Bat Mitzvah: A Jewish Girl's Coming of Age

In the same format as Eric Kimmel's Bar Mitzvah, Bat Mitzvah: A Jewish Girl's Coming of Age by Barbara Diamond Goldin, illus. by Erika Weihs, provides far more than an explanation of a ceremony. About half the book is devoted to a thoughtful overview of Jewish women's history, starting with biblical times; the remainder discusses the bat mitzvah, exploring the elements of the ceremony, its evolution since it was first performed in 1922, and its impact on a variety of women (Viking, $14.99, 160p, ages 10-13 ISBN 0-670-86034-4, Oct.).