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CALLING COBBER is a middle grade novel for Jewish boys, first released by PJ Our Way in May 2020, and released by Green Bean Books (London) in December 2020.

When eleven-year-old Jacob “Cobber” Stern’s best friend, Philip “Boolkie” Berman, breaks their agreement not to “get bar mitzvah’d” and becomes busy with frequent Hebrew lessons, Cobber begins spending more time with his almost one-hundred-year-old great-grandfather, Papa-Ben, a Russian immigrant. Still missing his mother six years after her death and wondering where he fits in, Cobber hopes that Papa-Ben can fill the void in his life. Cobber resists embracing his Judaism for a variety of reasons, including anger at God over his mother’s death. The “ticking clock” of Boolkie’s brother’s bar mitzvah compels Cobber to deal with his own reservations about faith and forgiveness.

In spending time with Papa-Ben, Cobber notices that the old man’s memory is failing and makes painful choices about which promises should be kept. His overly-developed sense of responsibility for Papa-Ben’s welfare is tested when his great- grandfather collapses and Cobber blames himself. While his father favors discharging Papa-Ben to a nursing home, Cobber wants to find a way for him to live with the Sterns. Realizing how much Papa-Ben misses rituals like Sabbath dinner, Cobber—with Boolkie’s help—tries to reprise the event—with comic, emotional, and sad results.

Meanwhile, events at school—a talent show and a haiku poem, praised by Cobber’s teacher and panned by Papa-Ben—heighten tensions. When Cobber discovers that Papa-Ben never learned to read English, he and Papa-Ben nervously try to teach each other English and Hebrew, respectively. Frustration results on both sides, however, convincing Cobber he made the right decision not to join Boolkie in studying for a bar mitzvah.

Dad and Cobber struggle toward greater understanding of one another. All that is tested, however, when Papa-Ben takes ill after Cobber’s Sabbath dinner. Fear of losing Papa-Ben forces Cobber to reach out to both God and his father. When Papa-Ben recovers sufficiently to participate in Eli Berman’s bar mitzvah but falters en route to the bimah, Cobber’s love for the old man overcomes his fears about standing before a crowd, reciting Hebrew. When Dad joins them and he is supported between the two people he loves most, Cobber feels a new connection to their shared history—and a sense of peacefulness that he is not alone.

Sheri Sinykin’s newest novel artfully combines several issues of great interest to middle-grade readers. Eleven-year old Jacob “Cobber” Stern lost his mother six years ago and his memory of her is gradually fading, a loss nearly as painful as her death. Cobber’s father’s own grief has made him emotionally unavailable, and even Cobber’s best friend — newly enrolled in Hebrew school — has become less accessible to him, becoming a source of sadness to him. The most stable anchor in the boy’s life is his ninety-nine-year-old great-grandfather, but recently his memory lapses and accidents have forced Cobber to confront the possible loss of one more person in his life. Childhood depression, coming to terms with death, and issues of Jewish identity all find expression in this believable and sensitive story of one boy’s life, as he learns to seek and accept support for the life events which overwhelm him.

The unusual placement of a great-grandfather, rather than grandfather, at the novel’s center, heightens the urgency of Cobber’s fears as well as the changing nature of Jewish American life. Set in the year 2000 in a small Wisconsin town with few Jewish families, Cobber’s story reflects the losses of connection with their past reflected in the Stern family’s tenuous self-definition as Jews. Papa-Ben, almost one hundred years old, still remembers life in Russia and his difficult process of assimilating after immigrating to the United States. His wife and children have died, making him “an old tree with no roots,” and his grandson Larry, Cobber’s father, has abandoned the Jewish practices with which was raised. Although Cobber attends Sunday school weekly to honor his late mother’s wishes, he balks at the idea of preparing to become a bar mitzvah when his best friend begins afternoon Hebrew classes in preparation for that milestone. When his English teacher asks Cobber and his classmates to write haiku poems about their identity, he is forced to admit that he feels no connection to anything larger than himself.

Rather than romanticizing an ostensibly richer Jewish past, the novel raises subtle questions about what it means to be Jewish when that identity is freely chosen. Challenging his father, Cobber asks if an obligatory bar mitzvah is truly important: “I can still be Jewish, right? Isn’t it like being white? A label? Something you just are?” His father’s tentative response that being Jewish can be much more than a meaningless category is unconvincing, given his own isolation from his community. There is no facile conclusion about what it means to be a Jew. Papa-Ben’s roots in the Jewish past have lost a viable context in the present, and their relevance to Cobber’s search for meaning is unclear. Sinykin presents Cobber’s struggle for his own solution, including a sincere form of personal spirituality within Jewish tradition, with subtlety and balance.

One of the greatest achievements of this book is the way in which Sinykin embeds the most profound questions about love, loss, what it means to be human and to be Jewish, within the intimate scale of one family coping under extreme pressures. There are moments of humor, when Cobber and his friend joke and tease one another, as well as scenes of heart-breaking sadness, as Cobber and his father attempt to cope with past losses and inevitable future ones. Papa-Ben and Cobber stand at opposite ends of the life cycle, alone in their mourning, but also embracing one another and finding strength in a common tie to Judaism.

Calling Cobber is highly recommended and includes an “Author’s Note” and a useful glossary of Hebrew, Yiddish, and other terms.

One of the Best Books I've Ever Read:

Calling Cobber was a realistic fiction story that drew me immediately. The characters seemed like real people. I imagined them in my head. I liked reading about a boy who was older than me and his life. The plot was easy to follow. Cobber's Dad didn't notice Cobber much because he was always at work. It seemed like Cobber and Papa Ben formed a friendship. It was sad when Cobber's best friend, Boolkie, started Sunday School. Cobber didn't get to see Boolkie much after. The most exciting part was when Papa Ben moved in with Cobber and his Dad, and they had a Hanukkah feast. It was a really happy scene, because they were all together. Cobber's Dad then started to pay more attention to him. I was really glad to read that Cobber's Dad changed for the better by the end of the book. I would love to read a sequel of this book to find out what happens as Cobber gets older. One added point: I liked the cover of the book.

ZAYDE COMES TO LIVE is my first picture book. When Rachel's Jewish grandfather comes to live with her family because he is dying and her friends tell her he won't go to Heaven or Paradise, she wants to find out where Zayde "will go."

The Sydney Taylor Honor Book Award for Younger Readers / Association of Jewish Libraries / 2013

The Sydney Taylor Book Awards are awarded every year by the Association of Jewish Libraries to books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. The Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) has been recognizing quality Jewish literature for many years. In 1968, AJL established a children’s book award called the Shirley Kravitz Children’s Book Award. This award was renamed “the Sydney Taylor Book Award” in 1978 after the death of Sydney Taylor, author of the All-of-a-Kind Family series. More information about the award, including how to order silver seals for your own copies if you wish, can be found here.

The Parents' Choice Recommended Seal indicates that the committees of the Parents' Choice Foundation (established in 1978 as a 501c3 and the nation’s oldest nonprofit guide to quality children’s media and toys) found the product distinguished enough to give it a notch above our "Approval" rating. In other words, this commendation implies the Foundation's approval and, even beyond that, its thorough recommendation for reasons of production, appeal and fulfillment of its clear intent.

The Wisconsin Library Association awarded ZAYDE COMES TO LIVE its Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award for most distinguished children's book by a Wisconsin book creator in 2012.

Paterson Prize for Books for Young People (honor book) / The Poetry Center at Passaic County (NJ) Community College / 2013

“Tender, moving, as perfect a circle as life. A book for when you and your child need it and when you do not.”

“A sweet and uplifting tale of wisdom passing from generation to generation.”

“Masterfully gentle, loving and sensitive...a tremendously helpful resource...”

There are many books that help a young child cope with death, but this is a particularly moving one—and it’s surprisingly direct about how different religions view the subject. The narrator’s grandfather, Zayde, has come to live with Rachel’s family because he’s dying. Rachel and he still try to play together, but he is tired. Rachel worries what will happen to him when he dies. Her friend Megan says Zayde will go to Heaven—if he believes in Jesus. Hakim says there are milk-and-honey rivers flowing in Paradise, but he must believe in Allah. “But we do not. That’s because we are Jewish.” So Rachel asks the rabbi what will happen: “He’ll take one last breath . . . Then his energy will live on with your ancestors in the World to Come.” Rather than a nebulous visual, illustrator Swarner depicts this as family dancing in a circle of love, against a blanket of stars. And Zayde, too, tells her he is at peace and that he’ll live in her love and memories. And, as she snuggles next to her grandfather, Rachel realizes that as long as there is life, another memory can still be made. The artwork, linoleum prints touched with watercolor and colored pencil, focus on the family, but juxtaposed are falling leaves, and star-swept skies that add depth. Although this reverberates with the beliefs of a particular religion, the emotions and message transcend. — Ilene Cooper

Rachel learns that the impending death of her grandfather—her zayde—doesn’t have to be tragic in this beautiful and accessible tale that gives expression to many children’s fears about dying. Now that her elderly grandfather has moved in with her family, Rachel sees firsthand his waning energy and confused moments, and is worried about where he will go when he dies. When her Christian and Muslim friends provide answers that don’t suit Rachel because she is Jewish, the rabbi explains that “his energy will live on with your ancestors in the World to Come.” Her zayde, too, helps her understand that there can be peace and completeness in death. Sinykin hits just the right balance of communication and reassurance with her storytelling, as does Swarner with her endearing and soothing illustrations. Children will relate to Rachel’s concerns and appreciate the comforting and positive messages relayed in a story that takes on a difficult and important subject. Ages 6–10. (Oct.)

PreS-Gr 1–Rachel’s grandpa has come to live out his final days with her family, and the girl worries about what will happen to him next. Predictions from her non-Jewish friends don’t quite fit, but she is satisfied when her rabbi says that Zayde will join his ancestors and points out that the man is living until the moment he dies. Rachel focuses on making a few final memories and treasuring Zayde’s remaining time.

There are many stories for young children about grandparents passing away, but this one is unique in that it centers on the time leading up to death instead of its aftermath. The beautifully sensitive storytelling comforts readers by showing the inevitability of the circle of life in the context of strong family love. Although the book is aimed at Jewish audiences, the emotions ring true universally.

Swarner’s gentle, softly colored linoleum prints suit the story perfectly, both in the household scenes and the spiritual ones. The artist has illustrated Howard Schwartz’s Before You Were Born (Roaring Brook, 2005), an excellent companion piece to this story. Pitch-perfect text and illustrations combine to create a story that will touch readers’ hearts.-Heidi Estrin, Congregation B’nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

Though many parents tend to shield their young children from the realities of terminal illness, this picture book looks at death through the concerned and loving eyes of a child who begins to understand the concept behind the "circle of life."

When Zayde comes to live in Rachel’s house, it is “because he is dying.” Watching him sit and sleep day and night in a sleeper-chair with an oxygen tube, Rachel instinctively knows that he is close to death and begins to question where he will go after his last breath. Megan says he will go to heaven, and Hakim says he will go to Paradise , but Zayde's Jewish; is there a place for him? Through this question-and-answer text, listeners are told of the inevitability gently, with Zayde’s acceptance and feelings of “shalom,” peace and completeness, and the rabbi’s explanation of “Olam Ha-Ba,” the Jewish belief in the “World to Come.” Most importantly Rachel learns that memories carried in family stories will keep her grandfather alive in her heart. Sinykin does a commendable job of dispelling fear with empathy and tenderness through some very direct yet positive answers to a child’s uncertainty. Linoleum prints created with watercolors and colored pencils in muted tones reflect a spiritually calm and sometimes whimsical ambiance, matching the text’s gentle tone.

Though Rachel's quest takes place within a Jewish context, her emotions and situation are near universal, and this artful book handles both well. (Picture book. 5-10)

Sinykin, Sheri. Zayde Comes to Live. Illus. by Kristina Swarner. Atlanta: Peachtree, 2012. 30 pp. $16.95.

This lovely story exemplifies the concept of “bibliotherapy,” as it attempts to help young Rachel deal with her grandfather’s impending death. Rachel’s Zayde has come to live with her family, for he has grown infirm and weak. She realizes that he is dying and wonders where he will go when he dies. She asks everyone she knows—her friends, her rabbi, her Zayde—but no one has the perfect answer. Her friends introduce her to Christian and Moslem concepts of death, which Rachel knows are not right for her and her Jewish family. Megan assures her that Zayde will go to Heaven but first he must believe in Jesus. Another friend, Hakim, says that Zayde will go to paradise, but first he must believe in Allah. Eventually, Rachel finds a way to make peace with the reality of her Zayde’s death, as well as comfort and acceptance with the concept of Olam HaBa, the world to come. The lush illustrations have a dreamlike quality that perfectly embellish this story. While the publisher’s blurb describes the book as touching, it is rather searing and painful and may be too intense for a child to read independently. Recommended as a read-aloud and helping book, with adult guidance.

Giving Up the Ghost, a suspense novel for readers ages 10-14, is also of special interest to grief counselors, teachers, librarians, and parents concerned for how middle schoolers handle their fears about terminal illness and the eventual death of loved ones.

Thirteen-year-old Davia is afraid of many things: death, unfamiliar places, and the chance of her mom’s cancer returning. This summer, two years after Hurricane Katrina, her fears loom even larger, as she and her parents assist with the in-home hospice care of her elderly great-aunt Mari.

Everything about the sharp-tongued old woman and her romantic but spooky Louisiana plantation, Belle Forêt, frightens Davia. And when she encounters Emilie, the tortured ghost of a spoiled young Creole girl from the nineteenth century, she is even more terrified. To Davia’s surprise, Emilie seems eager to have Davia for a confidante, but the ghost is unpredictable and difficult. Gradually, Davia learns secrets about Emilie and her own family’s past from Aunt Mari—stories of premature endings and regrets. As the old woman’s health deteriorates, she and Davia are drawn closer. Together, they hope to release Emilie’s spirit from Belle Forêt.

Author Sheri Sinykin has written a sensitive, provocative tale of an adolescent who learns to accept uncertainty and comes to terms with her fears. Readers will be mesmerized by the gripping supernatural mystery that lies at the heart of the story.

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