Confessions of a Closet Catholic

By Sarah Darer Littman

Book Overview

Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award

An "eleven-going-on-twelve-year-old Jewish girl" searches for her identity in what Publisher's Weekly called a "reassuring debut novel about finding one's personal peace-and-comfort zone."

Justine Silver's best friend, Mary Catherine McAllister, has given up chocolate for Lent, but Justine doesn't think God wants her to make that kind of sacrifice. So she's decided to give up being Jewish instead. Eleven-year-old Justine pours her heart out to her teddy bear, "Father Ted," in a homemade closet confessional. But when Justine's beloved Bubbe suffers a stroke, Justine worries that her religious exploration is responsible. Worse, she must suddenly contemplate life without Bubbe. Ultimately, it's Bubbe's quiet understanding of Justine's search for identity that helps Justine to find faith in the most important place of all-within herself.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0142405973
• ISBN13: 9780142405970
• Release Date: May 2006
• Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.1" x 7.7"
• Age Range: 10 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 5 and higher

Customer Reviews

Winner of the 2006 SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD!

Confessions of a Closet Catholic is the 2006 winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Older Readers Category, presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries for the best in Jewish children's literature. An interview with the author may be heard on the Jewish literature podcast The Book of Life at www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com (the January 2006 episode), and information about all Sydney Taylor Book Award winners is available at www.SydneyTaylorBookAward.org. Justine Silver, like many American Jewish kids, struggles to balance her family's expectations that she should be Jewish "but not too Jewish." When they scoff at her suggestion that they keep kosher like Bubbe, she decides to observe Lent like her best friend Mary Catherine and to give up being Jewish. Thus begins Justine's exploration of Catholicism, Judaism, and the meaning of religion. When Bubbe has a stroke Justine worries that God is punishing her for breaking the rules, but frank discussions with a priest and a rabbi, as well as with Bubbe, finally set her on the road to finding her Jewish spiritual self. Justine's voice is vivid and believable, as is her very modern, very American struggle. The author bravely raises issues rarely addressed in children's literature. Justine's family, friends, and clergy are so remarkably supportive as to stretch credulity, yet this atmosphere of safety makes possible the very exploration that Justine, and many of her readers, crave. By turns funny and heart-wrenching, this very satisfying story could be a catalyst for readers of all religions to look deeper into their own practices. Highly recommended. Grades 4-7

True teen voice exploring religion and the trials of being a middle child

Justine Silver is a middle child in a modern Jewish family. Her parents have rejected some of the more orthodox traditions, but her grandmother still keeps kosher and rests on the Sabbath. Confused by her own religion, Justine becomes a (literal) closet Catholic, holding confessional and keeps a checklist of sins in her bedroom closet. Her "dialogue" with the "priest" in the closet (a teddy bear has to stand in) is absolutely priceless and comic. When her dabblings in Catholicism are exposed, the family is shocked. Justine often wonders if her grandmother's stroke was caused by her own rejection of religion and tradition. In a funny and heartwarming tale, Justine explores two different faiths and finally comes to peace with her own faith, all while dealing with the usual traumas of being a middle child with a perfect older sister. Highly recommended.

Thought-provoking and humorous story to enjoy and learn from

When Justine Silver's best friend Mary Catherine McAllister (who likes to be called Mac) gives up chocolate for Lent, Justine (aka Jussy) decides that such a temptation isn't worth sacrificing. So instead she resolves to give up being Jewish! Eleven-year-old Jussy wishes she had a family like Mac's that was warm and more involved in one another's lives. Unfortunately Jussy's somewhat strict mom only seems to care about having expensive things in the house and no messes. Jussy is the middle child, and she feels that whenever she brings up questions about her heritage, her family doesn't take her seriously. Her maternal grandparents, Grandma Lila and Grandpa Leo, think that the kosher traditions are outdated, while mom and dad take Jussy and her older sister Helena and little brother Jake to the synagogue just a few times a year. The only person who Jussy believes truly understands her is her parental grandmother, Bubbe, who she doesn't get to see too often since her family moved from New Rochelle, New York to Greenwich, Connecticut the previous summer. So Jussy's bedroom closet becomes her confessional, where she asks for repentance for her sins from "Father Ted," a favorite teddy bear. She reveals all to Father Ted --- from her feelings of isolation for being the middle child in her family to dealing with her newly discovered feelings towards a cute boy. But then Jussy is given some devastating news that affects her deeply --- Bubbe has suffered a stroke. Jussy is fearful that her religious exploration is to blame for her grandmother's stroke. Her mother, after accidentally discovering the confessional, thinks that Jussy is being selfish with her exploration especially since Bubbe is a concentration camp survivor (along with her late husband). However, when Bubbe comes to live with Jussy's family, Jussy discovers that she isn't responsible for what happened, and that she must continue to find her own spiritual identity. Jussy's confessions are thought-provoking and at times quite humorous. Sarah Darer Littman's first novel is a great book for people of all faiths to read, enjoy, and learn from. --- Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle (SdarksideG@aol.com)

An awesome book!

Confessions of a Closet Catholic is a great book! It's filled with many laughs and tears which I'll never forget. Justine is a well written character with many thoughts, which made me want to keep reading until the very last word. For Sarah Littman's first book, this absolutely deserves 5 stars.

Wonderful book!! Must read!

This is a truly touching book about a jewish girl who decides to give up being Jewish for lent. The problem is that soon after her Grandma (who is an Auschwitz survivor ) finds out that she has given up being Jewish, she has a stroke. The girl goes on a quest to find her true identity while the one person who understands her is ill. It is a great book for kids of all religions.