The Woodcarver's Daughter by Yona Zeldis McDonough Ages 8-13
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The Woodcarver's Daughter by Yona Zeldis McDonough Ages 8-13

Code: 978-1728420264
$7.99
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Product Description

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After a pogrom forces Batya's Russian Jewish family to leave their home and make the journey to America, Batya hopes her new life will offer her a chance to become a woodcarver like her beloved father. But while many things in America are different from the world of her shtetl, one thing seems to be the same: only boys can be woodcarvers. Still, Batya is determined to learn. With the same perseverance that helped her family survive and start over in an unfamiliar land, Batya sets out to carve a place for herself.

"When a Russian pogrom burns her father’s woodcarving shop, twelve-year-old Batya’s family decides to move to America. Mama, Papa, Batya, older brother Avram, slightly younger sister Gittel, and four-year-old Sara board a ship for New York City. They experience seasickness, and little Sara becomes seriously ill. Although Sara recovers, she is now deaf. The family struggles in New York City to find work, make friends, and learn English in school. While skipping school, Batya finds a woodcarving shop full of men like her father, eastern European immigrants. In the shop, they carve beautiful carousel horses. Batya is a talented woodcarver, but as a female she is prohibited from the profession. Could things be different in America? This shop would be a perfect place for her father to work, but she found the shop skipping school―should she tell her father?

Early 20th-century New York City is beautifully brought to life through the eyes of a courageous, young, female, Jewish immigrant. Batya and her family are easy to love, and their various struggles engage the reader. This story teaches about many interesting topics: Russian pogroms, immigration, woodcarving, carousels, Jewish culture, deafness, gender issues, and much more." ― Elizabeth Caufield Felt, Historical Novel Society