The town bully, Karl Leckner, threatens to nail her mouth shut. Her best friend says she has more sass than sense. Even her beloved zayde wishes she would hold her tongue and rise above. But thirteen-year-old Gittel Borenstein' s feet are planted stubbornly on the earth and her tongue is as sharp as Zayde' s chalef, the razor he uses for butchering chickens. She' s fed up with being called Geetle Beetle, or Jew girl, or worse. The Borensteins and twelve other Jewish families have left behind the deadly pogroms of Eastern Europe only to find life nearly as harsh in 1911 Mill Creek, Wisconsin. The winters are fierce, the farming is unfamiliar, and not everyone in Mill Creek accepts the Jewish settlers. A star student, Gittel takes refuge in school, where she longs to blend in with her gentile friends and dreams of becoming a famous writer— a far-fetched dream when eighth grade is the last year of formal schooling available in Mill Creek and Karl Leckner is determined a Jewish girl will never blend in. "Readers will appreciate the lively, unique, and relatable heroine of this coming-of-age story. Gittel and her family are characters that will be remembered long after one finishes reading." —Jewish Book Council "Original, skillfully crafted, emotionally engaging, and an inherently interesting coming-of-age story blended with an immigration-themed tale of hardship, prejudice, hope, and happy endings, Gittel by novelist Laurie Schneider is especially and unreservedly recommended for...children ages 11-18." —Midwest Book Review "All you need is a pulse to fall in love with Laurie Schneider's main character, Gittel. This middle-grade novel delivers all the feels, from laughs, to outrage, to tears, as Gittel comes to terms with the inevitable fact that her only future as a girl living in a small Wisconsin rural town in the early 1900s is to work for the family farm after graduating from the eighth grade.... Schneider brings the past to life with the dexterity and grace of a seasoned creative and scholar. She gives readers a full three-dimensional understanding of her main characters while never skipping a plot beat or opportunity to treat the reader with a charming moment of humor or connection. This highly recommended gem will entertain young readers while provoking and reinvigorating classroom discussions about anti-Semitism, displacement, and equality in a time when so many have forgotten the value of these honest conversations." — Historical Novel Society "Thirteen-year-old Gittel comes of age and realizes her potential in this short, evocative, place-driven novel saturated in her Jewish heritage, the importance of family, and the power of hope.... A quiet story reminiscent of Laura Ingalls Wilder and other family-focused stories of the past, Schneider's Gittel provides a unique conversation about community through a historical-fiction lens that invites connection to the modern day." —Booklist "In Laurie Schneider's stirring historical novel Gittel , a young immigrant makes her way in a small town where some people are hostile to differences.... Set between 1911 and 1912, the book captures a Midwestern town's coming-of-age in the prewar period well. Yiddish words are sprinkled across its pages, fleshing out Gittel's family life, and details as of Jane Addams's suffragism, teetotalers breaking saloon bottles, and Emma Lazarus's "The New Colossus" give shape to the growing pains and values of the era. Gittel is the perfect guide through these complex times—self-aware, determined, and eager to flourish." —Foreword Reviews "Mazel tov for Gittel! Impulsive, brash and full of heart, she endures loss and prejudice without losing sight of her remarkable self. This story is a wonderful weaving of historical details and contemporary themes." —Kirby Larson, author of the Newbery Honor Book Hattie Big Sky Laurie Schneider grew up in central Wisconsin, not far from where her debut novel, Gittel, is set. A self-avowed kidlit nerd, heron spotter, and library lover, she lives in Norman, Oklahoma. Laurie studied literature and creative writing at Oberlin College and holds a master's degree in American studies from Washington State University. When not working at the library or haunting the local coffee shops, she enjoys street and wildlife photography. Her favorite bird is the Little Blue Heron.