The Difference of Ari Stein

by Charlotte Herman, Ben Illustrated by Shecter (Illustrator)

After he moves to Brooklyn, Ari decides he can meet new and different friends while keeping his personal beliefs.

150 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Charlotte Herman is the author of many beloved books for children, including the acclaimed Millie Cooper series and The House on Walenska Street. Like Dorrie, Charlotte possesses a lifelong love of family, chocolate malteds, and hot fudge sundaes. She makes her home outside of Chicago.

Reviews

[Uri Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This juvenile novel was written by Charlotte Herman and illustrated by Ben Shecter (1976). The narrator is Ari, a boy in 1944 who has finished fifth grade and whose family has just moved from the Lower East Side to a Brooklyn neighborhood which is still Jewish, but not as religious. He becomes friendly with local boys his age who are Jewish but who pressure Ari to stop wearing his yarmulke because it isn't "American" enough. Ari's Aunt Marilyn (formerly Malkeh) takes a similar approach when she visits, arguing that the Melting Pot means that everyone needs to be like everyone else. In contrast, Ari's mother, who is worried about her sister in Poland who has not been in touch since 1939, would like Ari to stay traditional, but doesn't have any compelling arguments.

Over the next several months, Ari has lots of experiences with the other boys, and ends up deciding that he will stay friends with them without being the same as them. He's partly inspired by the book's epigraph, namely Hillel's statement which begins, "If I am not for myself, who will be for me?" Ari's father discusses the quote with him, explaining that "It means that YOU are the one who will determine the kind of person you will be."

My one quibble with this historical novel is that the clothes and hairstyles in the illustrations don't seem to reflect the time period. But I think the story does a good job of tackling the issues of peer pressure and conformity.