Strudel Stories

by Joanne Rocklin

A lively and evocative novel full of sweet, sad, and funny moments in the history of a Jewish family.

Imagine a cozy kitchen in another time and place. A family is baking apple strudel together, and while they work, they tell each other stories of the past--the cherished stories of their family history. There is the boy who danced with ghosts, the greatest baseball moment ever, and the almost-a-disaster day. There are stories of braving war, of daring the difficulties of immigration, and of enjoying the simple pleasures of friendship and sports--stories of joy and sadness, mistakes and triumphs, courage and love.

This warm and intimate novel is an inspiring portrait of a truly memorable family.

Genres: Fiction, Cultural, Historical, Childrens

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

I was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the land of four distinct seasons. The winters are so long!

Wintry days and nights inspired me to read many, many books, the most important thing a writer can do. Of course other seasons inspired me, too! And as soon as I learned to hold a pencil I began writing poems, stories, and diaries.

I have always owned cats (or they have owned me, a cliché, but true!) Coincidentally, all our cats have been authors, and I’ve compiled their writing secrets in the essay “Why Cats Write.”

And I have always lived within walking distance of a library. (O.K. in California, within almost-walking, but driving distance!) I love to read and write, but I also love to talk--especially about writing.

Reviews

[Mary Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful book. I was lucky enough to stumble upon a copy at a local thrift and plan on reading it aloud to the kids when we get to the All-of-a-Kind Family series by Sydney Taylor. It is a moving celebration of the Jewish identity, language, and stories -- and delicious strudel! -- as well as a gentle approach in introducing young children to the horrors of anti-Semitism, racism, and the Holocaust. Highly recommended.

[KIMBERLEY SHERMAN · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read. Taking turns reading with granddaughter & will make the strudel at the end of the story :-)

[Sonja · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is refreshingly old fashioned storytelling of the best kind. A joy to read.

[Debbie Tanner · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book about a Jewish family that makes strudel and one of the keys of making the strudel, is the family stories that they tell. Some of the stories are funny and some are scary and some are sad. It also has two different recipes for strudel in case you want to try it!

[Kate Hastings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grades 3-5. RL 540. A family shares stories of the past as they bake their traditional strudel together. Poignant tales are both courageous and loving.

[Sofia Fresia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Che delusione quando ho capito che non era una storia unica, bensì una raccolta di short stories...ricordo che avevo un'alta aspettativa su questo libro, dettata dal titolo.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining short stories related to history and, what else, strudel. A good chapter book for kids just starting to read longer fiction.