Dear Elijah consists of a series of letters written to the prophet Elijah by Rebecca, who needs to talk to an understanding person about troubling and painful events in her life, especially her father's serious illness. This is an unusual narrative approach in books for young readers, but it is highly effective for exploring the mental and spiritual landscape of a protagonist. The action of the novel is the action of a mind wrestling with problems and seeking answers to questions about the self; there is little outer action. Even so, the novel has much to appeal to readers. Part of it is educational; Jewish religious beliefs are presented as integral parts of the story and would be of interest to many non-Jewish readers. The mystical aspects of Passover should be especially elucidating. Rebecca is also an engaging and fun person for the reader to spend...