Ellie's Deli: Wishing on Matzo Ball Soup!

Reviews

"In this series opener, 11-year-old Ellie Glantz loves her family’s kosher deli almost as much as she loves her grandparents Bubbie and Zeyda....[R]eligious practices and Yiddish words suffuse the story with a lived-in Judaism—unrelated to a specific holiday—that does not often appear in mainstream children’s books. In buoyant middle-grade fashion, Ellie and [her best friend] Ava join forces to rally the community and update the business in an effort to save the deli....A cute and concretely Jewish take on a classic storyline." "A fun sto­ry with believ­able char­ac­ters and solv­able prob­lems, this easy-to-read, mid­dle-grade book will hold the reader’s inter­est and pro­vide excel­lent, humor­ous enter­tain­ment along the way." "I loved, loved, loved the happy ending, especially because it made sense and the problems were solved realistically." "Gale Shalan breezily introduces the Lukshen Deli and its owners, the Glantz family. Listeners meet adorable 11-year-old Ellie, along with her family and friends, including her best friend, Ava. When the future of the deli is in question, heartbroken Ellie suggests making deliveries and creating a loyalty program. Shalan sympathetically conveys Ellie’s fears as her beloved Grandma is hospitalized and Ava acquires a new friend. Most revealing is Ellie’s journal, in which she attempts to cope with her anxieties—at the same time teaching young listeners how to cope with their own. Superb descriptions of the Jewish faith and mouthwatering food (with recipes included) add atmosphere. Particularly relatable are Shalan’s characters, especially the girls, with their ever-changing emotions." Expand reviews