There are numerous renowned Jewish children’s and YA authors and illustrators whose identity and affiliation with Judaism is well-known and often crops up in their work or personal interviews: Maurice Sendak, Judy Blume and Sydney Taylor to name but a few. But bibliophiles may not be aware that there are a number of other famed and talented kidlit creators over the last few decades who are, in fact, also members of the Tribe. Here’s a list of notable children and young adult authors you may not have known are Jewish!
R. L. Stine
For ‘90s kids who grew up in North America, it was hard to escape the siren call of R. L. Stine’s wildly popular “Goosebumps” series for older kids, and “Fear Street” for teens. With their iconic raised logos and spooky covers, myself and many of my peers had R. L. Stine’s books as a first introduction to horror literature. I imagine there were many future filmmakers and TV show writers who were inspired by those books in their childhood to create some scary works of their own (possibly even some Jewish kids — Ari Aster perhaps?). But for all the thrills and chills of Stine’s scares, the books had heart, filled with humorous moments, friendship and kids and adults helping each other through perilous travails.
Chris Van Allsburg
With “The Polar Express” as one of his most famous works, one might be forgiven for not necessarily being aware that children’s author and illustrator Chris Van Allburg is part of the tribe — but yes, he converted to Judaism. Van Allburg is an incredibly talented and accomplished children’s book writer: “Jumanji” also continues to be well-loved, and both of these award-winning books have been adapted for the big screen. Fun fact: Chris was also a visual development artist for The Little Mermaid (Jewish connection: songs written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken).
Phoebe Gilman
Phoebe Gilman was a beloved Canadian children’s author (though she was born in New York City), well known for her Jillian Jiggs books and other beloved classics like “The Balloon Tree” and “Grandma and the Pirates.” Gilman was a talented artist who worked primarily in the mediums of watercolor paints and colored pencils. There’s even a Prince Edward Island bookstore that’s mostly dedicated to her work and her inspiring creative spirit.
Though the majority of Phoebe’s books were more secular in nature, one of her most widely-known books and one particularly beloved by Jewish readers is the staple “Something From Nothing.” The book portrays an eastern European shtetl community where young Joseph’s worn-out blanket manages to keep yielding “something from nothing” (a jacket, then a vest, then other articles of clothing that grow progressively smaller) thanks to his clever tailor grandfather. Part of the book’s charm is that it also showcases a family of mice that adopt the scraps of Joseph’s blanket that fall through the floorboards, leading to a very clever story-within-a-story that young readers adore. Without being preachy or moralizing, the book imparts positive messages rooted in Jewish values like reusing and recycling, the importance of elderly family members in our lives and the value of community.
Judith Kerr
Perhaps best known for the absolutely iconic “The Tiger Who Came To Tea” — which has also been adapted into a theatrical production and TV adaptation — Judith Kerr was a Jewish child refugee from Nazi Germany who fled to the United Kingdom and became renowned as a quintessentially British children’s writer, also beloved for her “Mog” series. Kerr addressed her childhood experiences in the powerful fictionalized account “When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit.”
Ava Reid
In regards to current hot young adult literature, Ava Reid is certainly a name that crops up frequently. Spanning genres like fantasy, sci-fi, mythologically-inspired fiction and romance, some of her bestselling books include “The Wolf and the Woodsman” and “A Study in Drowning.” Born in New York City to Jewish parents, some of her works evoke Jewish fantasy authors Naomi Novik and Leigh Bardugo, and she has an extensive knowledge of eastern European Jewish history that makes its way into some of the themes and topics of her work.
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