Passover is a holiday of stories, told over the course of a ritual meal (Seder). This middle-grade anthology brings us 14 wonderful stories of Passover, each one inspired by a different step of the Seder. Told in the traditional order, each story is as different as the foods and flavors on a Seder plate—some are bitter, some salty, and others sweet.
Here we find observant families and secular ones; Jews of Ashkenazi and Sephardic heritage; Jews of color and multiracial families. One protagonist is autistic. Most of the stories are contemporary, but there are also ones that reach back into history, that evoke Jewish folklore, and that even weave in magical elements. The structure of the stories varies, too: most are prose, but one is in verse and one is told in mixed prose and graphic form.
And yes, one story has queer characters. A. J. Sass, who has written several great middle-grade books with queer, Jewish protagonists, brings us “The Awful Omen,” about Sammy, a nonbinary tween who wants to use the Seder gathering as an opportunity to come out to the whole family all at once. They’re not worried about a negative reaction—their uncle and his husband, whom the family has fully accepted, will be there, too. Sammy’s parents even took them to a Pride parade. But Sammy gets nervous speaking in front of people and doesn’t want to have to answer a lot of questions about their identity.
They hatch a plan involving the hunt for the afikomen (a piece of matzo that is hidden for the children to find) and the family tradition that the winner gets anything they want (within reason), no questions asked. If Sammy wins, they could request that the family to use they/them pronouns for them—and no one could ask a million questions afterward. Problem is, Sammy’s cousin Ava always wins the hunt. Does Sammy even have a chance? Things go delightfully awry, but the story is gently funny and affirming while avoiding angst-y tropes about coming out. (And Sammy is right on the cover in a shirt evoking the trans flag!)
While the stories in the volume vary greatly, one common thread is family and our connections to it, while another throughline is growth and change. One could also see in the collection the larger question (to which there are many answers) of what it means to be Jewish and the disparate ways that each of us relate to this holiday, this history, and this people. But Passover is about questions as much as stories, so this feels perfect, too. As some of us Jews might say, kol hakavod. (Well done.) Highly recommended.
Contributors are:
- Chris Baron
- Ruth Behar
- Adam Gidwitz
- Veera Hiranandani
- Amy Ignatow
- Sarah Kapit
- Joshua S. Levy
- Mari Lowe
- Naomi Milliner
- Soifya Pasternack
- R. M. Romero
- A. J. Sass
- Laura Shovan
- Laurel Snyder
