiration behind this "supplemental mythology." The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and I'm not really a fan of gilt in illustrations. What a wonderful addition to any library. 

November is Picture Book Month! Review: Latkes for Santa Claus by Janie Emaus

Image: Sky Pony Press

Latkes for Santa Claus by Janie Emaus. Illustrated by Bryan Langdo. unpgd. Sky Pony Press, October, 2020. 9781510759886. (Review of finished copy courtesy of the author.)

Anna emails Santa for the first time on her iPad. She informs him that she's celebrating Christmas for the first time with her new dad and stepbrother and thinks he might be tired of cookies, so she's planning on leaving him the best treat ever. The only problem is, she's not sure what. It doesn't help that Michael, her stepbrother assures her that his cookies are the best Santa treat ever. He also informs her that Santa doesn't answer emails.

At first, she zeroes in on matzo ball soup as the best, but Michael reminds her that, "Santa can't eat soup with his fingers."  When Anna imagines Santa attempting this, she realizes that matzo ball soup won't do. How about Aunt Bea's noodle kugel? That can't be eaten with fingers either. Tzimmes? Nope!

Finally, Anna realizes the perfect finger food! Her mom's potato latkes are the perfect treat for Santa. She adds them to Michael's plate of cookies. Not only is the plate empty on Christmas morning, but Anna receives an email from Santa!

Ah, the December dilemma. Thirty-five years ago, I married a Jewish man in a civil ceremony. He wasn't particularly religious and both of his older siblings married outside the religion. His parents were accepting and welcoming. I suggested that we choose the Jewish holidays over Christmas and Easter. I was not at all religious and didn't mind. My husband did. He adored Christmas. He wanted a tree and presents. He also wanted Hanukkah, so we merged the two holidays. Our tree doesn't go up until Christmas Eve and all our decorations are decidedly secular - Santa, snowmen, birds, and the like. Years when Hanukkah and Christmas overlap are challenging. We found our way. We also celebrated others and observed Shabbat in our own way. 

I would've loved to have had this book when my kids were small. The cheery, energetic illustrations are appealing, as is the rhyming refrain each time Anna imagines Santa handling the various foods. The recipes for sugar cookies and potato latkes are an added bonus! This is such a fun book and not just for families who merge the two holidays!

#tbt: Hershel & the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmel

Hershel & the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric Kimmel. Illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. unpgd. Holiday House, January, 1989. 9780823407699.

#tbt features Hershel & the Hanukkah Goblins, written by Eric Kimmel and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. This original story feels like a traditional folktale. Hershel of Ostropol hopes to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah in the next village. When he arrives, he learns that the villagers are haunted by goblins and are not allowed to celebrate Hanukkah. Hershel asks how to break the goblins' spell and learns he must spend eight nights in the old synagogue, light a candle each night and on the eighth night, the King of the Goblins must light the candles himself. It was published in January of 1989 and won a Caldecott Honor.

This book became an instant favorite with my boys and we broke it out to read frequently. When I became a school librarian, my first job was in a K-8 school where I saw all the students once a week as a "special." I read Hershel each year and no student ever minded one bit.