 | Black bird, blue road Author: Pasternack, Sofiya | |
| Price: $24.48 | ||
Summary:
Ziva will do anything to save her twin brother Pesah from his illness--even face the Angel of Death himself. When she finds out about the legendary city of Luz, where the Angel of Death is forbidden to enter, it becomes Ziva's mission to get her brother to the city before the Angel of Death catches up to them.
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 4.50 Points: 9.0 Quiz: 519548 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (07/01/22)
Booklist (+) (08/01/22)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (+) (00/10/22)
The Hornbook (+) (00/09/22)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 08/01/2022 Twelve-year-old Ziva bet Leah and her twin, Pesah, are growing up in eleventh-century Khazar (an ancient Jewish empire located in present day Ukraine) where their father is a judge. Because Pesah suffers from Hansen's disease (leprosy), his parents have decided to send him away, prompting Ziva and Pesah to run away in search of a cure. Their journey is perilous; they are kidnapped and encounter magical sheydim, the Angel of Death, and a Milcham (phoenixlike bird), but throughout, Ziva remains determined to save her brother's life. Pasternak's historical fantasy weaves Jewish mythology and traditions into this heroine's journey that asks readers to contemplate issues of life and death. Readers will be intrigued by the ravens that follow Pesah everywhere, the details of the city of Luz (where no one dies), and Pesah's vision that the Angel of Death will visit him on Rosh Hashanah. This works as an adventure, but it should also prompt discussions about the ethics of preserving life at all costs. - Copyright 2022 Booklist.
