Broken Strings is a middle-school/late grade-school novel about a young Jewish girl named Shirli Berman who is cast in the role of Hodel in her school's production of Fiddler on the Roof. It's not the role she really wanted, but Shirli tackles the role by digging into her own family history. The story weaves Shirli exploring her family history and her Zayde's connection to the Holocaust with her own handling of the aftermath of 9/11 against a backdrop of preparing for her school play. It's a genuine book that introduces the next generation both to the impact of the Holocaust and also the discrimination/xenophobia that arose after 9/11. I think it's a smart book which gives a human feel to bigger topics - especially through the relationship between Shirli and her Zayde. I'll definitely recommend it to my synagogue's library.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Broken Stings became a very moving story about the horrors of the holocaust while told on the level of middle grade students. It is a story I believe many people, both young and old should read. I would recommend this for a book study. My only complaint is that the reader has to figure out this was set in 2001/2002 after 9/11. There isn't a clear explanation of 9/11 with a (seeming) assumption that readers, with a majority of which were not born until 5 or 6 years after, have experienced this part of history. The lack of background information and not giving the events and aftermath of 9/11 a heavy enough position in the story is my reason for a 4/5 rating.

Broken Strings
by Eric Walters; Kathy Kacer

Penguin Random House Canada

Puffin Canada

Children’s Fiction

Pub Date 10 Sep 2019

I am reviewing a copy of Broken Strings through Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley:

In 2002 in the aftermath of 9’11 and the death of her very much loved Grandmother, Shirli Berman’s intention is to move forward. As the best singer in her Junior High School she auditions for the lead part in the musical, but learning she was given the part of the Old Jewish Mother and not the coveted part of her sister. On the plus side though her “husband” is none other than Ben Morgan, the cutest and most popular boy in the school.

Shirli Bergman throws herself into the role, she looks for props in her Grandfather’s attic. It is then that she finds an Old Violin in the corner, what makes it strange to her is that Zaydee never seemed to like music, never even going to any of her recitals. When she shows it to her Grandfather leads to her Grandfather showing an anger in him she never saw in him before. Shirli keeps trying to connect with her Zayde and discover the horrible reason behind his anger. A long-kept family secret comes to light and Shirli learns the true power of music, both terrible and wonderful.

I found Broken Strings to be powerfully written with strong characters, they managed to tell of difficult times in history in a way a child can comprehend.

I give Broken Strings five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

This book was really special. The story is of Shirli (though that spelling drives me nuts) and her grandfather. It is the story of escaping Nazi Germany told because of a staging of Fiddler on the Roof and the love between generations.

Shirli’s school is putting on a production of Fiddler on the Roof a year after 9/11. Shirli is dreaming of getting the role of Hodel, a sister with a great solo, but is saddened when she instead is cast as Golde, the mother. She still forges on and decides to look through her bubbie and zayde’s attic for props and costumes. While up there, she finds an old violin and poster that is the start to bringing her grandfather out of his shell.

We need stories like this so much right now. The population that survived the Holocaust is dying out of old age and without books like this, we are losing their stories. Though Zayde’s story was fiction, it was based on real events that happened. I don’t want to give anything away, so that’s all I will say on that part.

Eric Walters and Kathy Kacer wrote a really special story. I might be slightly biased being that we are a musical theatre family and that I called my grandmother Bubbie, but I think that this is the kind of story that will resonate with middle school kids about what happened in Europe. Zayde gives the story a face and personality and really brings it to life. I highly recommend this book.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus



In the aftermath of 9/11, seventh grader Shirli Berman is living in New Jersey and hoping to get the lead in the school play, since she has taken singing lessons for quite some time. Her older brother, Adam, is in medical school, and her professional parents are very busy, so this is a good distraction for her in the wake of her Bubbie. She also makes sure to check on her Zayde, a retired accountant. When she is checking Zayde's attic for props for the school production of The Fiddler on the Roof, in which she was cast as Golde, to her disappointment, she finds a poster of a family band featuring a young boy she identifies as her grandfather. When she asks him about it, he is angry with her for going through his things, since he had directed her grandmother to get rid of the poster and other items years ago. After a bit, however, he starts to share pieces of his past with her. The boy playing Shirli's stage husband, Ben, comes to talk to Zayde and hears more of his story. Zayde even plays the violin for the two. After years of not speaking about his experiences hiding from the Nazis with his family and playing in a concentration camp orchestra, Zayde starts to process his past while telling Shirli about it. When the play's director is injured in an auto accident, the play is suspended, which makes Ben and the other eighth graders sad. Shirli had hoped that Zayde would come see her in the play, since it was one of Bubbie's favorites, but she is still a bit surprised when he agrees to direct the production. He is able to make the actors draw connections between the current, post 9/11 climate and the pogroms of the early twentieth century and the Holocaust, thereby deepening their performance as well as his connections with his family.

Strengths: This was a very interesting account of a Holocaust survivor coming to terms with his past. In this day and age of "share everything", it's hard for young people to understand that people didn't talk about trauma in the past. Shirli is very loving and kind to her grandfather, and wants to know what happened to him, but also realizes that it is difficult for him. The connection with the grandfather's violin playing and the play works well. The light romance between Ben and Shirli is charming. I think that Walters can write on just about any topic, and I now what to investigate books by Kacer, who has written extensively about the Holocaust.
Weaknesses: I wish there had been more about the grandfather and less about the production of the play. I now feel a little compelled to watch Fiddler on the Roof, though! (My father is sappily fond of Sunrise, Sunset, but I've never seen the movie.)
What I really think: I will purchase, and this is a great choice for readers who have to check out a book about the Holocaust for an 8th grade unit but aren't interested in too many details about the concentration camps. It also might get read by students who really want to read about plays.

3.5 stars!
Such a great and cute book!
Loved the characters and the writing style was on point!
Totally recommend!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange
for an honest review. Guys - this book - it made me cry! I don’t typically shed literal tears when reading MG books but I couldn’t help it! World War II historical fiction is one of my favorite genres and this book was one of the best I’ve read. It tells the story of Shirli and her grandfather who survived the Holocaust. This book is a must read! 5/5 stars!

I received an arc of this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Shirli discovers a family secret when she rummages in her grandfather's attic to find props for her show, fiddler on the roof.

What I liked:
-The story fit together nicely with 9/11, discrimination and WW2 being connected together.
-It had a violin in a story, and I love it when stringed instruments actually play an important part.
-I liked how they put in a lot of references to 9/11 so you don't forget that is when the story is set.

Didn't like as much:
-Kind of predictable

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to readers who think the topic looks interesting, because it is worth your time.

I received this ARC from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Shirli and her grandfather make quite the pair in this lovely novel. Geared toward a middle school audience, Broken Strings follows Shirli as her school works to put on Fiddler on the Roof in the aftermath of 9/11 while her grandfather, a survivor of Auschwitz, starts to confide in her about his time in the camp.

I really enjoyed the characters and the story in this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Puffin Books for an eARC of this book.

Shirli Berman wants the role of Hodel in the school production of Fiddler on the Roof, and is upset when she gets the part of Golde, the Jewish mother. Her one consolation is that her stage husband is Ben, one of the cutest boys in middle school. When she asks her Zayde if she can borrow props from his attic for their play, she uncovers something hidden away for many years, and learns about family history that has never been discussed. A series of events unfold that reveal the power of music and its impact on the lives it touches.

I really loved Zayde, and the powerful transformation that he went through over the course of this book. I enjoyed how music connected Zayde and Shirli, and the relationship that they had. There is a lot of talk about discrimination, especially since this book is set in the aftermath of September 11th, and some interesting parallels were brought to light. I think students will be drawn to this story by two well-known Canadian authors, and I look forward to hearing their reactions to the story.

What does Fiddler on the Roof, the holocaust and the aftermath of 9/11 all have in common? They are all about discrimination, be it Jews, or Muslims, or what?

And the author wove these all together to tell the story that seemingly didn't have a connection.

Oh, and a little romance thrown in besides.

The intertwining of these elements worked well, though they were telegraphed, a bit, because it was the only logical outcome. But, there were other surprises, that I didn't see coming.

Great book for middle grade readers to learn a little history, and compassion.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

This is a poignant book that imparts so much wisdom within the pages of a tragic, yet funny, story that will appeal to middle schoolers. Centered around the classic 'Fiddler on the Roof,' we follow Shirli and her Zayde, learning about his experiences during the Holocaust. Set in a immediately-post-9/11 world, there are also many parallels drawn between the treatment of Jews in WWII and the treatment of Muslims (and those who appeared to be Muslim) in post-9/11 America. For children, this gives them some idea of the things that occurred in history, in a way that's accessible as a novel. For adults, it really brings to light how today's actions will write themselves in the history books. We will be using this novel in class next year - once the accompanying lesson is written - for a month-long history lesson. Excellent read!