Sonia Levitin's Strange Relations

This story of a young girl who goes to Hawaii for the summer to stay with very religious relatives just won the Sydney Taylor Book Award, and it certainly deserves it. Marne is Jewish, but her family is not observant. Her aunt, however, is. There is a lot of interesting discussion of Jewish traditions and rituals, and how Marne learns to accept some of these into her life.

While I love this author, I don't think I will buy the book. Some of the concerns and situations are more suitable to a high school audience. Certainly, any school with a sizeable Jewish population will find this interesting.

My favorite Levitin book is still The Mark of Conte. Even after 30 years, it still resonates with students. If you are lucky enough to have a copy about, dust it off and give it a try.

Also read Snicket's The Hostile Hospital, which was not as bad as some of the others.