Pickled Watermelon

by Esty Schachter, Alex Orbe (Illustrations)

It's the summer of 1986, and eleven-year-old Molly just wants to spend the summer with her friends at camp. Instead, she reluctantly heads to Israel to visit family she barely knows! With a less-than-basic knowledge of Hebrew that she picked up in Hebrew school, Molly wonders how she will be able to communicate and have fun in a country that is new and foreign to her. Luckily, surprises are in store.

Genres: Childrens

144 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2018

Reviews

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pickled Watermelon by Esty Schachter, 140 pages. Kar-Ben Publishing, 2018. $9. 9781512499902.

Language: G (0 'swears'); Mature content: G; Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Eleven-year-old Molly is dreading spending a month of her summer traveling to Israel to see her mother's family. How can she have fun when its all going to be so different--culture, language, and people she doesn't know? But Molly quickly comes to understand that the bonds of family love--and a little work on everybody's part--can overcome a lot of differences.

This was a nice, clean book with an oft-explored premise about coming to know extended family. It reminded me somewhat of a young readers version of Darius the Great is Not Okay, though without the focus on depression. I think young, female readers will enjoy the novel but its nothing to get very excited about. I did like the look into 1980's Jewish life in Israel as it seems the world is a lot different today--but I don't know that I'd go recommending it just for that reason.

Reviewer: TC
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2020...

[⚘ Itz Lia the Bibliophile ⚘ · Rating 5 out of 5]

YAY DONE WITH IT

[Jill Jemmett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story about a girl who travels to Israel with her family.

I learned a lot about Israeli culture from this book. I have never read a book set in Israel before, so it was new to me. Molly was also discovering new aspects of her culture, because her mother’s family lived differently from her father’s family in the United States.

I’m curious as to why the story was set in 1986, rather than today. Perhaps this reflects a real trip that the author took. This setting put the characters in a unique position in time. Molly’s parents lived through the after effects of World War II, and her grandparents lived through it. That close relationship to WWII wouldn’t have been apparent if the young girl was living in today’s world.

This is a great story for middle grade readers.

I received a copy of this book from the book distributor Thomas Allen & Son.

[Lisa Bernstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story revolves around an 11 year old girl in 1986, going to Israel to meet her mom's family for the first time. She worries about communicating with them, since she doesn't know Hebrew, and her grandparents, at least, don't speak English. The plot is good and moves along well. The challenge is audience. The main character is 11, yet the choppy, short sentences make it feel like a book written for younger children, perhaps eight year-olds. That said, there are certain descriptions in the book that might frighten an eight year old, and not frighten a child a few years older (killing the fish, mentions of war). Also, I wonder how well a younger child can imagine a time before smart phones and google translate eliminate the main character's concerns.

[BiblioBickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Technically probably historical fiction (set in 1986) but more about an American girl discovering her extended family in Israel where her mother grew up. Themes similar to many immigrant families: inability to speak the same language as grandparents and/or extended family, long trip overseas instead of spending summer with friends in US, different eating and living arrangements, discovery of shared traditions and habits.

[Maya]

I wasn't expecting to get so emotionally invested in this book-- realistically I should have-- but from both the children's and grandparents' perspective, the idea of being apart long term seems impossibly sad.

I need an epilogue or follow up, please, 30 years later.

[Lisa Trank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this book brought back the memories of my first trip to Israel in such a vivid way! I really loved how Schachter captured the warmth of the culture and the importance of family.

[Iris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute little story. Makes you want to be in Israel!

[Deke Moulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read. Very much like a “we are on a trip” book. Fun, but also didn’t feel like much of a theme?? “Learning to like a place” maybe? It was so fun and very much appropriate for younger audiences.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this with M for summer session homeschool. Very cute, he loved it and wanted a sequel.

[Sarah Heilig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, but i felt the plot was a little blank.

[Hannah Solomonov · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was an okay book but it didn’t have my attention