Meet Gittel
The town bully, Karl Leckner, threatens to nail her mouth shut. Her best friend says she has more sass than sense. Even her beloved Zayde wishes she would hold her tongue and rise above. But 13-year-old Gittel Borenstein’s feet are planted stubbornly on the earth and her tongue is as sharp as Zayde’s chalef, the razor he uses for butchering chickens. She’s fed up with being called Geetle Beetle, or Jew girl, or worse.
The Borensteins and 12 other Jewish families have left behind the deadly pogroms of Eastern Europe only to find life nearly as harsh in 1911 Mill Creek, Wisconsin. The winters are fierce, farming unfamiliar, and not everyone in Mill Creek accepts the Jewish settlers.
A star student, Gittel takes refuge in school, where she longs to blend in with her gentile friends and dreams of becoming a famous writer or singer. Both dreams seem equally far-fetched. Eighth grade is the last year of formal schooling available in Mill Creek and Karl Leckner is determined a Jewish girl will never blend in.
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“Mazel tov for Gittel! Impulsive, brash and full of heart, she endures loss and prejudice without losing sight of her remarkable self. This story is a wonderful weaving of historical details and contemporary themes.”
—Kirby Larson, author of the Newbery Honor book Hattie Big Sky
“A moving coming-of-age story of family, friendship, feminism, and finding your own voice. Schneider’s Gittel will introduce readers to a little-known time in American Jewish history. Prepare to be inspired.”
—Sarah Aronson, author of Abzuglutely! Battling, Bellowing Bella Abzug
“Laurie Schneider’s stunning debut middle grade novel invites readers into a little-known piece of Jewish-American history through the eyes of smart, saucy, creative Gittel Borenstein for whom Emily Dickinson’s poems are spiritual texts. Kin to Anne Shirley and Jean Louise Finch, yet entirely herself, Gittel is a fabulous companion with an irresistible and unforgettable voice. The poetic, page-turner of a novel that bears her name is not to be missed.”
—Ona Gritz, author of August or Forever
“In Yiddish, gittel means good, but Gittel, the main character of this vibrant middle grade historical novel, is more than just good—she’s extraordinary. Set in the rural town of 1900s Mill Creek, Wisconsin, a place where love starts with cheese, Gittel arrives with her extended family, fleeing the horrors of the Kishinev pogrom targeting Jews. In Mill Creek, Gittel discovers that hate and bigotry live everywhere, but so do love and community. With her passion for Emily Dickinson and singing Christmas carols, Gittel surprises readers again and again with her daring wit, but most of all, her compassion. Gittel is a character both familiar and entirely new, who will teach readers what it means to be American while staying true to your roots and your own identity.”
—Sheela Chari, author of Karthik Delivers and the award-winning The Unexplained Disappearance of Mars Patel series