Book One of the
YaYa & YoYo Series
Ages: 7-12
On-sale: March 2011
Formats: Paperback
Summary: Thrill-loving fifth-grader Ellie (YaYa) Silver has been waiting all summer to visit the brand new water park in town. She is super excited when her best friend, Megan, invites her to go—that is until her twin brother, Joel (YoYo), points out that Megan is going on Rosh Hashanah. Sure, Rosh Hashanah is a big deal, but so is Splash World! What will Ellie do?
ISBN: 9781592872015; On Sale: 3/1/2011; Format: Paperback; Trim size: 5.5 x 8.5; Pages: 136; $8.95; Ages: 8-12; BISAC1: JUV033020; BISAC2: JUV017000
Dori Weinstein grew up in Queens, New York. She is a graduate of Binghamton University and Teachers College, Columbia University. Dori taught in public schools in New York City as well as the Talmud Torah Jewish Day School in St. Paul, Minnesota. She currently teaches Hebrew to preschoolers. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband Gary and their three children, all of whom love water parks (except for Dori!). Visit Dori on her Facebook page , Twitter, on her blog at doriweinstein.blogspot.com, and on the web at yayayoyo.com.
Reviews
“The meaning and traditions of Rosh Hashanah are woven into a story about a twin sister and brother whose family are Conservative Jews. A contemporary style and point of view that connect present-day pluralistic Judaism to the unbroken chain of Jewish beliefs and customs are at the story’s heart. The main characters of Ellie (YaYa) and Joel (YoYo) are portrayed as typical fifth graders whose interactions with each another, their parents and older brother, and their school friends are genuine, laced with humor and warmth.”
Linda R. Silver
Association of Jewish Libraries
February/March 2011
“Fifth grader Ellie Silver is eager to go to the new indoor water park, but her parents and brother are not interested. When Ellie is invited to accompany her best friend Megan’s family, she’s ecstatic—until she learns that Megan’s family is going on Rosh Hashanah. Why do we need two days of Rosh Hashanah? What’s the point of the holiday? Through Ellie’s lessons about the holiday at religious school and her interactions with family members, she comes to appreciate the importance of Rosh Hashanah and teshuva. The novel is clearly intended to teach as much as to entertain, and that emphasis may make it more popular with adults than the intended audience of children. Nonetheless, many children, especially those in public or non-Jewish private schools who may face similar conflicts around Jewish holidays, will be glad to read about Ellie’s initial resistance and her eventual acceptance of the opportunities Rosh Hashanah provides. She and her family are portrayed as a warm, loving family, with the realistic addition of siblings squabbling and children occasionally arguing with their parents. This is the first of twelve planned books about the Jewish calendar featuring Ellie (called “YaYa” at home as a play on “Yael,” her Hebrew name) and her twin brother Joel (“YoYo”).”
Jewish Book World
Summer 2011
“YaYa and YoYo are twins whose nicknames are based on their Hebrew names. They use their English names, Ellie and Joel, respectively, in school, and they have lots of friends, both Jewish and non-Jewish. The twins have decidedly different personalities. YoYo is a jokester who loves science and is not very adventuresome. YaYa is messy, forgetful, risk-taking and a daydreamer, and they’re both confused by older brother Jeremy’s pre-teen moods. When YaYa’s best friend invites her to Splash World, she is faced with a dilemma, because the outing is to take place on Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Weinstein employs YaYa’s voice as the very believable and delightful narrator and carefully avoids didacticism as she introduces readers to some of the rituals and traditions of Judaism as they are practiced in a warm, loving family. She incorporates humor too, as YaYa mishears and misinterprets the Hebrew word for repentance, “t’shuvah” and turns it into “shoebox,” causing all sorts of confusion. Intended as the first in a series; more adventures of YaYa and YoYo will be most welcome. (Fiction. 8-12)”
Kirkus Book Reviews
February 15, 2011
“I feel like I just began the journey of YaYa and YoYo and am looking forward to their next adventures. I found myself smiling while I read. YaYa’s voice as a Jewish fifth-grader gives many children an opportunity to see themselves in the characters of this book and feel a sense of belonging. We have waited a long time for a series like this one!”
Jane Taubenfeld Cohen
Head of School, South Area Solomon Schechter Day School
Author of We Can Make It Happen!
“Sliding Into the New Year is just the sort of wonderful and entertaining story I wish was around when my children were young. It is an organic and engaging way to teach both Jews and non-Jews about the transforming power of the central Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah. Weinstein does something so rare—she captures with such honesty and groundedness a healthy family unafraid of emotion and intimacy.”
Rabbi Irwin Kula
President, CLAL (The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership)
Author of Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life
“In Sliding Into the New Year, Dori Weinstein captures the attention of youngsters and their parents alike with captivating storytelling that links contemporary kids, their families, and their lives to the core of Jewish traditions and values. In this first book in the series, YaYa’s and YoYo’s adventures create wonderful opportunities for parents and children to engage in meaningful Jewish discussions about issues that might well have emerged from their own family experiences.”
Rabbi Alvin Mars, Ph.D.
Sr. Consultant to the President of the JCC Association of North America for Education Development
“It is so refreshing to find a Jewish book for tweens and pre-teens that is current, relevant and relatable. Ellie, Joel and the whole Silver clan are likable and funny. Kids will learn about the holiday of Rosh Hashanah in a new and engaging way. Thank you, Dori, for bringing this series to us!”
Gila Hadani Ward
Director of Lifelong Learning at Temple Beth Sholom
Roslyn Heights, NY
“Finally, a Jewish book for young readers that is well-written, engaging, lots of fun and has important lessons to teach. I love it. And the best of
all, it is the first in a series.”
Rabbi Kerry M. Olitzky
Executive Director, Jewish Outreach Institute
Author of The Complete How To Handbook for Jewish Living
“A delightful and engaging story of growth into young adulthood and the challenges of faith. A wonderful opportunity for parents and children to explore together the meaning of the High Holy Days.”
Rabbi Steven Wernick
Executive VP, United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ)
“YaYa & YoYo: Sliding Into the New Year is not only a pleasure to read, but also paves the way for a captivating Jewish journey for kids and preteens. Dori Weinstein uses humor, wisdom and warmth to address the challenges that every Jewish family faces in raising committed,
knowledgeable Jews in the 21st century. I am sure that YaYa and YoYo are going to become household names in the vital enterprise of
strengthening Jewish identity and commitment. My kids and I can’t wait to hear about their next adventures!”
Rabbi Charles Savenor
Executive Director, Metropolitan New York District
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism (USCJ)
“As Adam Sandler’s Chanukah songs prove, we like to know that we’re not alone, even though we’re members of a minority religion. In YaYa & YoYo, Jewish children will find fictional characters who inhabit the same world, use the same words, and face the same woes as they do. Dori Weinstein’s first book is a testament to her love of Judaism, family, and teaching!”
Sari Steinberg
Author of …And Then There Were Dinosaurs
and King Solomon Figures It Out
“Dori Weinstein knows and respects her audience. By writing enjoyable, credible, and intelligent fiction, she shows that learning and fun are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the subject of this book is one that parents and children can have a substantive discussion about together.”
Rabbi Hayim Herring, PhD
Executive Director
STAR (Synagogues: Transformation and Renewal)
“‘Finding who I am’ is every young person’s struggle, and adding Jewish identity to the mix makes the challenge all the more difficult. Dori Weinstein takes readers on this journey in a delightful way ith a conclusion that is hard to predict. The interplay between the
characters is realistic and entertaining. A great read for kids and preteens!”
