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Reviewed by: Ashley Poulin, Elementary School Librarian Title: Honey and Me Author: Meira Drazin Publisher: Scholastic Press
Year: 2022 Good for Grades: 4-8 Genre/Type of Book: Realistic Fiction/Chapter Book
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: None Recommended for a school library: Yes Reason(s) for choosing the book: I chose this book because it had good reviews and because it features an Orthodox Jewish community, not often seen in books for children If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: Your best friend transferring to your school SHOULD make it the greatest year ever, but sixth grade is not going how Milla thought it would.
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Review:
Honey and Me is about two best friends, Honey and Milla. They both live in New York City and attend the same synagogue, but have always gone to different schools. When Honey transfers to Milla’s school at the beginning of sixth grade, their friendship gets complicated. The story takes place over an entire school year and centers around the girls’ changing friendship. The tensions between the two girls always come back to their differences. Honey is lively and charismatic, while Milla is more serious and reserved. Milla’s family is well off, but sometimes lacks in communication and is emotionally reserved, while Honey’s family is rambunctious, but has some financial struggles. Each girl is somewhat envious of what the other has and is not always great at recognizing what they have in abundance.
I think kids will enjoy the story and the cover is appropriate for the target audience. The book contains a great deal of Hebrew and Yiddish vocabulary, and while there is a glossary in the back, I think it could be difficult for readers to navigate independently. There are also many references to Jewish holidays and customs that readers of other faiths may not be familiar with. For this reason, this book would probably do best with highly motivated readers who will consult the resources at the back or do some independent research, or those reading it with someone else - ex. Book club, classroom read aloud, etc. It would tie in well with a study of different holidays, customs, or faith.
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