By Rabbi Rachel Esserman

The wide range of novels for Jewish teens and tweens in the 21st century feels amazing to those of us who grew up when there were little to no works for this age group that featured Jewish characters. The novels in this review focus on three different time periods: World War II, the early 1950s and contemporary times. However, they all have something in common: these young adults are looking for ways to live a meaningful life.
“Somewhere in Nowhere”
At first glance, Steven Gellman’s “Somewhere in Nowhere” (NineStar Press) looks like a light rom-com about Simon Bugg’s senior year of high school. Unfortunately, he’s at a new school for just that year after his family moved when one of his moms found her dream job in a different town. Simon faces two problems: he hasn’t been able to tell his moms that he is gay and he made a mess of his first date with the cute PJ whom he met in drama class. To add to his difficulties, Simon’s dad, who hasn’t been actively involved in his life for years, moves back to the area and wants to have a relationship with him. Simon’s mother is also spending way too much time at her new job, leaving her exhausted and with little time for him and his other mom.
However, the novel ultimately deals with far more serious topics not limited to the panic attacks that Simon starts having at 11:22 pm every night, which lead him to worry he is going to die. Since he feels that anyone he tells will think he is crazy, he keeps the attacks to himself. But a variety of other events and actions – to reveal them would spoil the plot surprises – show not only the reason behind these attacks, but how Simon learns to deal with the unexpected tragedies that occur.
“Somewhere in Nowhere” is easy to read at first because readers will find themselves drawn to Simon and his friends – those from his new and old schools whose quirks are endearing and fun. Some of the later events in the novel may disturb readers, though, so parents may want to read the work with their teen and discuss what occurs. 
“Silver Wolves”
Although the publicity material mentioned that the main character in “Silver Wolves” (Seven Stories Press), Jerome Charyn’s first novel for teens, is Jewish, it is only late in the work that a Jewish connection is mentioned. However, since the novel is based on Charyn’s life as a teenager in the Bronx, readers get a view of working class Jews’ lives in the 1950s, and those Jewish teens who formed gangs to protect themselves and their neighborhood.
Jonah Salt’s life is not an easy one: His father is unable to work due to an accident and mental health issues. His mother supports the family by working two shifts at a candy factory. Jonah’s older brother, Michael, had formed a gang called the Silver Wolves, but, after getting into trouble, was given the choice of jail or the Army. Although he chose the Army, a fight with an officer means that Michael is now serving a 20-year sentence in a military prison. That leaves Jonah to keep the gang going, something even the local police support since the gang protects the neighborhood and helps those in need.
Jonah’s life becomes even more complicated when he is released from juvenile detention after being arrested on a burglary charge: he is given a chance to attend the High School of Music and Arts because of his drawing talent. There he meets Merle, a smart and talented student who is confined to a wheelchair. Welcomed by her rich family who offer Jonah a vision of a different type of life, Jonah is torn between the two worlds to which he belongs: the school and the Silver Wolves. His decision becomes even more difficult when rival gangs enter the Silver Wolves’ territory, and begin to terrorize and steal from shop owners. Should he pursue the dream that would take him out of his neighborhood to a new life, or does he have an obligation to his neighbors?
The prose in “Silver Wolves” is blunt and plain with few descriptions, but that fits Jonah’s first person narrative. While the novel’s ending did not feel totally convincing, the work is said to mirror the author’s life, and it does do an excellent job showing the hardships and heartbreaks of poverty. 
“The Secret Buttons”
While the other two novels in this review are aimed at teens, “The Secret Buttons” by Ellen Shapiro with illustrations by Caterina Baldi (Visual Language Books) offers a work for the slightly younger tween crowd. The work focuses on 12-year-old Anni Blum and her younger sister Rosie, who are able to leave Nazi Austria by pretending to be non-Jews traveling to England to work as domestic workers. It’s difficult for the girls to leave their home, but their father is in a concentration camp and the future of their mother and grandmothers, who must remain in Germany, is unknown.
The girls are greeted in England by relatives they’ve never met before. That family has moved from its city home to a country cottage because it’s safer there. Anni and Rosie are expected to help with household chores while also attending school with their cousin Ronald. Although they know some English, that is only partly helpful as they try to understand unfamiliar words and customs. They also face prejudice because of their Austrian accents. However, it’s not just adjustment to English culture they must deal with: the girls’ parents were not religious and, while their British relatives are not Orthodox, Anni and Rosie learn to celebrate Passover during a wonderfully moving section of the novel.
“The Secret Buttons” is based on a real story, but to offer more details would spoil the surprises. The design of the book is lovely: the publisher uses a variety of font styles and italics to differentiate between events occurring in England and those that took place in Austria. This charming work will appeal to tweens interested in World War II as seen from Great Britain.