Hannah's Way

January 16, 2012
Hannah is eager to fit into her new school. It’s the Depression, and her family has relocated from Minneapolis to rural Minnesota. She is the only Jewish girl in her class, and her family is the only Jewish family in the community. Glaser (Emma’s Poem) delves into the girl’s dilemma: there’s a class picnic on Saturday, the perfect opportunity to build friendships, and the teacher is arranging carpools for it, but Hannah’s not allowed to ride in a car on the Sabbath. She frets that no one will understand her problem. “If only she weren’t so far away from all her friends,” Hannah thinks. In Minneapolis, they would have understood the situation. She dreads the moment when she has to speak up. However, when she finally tells her teacher, a surprising solution presents itself. This is a sweet story, based on fact, of a community accepting a stranger with a different religion. Illustrations by Gustavson (Good Luck, Mrs. K.) in shadowy greens, browns, and purples lend a period feel to the story, and his painterly use of texture and light deftly depicts his character’s emotions. Ages 5–9.

February 1, 2012
Sometimes the tiniest actions are the most heroic. In this book--based on a true story--the heroes are children. Illustrator Gustavson is very good at painting eyes. Even when the characters have their eyelids closed, it's easy to read their expressions. Mostly they look nervous. Hannah is nervous because she might have to miss her class picnic. Her family won't drive on the Jewish Sabbath; she's the only Orthodox girl in a school in rural Minnesota. In every picture, Hannah looks nervous in a slightly different way: shy when she's a new student, timid and regretful when she tells her father about the picnic. "Just because there are no other Jews..." he says, "doesn't mean we forget the ways of our people." Hannah thinks: "I don't want to follow the ways of my people... I just want to go on my class picnic." On the second-to-last page, she has to speak up in front of the entire class. Her eyes are pointed at her desk. "I--I can go if someone will walk with me," she whispers. And in one brief, moving sentence, all the students raise their hands to volunteer. In this picture, their eyes are barely visible--they're tiny scribbles of paint--but they seem to be filled with joy. The moment is a little miracle--nearly impossible to believe, but entirely convincing and true. (Picture book. 5-9)

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April 1, 2012

K-Gr 3-Hannah is having difficulty adjusting to her new life on the Iron Range in Depression-era Minnesota. She has yet to make friends when her teacher announces that the class will be going on a picnic on Saturday and the children should arrange car pools. As an observant Jew, Hannah is unable to ride in a car on the Sabbath. Despite her protests, her parents hold their ground: "Just because there are no other Jews in the community doesn't mean we forget the ways of our people," her father firmly explains. The only way Hannah can go is if she walks the two miles to the park, and her parents insist that she find someone to accompany her. When she finally musters up the courage to explain her predicament to her teacher, she is pleasantly surprised by the outpouring of support, understanding, and friendship from her classmates. Oil paintings richly convey both the historical period and the rural, Upper Midwest setting of the story. Based on a true account from the Minnesota History Center, this simple story with a lovely message would pair nicely with Kathryn Lasky's Marven of the Great North Woods (Harcourt, 1997) and Barbara Cohen's Make a Wish, Molly (Doubleday, 1994).-Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2012
Grades K-3 After Papa loses his job during the Great Depression, Hannah and her family move from Minneapolis to rural Minnesota, and suddenly she is the only Jewish student in her school. Hannah hopes that a weekend class picnic could be her opportunity to make friends, but her hopes are dashed when Papa reminds her later, You know that Saturday is our day of rest. We don't work or drive on the Sabbath. In a touching conclusion, Hannah's classmates offer to walk the two miles with Hannah to the picnic spot. Glaser's elegant text works well with Gustavson's painterly illustrations, which play with shadow and light to effectively capture emotion. An author's note reveals that a true story inspired this picture book that could open up discussion on a variety of topics, ranging from the Great Depression to Jewish traditions, and is a heartwarming reminder that the smallest actions often have the largest impact.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)