Here are two subjects I don’t see often in middle grade books: Jewish children and North Dakota.

Susan Lynn Meyer’s historical fiction, A Sky Full of Song, covers both, plus Ukraine and the Russian Empire, plus the plight of Native Americans who inhabited North Dakota.

About the Book

Title: A Sky Full of Song
Author: Susan Lynn Meyer
Publisher: Union Square Kids (April 11, 2023)
ISBN-10: ‎ 1454947845
ISBN-13: ‎978-1454947844
Available at amazon.com.

Before I get into the review, though, did you see the report about the family of kids in Colombia who survived a plane crash and 40 days in the Amazon jungle?

The eldest child, a 13-year-old girl, was responsible for the survival of her three siblings, including an infant who turned one while in the jungle!

These kids were indigenous Huitoto and so, according to relatives, the 13-year-old knew what plants were edible and which ones were not, and she knew survival skills.

But just imagine: You’re a kid on a small airplane, you experience the terrifying moments before impact, you survive that impact, you see your mother die, the pilot is dead, and then you survive in a jungle, teeming with snakes and wild animals, and you keep your brothers and sisters alive, too.

Remarkable.

It has also been speculated that children raised in the US could not have survived this ordeal.

Let’s hope none of us find out.

But I believe that a lot of kids are tougher than we think.

Maybe we should give kids a bit more credit…and a bit more leeway…to solve their own problems—much like kids in a middle grade novel.

When we as parents are so quick to jump in and save the day, we are really doing our kids a disservice.

Baby steps. (No plane-crash tests.)

On to A Sky Full of Song, which takes place in 1905.

Eleven-year-old Shoshona, her three sisters, and her mother stay behind in Ukraine, while her father takes her brother to North Dakota as rumors start up about young Jewish boys being forced into the Russian tsar’s army in the Russian Revolution—to fight against Jews.

After three years, when the persecution of all Jews in the Empire becomes overwhelming and living in Ukraine becomes increasingly unsafe, Shoshona and the others travel to North Dakota to become a family once again and start a new life.

Why North Dakota?

Shoshona’s father had always dreamed of farming, and the vast, open prairies of North Dakota seemed perfect to him.

Needless to say, life is different in North Dakota compared to the populous city where the family had lived in Ukraine.

But one thing that remains the same is the prejudice against Jews.

Shoshana’s family tries to stay true to its Jewish culture, while also trying to forge a new life for themselves.

Shoshana, however, wants to blend in more than the rest of her family does.

She’s embarrassed by the Yiddish that they insist on speaking, instead of English.

She’s uncomfortable with their clothing from the old country.

The fact that they celebrate Chanukkah instead of Christmas is another embarrassment.

But is Shoshona willing to turn her back on her family’s customs and beliefs to keep her new friends?

And are they really her friends if they can’t accept her as she is?

As her elder sister suggests, when you turn your back on your family and its traditions, you turn your back on yourself.

This is a sweet tale about embracing every bit of who you are, standing up for what’s right, and making your voice heard.

The title refers to fearlessly playing the song that is inside you for all the world to hear.

I enjoyed Shoshana’s story and recommend A Sky Full of Song for 8–12-year-olds and their parents.

Have a great week!

~ Gail

Before you go, don’t forget to sign up for my mailing list, below:

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us

Save