Honey cake, down on the farm

Off The Page

It is fall 1943, and David Nathan knows life has changed since the Nazis have taken over the streets of his beloved city of Copenhagen (that’s in Denmark):

Everyone is keeping secrets; David’s older sister, Rachel, sometimes doesn’t come home; and people are waiting for the Allies—the U.S. and Britain—to arrive to come to the rescue (they’ve heard horrible things are happening to the Jews of Europe). When David’s father, a baker who can no longer afford to use butter and cream, asks the boy to deliver a special order of chocolate éclairs, David’s life is forever changed.

“Honey Cake” by Joan Betty Stuchner, illustrated by Cynthia Nugent (Random House, $11.99), offers a lesson in friendship, bravery and courage. The story is a great one for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, because it talks about the choice each of us has between doing what is easy and doing what is right.

It also includes a recipe to make “Mama’s Honey Cake” and a short history of what happened to the Jews in Denmark. For ages 6-9.

Down on the Farm

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