On All Other Nights: A Passover Celebration in 14 Stories

by Chris Baron (Editor), Joshua S. Levy (Editor), Naomi Milliner (Editor), Shannon Hochman (Illustrator)

Overview

A joyful middle-grade anthology centered around Passover—from an exciting array of bestselling and award-winning Jewish creators! Named a best Passover book of all time by People magazine.

Welcome to Passover, a Jewish holiday that has been celebrated for thousands of years. The heart of Passover is the seder—a meal full of rituals, special foods, and songs—where we gather together to retell the story of the Exodus, when the Jewish people achieved freedom from Egypt.

And yet this story is about more than the ancient past. The seder’s themes of freedom, joy, tradition, and more, are timeless and universal, for all.

In this collection of short stories, 14 bestselling and award-winning authors each reimagine a different step of the seder for today’s young readers. Through historical and contemporary fiction, verse and prose, fiction and nonfiction, these gifted writers from different Jewish traditions and backgrounds gather around the seder table and invite everyone to join them.

The full list of On All Other Nights contributors includes:

• Chris Baron (The Magical Imperfect)
• Ruth Behar (Lucky Broken Girl)
• Adam Gidwitz (A Tale Dark and Grimm, The Unicorn Rescue Society)
• Veera Hiranandani (The Night Diary)
• Amy Ignatow (The Popularity Papers, Jedi Academy)
• Sarah Kapit (Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen)
• Joshua S. Levy (The Jake Show)
• Mari Lowe (Aviva vs. the Dybbuk)
• Naomi Milliner (Super Jake & The King of Chaos)
• Soifya Pasternack (Black Bird, Blue Road)
• R. M. Romero (The Dollmaker of Kraków)
• A. J. Sass (Ana on the Edge)
• Laura Shovan (The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary)
• Laurel Snyder (Orphan Island, Charlie & Mouse)

Includes black-and-white illustrations

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419767296
Publisher:	Amulet Books
Publication date:	03/26/2024
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	372,664
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.10(h) x 1.20(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Chris Baron (he/him) is the award-winning author of novels for young readers including the verse novels All of Me, an NCTE Notable Book; The Magical Imperfect, a Sydney Taylor Notable Book and School Library Journal Best Book of 2021; The Gray; and The Secret of the Dragon Gems, a middle grade novel coauthored with Rajani LaRocca. He received his MFA in poetry at SDSU and is a professor of English at San Diego City College and the director of the Writing Center. He grew up in NYC and spent countless hours at Seders with his family in Long Island and now does his best to hold a Seder every year where everyone is welcome! Naomi Milliner (she/her) is the author of Super Jake & the King of Chaos and the forthcoming The Trouble with Secrets. She created the Author Book Club for her SCBWI chapter and has served on The Women’s National Book Association’s Great Group Reads committee since 2009. Naomi enjoys mentoring children and adults, visiting schools (virtually or in-person), and reading everything she can get her hands on. She lives in Maryland with her family, a very fuzzy cat . . . and fifteen different haggadahs. One of the most delicious Seders she ever attended was a chocolate Seder. Joshua S. Levy (he/him) is the author of several middle grade novels, including Seventh Grade vs. the Galaxy (and its sequels) and The Jake Show. Born and raised in Florida, Josh lives with his family in New Jersey, where he spent a little while teaching middle school and now practices as a lawyer. Josh treats himself to a new haggadah every year, which his family is definitely always super excited to hear all about throughout the Seder, right? (Right?!)

Editorial Reviews

"[W]elcoming and buoyant anthology...This who’s who of contemporary middlegrade Jewish literature, with a stockpile of Sydney Taylor Book Awards among the authors, offers stories in formats and tones consistent with their popular work and joyously reflective of the variety of their backgrounds and own Jewish traditions. A festive reflection of Judaism’s limitless range"

Booklist

What a magical collection! On All Other Nights takes middle grade readers on a joyful journey through fourteen beautifully written stories inspired by the steps of the Passover seder. I love the stunning scope of this anthology, whose stories range from fantasy to memoir, verse to graphic narrative. On All Other Nights not only displays the intersectionality of today’s diverse Jewish voices; it also demonstrates the richness of Jewish culture. A totally fresh, delightful compilation of Yiddishkeit!

Stacy Nockowitz

"[E]ngaging tales...Most readers will find something that speaks to them and reflects who they are...The tales invite readers to think about their personal relationships to the themes of family, freedom, and identity."

The Horn Book Magazine

Woven through matzah and maror, stories and song, this accessible and inspiring feast of writing traces the threads of belonging and freedom—a testament to the transformative power of collective memory.

M. Evan Wolkenstein

What a magical collection!On All Other Nights takes middle grade readers on a joyful journey through fourteen beautifully written stories inspired by the steps of the Passover seder. I love the stunning scope of this anthology, whose stories range from fantasy to memoir, verse to graphic narrative. On All Other Nights not only displays the intersectionality of today’s diverse Jewish voices; it also demonstrates the richness of Jewish culture. A totally fresh, delightful compilation of Yiddishkeit!”—Stacy Nockowitz, author of The Prince of Steel Pier, winner of the 2022 National Jewish Book Award

“Woven through matzah and maror, stories and song, this accessible and inspiring feast of writing traces the threads of belonging and freedom—a testament to the transformative power of collective memory.”—M. Evan Wolkenstein, author of Turtle Boy, winner of the 2021 Sydney Taylor Book Award

"Young people will become engrossed in the richly detailed narratives, learn a great deal about different ways to conduct a seder, and root for the protagonists. Unusual, entertaining, and deeply moving."—Kirkus

"[W]elcoming and buoyant anthology...This who’s who of contemporary middlegrade Jewish literature, with a stockpile of Sydney Taylor Book Awards among the authors, offers stories in formats and tones consistent with their popular work and joyously reflective of the variety of their backgrounds and own Jewish traditions. A festive reflection of Judaism’s limitless range"—Booklist

"The stories are diverse in genre and written by a collection of notable Jewish authors...A strong candidate for strengthening and diversifying...holiday collections. "—School Library Journal

"[E]ngaging tales...Most readers will find something that speaks to them and reflects who they are...The tales invite readers to think about their personal relationships to the themes of family, freedom, and identity."—The Horn Book Magazine

From the Publisher

02/23/2024

Gr 4–7—Fourteen short stories follow the 14 steps of the Jewish Seder. From Kadesh to Nirtzah, each step is described and accompanied by four questions. These thought-provoking queries invite readers, regardless of their religion, to pause and connect with the steps of the Seder. Then, a story inspired by that step begins. The stories are diverse in genre and written by a collection of notable Jewish authors. Each one offers a different glimpse into how Passover is celebrated in America. The use of Hebrew terms throughout the book may necessitate some work on the part of a non-Jewish reader, but this is no reason to discount the title and its robust collection of stories. VERDICT A strong candidate for strengthening and diversifying school and public library's holiday collections.—Jessica Caron

School Library Journal