Susan Lynn Meyer – författare

Sydney Taylor Honor Award Winner Black Radishes is a suspenseful WWII/Holocaust story, in which one boy learns what it means to be Jewish and French at a time when everything is changing.     It is March of 1940. The French believe that their army can protect them from Nazi Germany. But is Paris a safe place for Jews? Gustave’s parents don’t think so. Forced to leave behind his best friend, the mischievous Marcel, and his cousin Jean-Paul, Gustave moves with his mother and father to Saint-Georges, a small village in the countryside.     During April and May, Nazi Germany invades one country after another. In June, the French army is defeated, and Paris is occupied. Saint-Georges is still part of the free zone, but the situation there is becoming increasingly precarious.Then Gustave meets Nicole, a Catholic girl who works for the French Resistance. Along with her father, Nicole tries to find a way to smuggle Jean-Paul, Marcel, and their families into Free France so that they can all escape to America. It is Gustave, however, who comes up with a plan that just might work. But going into Occupied France is a risky thing to do when you are Jewish.     Inspired by her father’s experiences as a Jewish child living in France during World War II, Susan Lynn Meyer tells the story of a family’s day-to-day struggles in a country that may not be able to keep its promise of “Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.”And don''t miss Skating with the Statue of Liberty, the gripping and poignant companion to Black Radishes, which follows Gustave as he embarks on new adventures in New York City.

"This rich story reminds us that America can be at its best as a melting pot. A page-turner for all the right reasons." —VINCE VAWTER, Newbery Honor–winning author of Paperboy  In this gripping and poignant companion to Sydney Taylor Honor Award winner Black Radishes, Gustave faces racism and anti-Semitism in New York City during World War II, but ultimately finds friendship and hope.   After escaping the Germans in Nazi-occupied France, Gustave and his family have made it to America at last. But life is not easy in New York. Gustave’s clothes are all wrong, he can barely speak English, and he is worried about his best friend, Marcel, who is in danger back in France. Then there is September Rose, the most interesting girl in school, who doesn’t seem to want to be friends with him. Gustave is starting to notice that not everyone in America is treated equally, and his new country isn’t everything he’d expected. But he isn’t giving up.A Junior Library Guild Selection"I love everything about this poignant story, especially the gorgeous prose, which brings to life such an important slice of American history in a way I haven''t seen before. Simply put, this heartfelt book is a masterpiece."-SHANA BURG, author of A Thousand Never Evers and Laugh with the Moon“The everyday details of the story guide readers, allowing them to enjoy following Gustave’s entry into the United States and his growth toward appreciating all that’s ahead for him in his new home. . . . Strong historical content, rich descriptions, and smart subtleties about the links between history and current events.”—School Library Journal “Readers may gradually start to think of the characters as close friends. . . . The conflict might feel like it''s happening to people the readers have always known. A sweet book that readers will find sneaks up on them.”—Kirkus Reviews"Well paced with fully realized characters, this provides a textured look at race, refugees, war, and the process of creating a new life."--Booklist    Praise for Black Radishes   A Sydney Taylor Honor Award Winner A Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book of the Year An Instructor Magazine Best Kids’ Book, Historical Fiction A Massachusetts Book Award Must-Read Book   “An empowering, suspenseful story of a unique young boy with cunning, patience, and courage.”—Francisco X. Stork, author of Marcelo in the Real World   “A fascinating, deftly gripping tale that reminds readers, young or old, of events we must never forget.”—Zilpha Keatley Snyder, three-time Newbery Honor winner and author of The Egypt Game   “A vivid and moving story about a Jewish family’s efforts to escape the Nazis, seen through the eyes of a clear-signed and sensitive young boy.”—Annika Thor, winner of the Mildred L. Batchelder Award   “Black Radishes transforms the past into a gripping story.”—Kit Pearson, winner of the Governor General’s Award for Awake and Dreaming

This heartwarming, beautifully written middle-grade historicalnovel about an untold American frontier story is destined to be a cherished classic.    North Dakota, 1905   After fleeing persecution in the Russian Empire, eleven-year-old Shoshana and her family, Jewish immigrants, start a new life on the prairie. Shoshana takes fierce joy in the wild beauty of the plains and the thrill of forging a new, American identity. But it’s not as simple for her older sister, Libke, who misses their Ukrainian village and doesn’t pick up English as quickly or make new friends as easily. Desperate to fit in, Shoshana finds herself hiding her Jewish identity in the face of prejudice, just as Libke insists they preserve it.   For the first time, Shoshana is at odds with her beloved sister, and has to look deep inside herself to realize that her family’s difference is their greatest strength. By listening to the music that’s lived in her heart all along, Shoshana finds new meaning in the Jewish expression all beginnings are difficult, as well as in the resilience and traditions her people have brought all the way to the North Dakota prairie.

Miriam Mouse''s family always celebrates Passover Belowstairs, while the human Winklers celebrate Abovestairs. But this year Miriam is finding it hard to get a piece of matzah to use for the Mouse family afikomen as the human family has decided to store their matzah in a tin. All seems lost for the Mouse family seder, until young Eli Winkler shares the afikomen with her.

Miriam Mouse''s family always celebrates Passover Belowstairs, while the human Winklers celebrate Abovestairs. But this year Miriam is finding it hard to get a piece of matzah to use for the Mouse family afikomen as the human family has decided to store their matzah in a tin. All seems lost for the Mouse family seder, until young Eli Winkler shares the afikomen with her.