18 Jewish Reads for Tweens and Young Adults

Services. Sunday school. Summer camp.

Kids have plenty of ways to connect with Judaism. But one route goes underrecognized: Jewish books.

Starting when I was 10, my parents let me read Jewish books during High Holiday services. This ritual didn’t just help me sit through services quietly. It also made me a more dedicated, thoughtful Jew.

Today’s parents have many more resources to find great Jewish books than mine did. The Sydney Taylor Schmooze and the Book of Life Podcast cover the latest in Jewish children's literature. PJ Library sends free Jewish books to families with kids up to age 12. The Association of Jewish Libraries’ Sydney Taylor Book Award and the Jewish Book Council’s National Jewish Book Award are presented annually to picture books, middle grade reads, and young adult novels.

Still, it can be hard to sift through these sites. That’s why I’ve rounded up a starting list of 18 Jewish books I recommend sharing with the young readers in your life.

Middle Grade: Ages 8-12

1. "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar

A 500-year epic spanning four generations of Sephardic Jewish girls as they learn about faith, discover their family histories, and embrace their true selves.

2. "Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret." by Judy Blume

With a Jewish father, Christian mother, and agnostic upbringing, Margaret learns about religion and cultivates her own relationship with God while in the throes of puberty.

3. "A World Worth Saving" by Kyle Lukoff

Post-COVID lockdown, A, a trans Jewish 14-year-old, faces a smaller — and meaner — world than ever. But when a conversion therapy meeting reveals that demons have infested A’s world, he must decide whether to save it.

4. "Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf" by Deke Moulton

Benji Zeb lives on a kibbutz... which is also a wolf sanctuary... which is also a cover for the fact he and his family are werewolves. When Benji’s bully/crush shows up at the kibbutz mid-transition, he has to face his fears and defend his family, all while grappling with his queerness and mental health.

5. "Finn and Ezra’s Bar Mitzvah Time Loop" by Joshua S. Levy

Reform Finn and Orthodox Ezra were very ready for their bar mitzvahs to end. Now, they’re trapped in a time loop, reliving their bar mitzvahs again and again — unless they can figure out how to break the loop and move forward.

6. "How to Find What You’re Not Looking For" by Veera Hiranandani

In 1967, 12-year-old Ariel Goldberg’s sister elopes with an Indian man — forcing her family to grapple with biases, beliefs, and what it means to care for one another.

7. "The Button Box" by Bridget Hodder and Fawzia Gilani-Williams

Jewish fifth-grader Ava and her Muslim best friend, Nadeem, travel back in time to ancient Morocco to help Prince Abdur Rahman escape to Spain and create a Golden Age for Jews, Muslims, and Christians.

8. "The Color of Sound" by Emily Barth Isler

Twelve-year-old Rosie is a musical prodigy, thanks in part to her synesthesia. But when she insists on taking a break, a summer with her grandparents changes the way she sees the world.

9. "The Lost Ryū" by Emi Watanabe Cohen

In postwar Japan, few dragons (ryūs) exist — until 10-year-old Kohei and his ryū meet their new neighbor Isolde, a Jewish-Japanese girl whose ryū speaks Yiddish.

10. "What Jewish Looks Like" by Liz Kleinrock and Caroline Kusin Pritchard

 An anthology of 36 Jewish heroes across borders and backgrounds, spotlighting countless ways to look — and be — Jewish.

Young Adult: Ages 13-18

11. "Ballad & Dagger: An Outlaw Saints Novel" by Daniel José Older

Sixteen-year-old Mateo’s family moved to Brooklyn after their home island, San Madrigal, sank. When the forces that destroyed San Madrigal catch up to Mateo’s Black, Latino, and Sephardi Jewish community, he must uncover and confront an ancient mystery.

12. "Color Me In" by Natasha Diaz

When 16-year-old Nevaeh’s parents split up, she moves to Harlem with her mom from an affluent NYC suburb. There, she’s forced to confront her identity as a biracial Jewish teen and use her voice.

13. "D.J. Rosenblum Becomes the G.O.A.T." by Abby White

In my debut novel, queer 14-year-old D.J. is preparing for her belated bat mitzvah while investigating her cousin’s mysterious death. Her community includes Black, Latine, Asian, and LGBTQ+ Jews.

14. "Going Bicoastal" by Dahlia Adler

A queer romcom from a maven of the genre with two timelines — one where Natalya chases the girl of her dreams, and one where she connects with a guy who just might change everything.

15. "Lessons in Fusion" by Primrose Madayag Knazan

 At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, 16-year-old Sarah is invited to compete in a virtual cooking competition. To win, she’ll have to meld her Jewish and Filipinx cultures for the first time.

16. "Little & Lion" by Brandy Colbert

In modern Los Angeles, Black teenager Suzette — a Jew-by-choice — grapples with trust, loyalty, and identity as she falls for a new girl, tries to support her mentally ill stepbrother, and navigates the joys and challenges of her blended family.

17. "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Clara and Molly are estries, female vampires from Jewish folklore who transform into owls. To save their loves — a Syrian and a queer Jew, respectively — and the lives they’ve built, Clara and Molly must face the demon underbelly of New York City.

18. "When Angels Left the Old Country" by Sacha Lamb

Uriel the angel and Little Ash the demon have lived in Shtetl for thousands of years. When they learn that one of their community members, who recently emigrated to America, has gone missing, Uriel and Little Ash journey to early 20^th century America and confront the truths and trials of the American dream.

Even today, reading books remains one of the best ways to keep kids entertained, engaged, and thoughtful about their place within the world. That’s a mitzvah if I’ve ever heard of one.