Books with author Eileen BlueStone Sherman

Smart and savvy high school junior Melissa Jensen is unprepared when life takes a turn for the seemingly tragic: her father accepts a teaching assignment in a small town in the Midwest, far from her home and friends (and bagels) in New York City. She’s too old to throw a tantrum, and her father’s offer of letting her live in New York with her grandparents is simply not an option. No way will she follow their strict Orthodox Jewish rules when her own parents didn’t even make her go to Hebrew school. Melissa’s reluctant arrival in Henryville brings some surprises. To her amazement the college town offers more than she ever anticipated, including a fantastic school orchestra and the chance to star in the school play, not to mention her immediate popularity with the “coolest kids in school.” And then there’s Daniel Goodman, the remarkable boy who shares Melissa’s passion for acting and playing the violin. Everything seems too good to be true, until Melissa comes across something she has never experienced before—antisemitism. No one in the school suspects she is Jewish, but when Daniel is taunted by a bigoted schoolmate, Melissa must make a decision. Her choice to speak out should be clear-cut, but life is never that simple. The Violin Players examines the price we pay when bigotry is met with silence.

Savvy New Yorker, 15-year-old Melissa Jensen, suddenly finds herself a “stranger in a strange new land,” when her father accepts a temporary (seven months to be exact) teaching assignment in a small college town in the Midwest, tearing her away from her friends in Manhattan. How inconvenient! She was supposed to be the lead in her school play, captain of the debate team, and first violinist in the school orchestra. Instead, she must forfeit her Junior year glory and venture out to an obscure town in “the middle of nowhere.” Her father’s offer of letting her live in New York with her grandparents is equally unappealing. No way will she follow their strict, Orthodox Jewish rules. Incredibly, her new school is filled with surprises! First, there’s her new drama teacher, a former Broadway actor. And who would have guessed that her new orchestra would be every bit as good or maybe even better than hers in New York. And what about that remarkable boy, named Daniel Goodman (the one with those dreamy eyes), who shares Melissa’s passion for playing the violin? Meanwhile, the coolest kids at school treat her like a celebrity for simply having grown up in the “Big Apple.” Everything seems too good to be true, until Melissa comes across something she never experienced - antisemitism. Sure, she knows it exists everywhere…including New York City. But never in her neighborhood! No one in Henryville suspects that she is Jewish, but when Daniel, the only known Jewish student in school, is bullied by a bigoted star of the football team, Melissa must make a choice. Her decision should be clear-cut, but life is never that simple. The Violin Players examines the price paid when prejudice goes unchecked.