Fanny’s Big Idea: How Jewish Book Week Was Born
by Richard Michelson; illus. by Alyssa Russell
Primary    Rocky Pond/Penguin    40 pp.
11/25    9798217003259    $18.99

This amiable picture-book biography introduces librarian Fanny Goldstein (1895–1961) with a focus on her youth and early career, leading up to her 1925 conception of Jewish Book Week. Young Fanny, a Russian Jewish immigrant living in Boston, proudly studied and shared Jewish traditions despite admonitions to be “more American.” The cheerful (if at times oversimplified) text continues to emphasize Goldstein’s pride in her heritage along with her welcoming spirit toward other immigrants as she is appointed a Boston Public Library branch director. The story culminates with Goldstein, after noting that “the great mass of Jewish people [were] not interested in books written by Jews, or about Jews,” hosting a week-long celebration of Hanukkah at her library, which included a display of Jewish books, the first-ever to be exhibited in a U.S. public library. She encourages Jewish and non-Jewish readers alike to read these books, echoing a lesson from her bubbe: “The more you know about someone’s life, the harder it is not to like them.” Michelson (What Louis Brandeis Knows, rev. 11/25) offers a positive portrayal of a Jewish figure’s contributions, with Russell’s winsome digitally created illustrations reflecting “period-specific research.” Back matter picks up where the main text leaves off, citing Goldstein’s further work, often celebrating other underrepresented cultures. A bibliography is also appended.

From the January/February 2026 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.