Miriam Chaikin was an editor of children's books and the author of over thirty books for young readers. Her work primarily focuses on children's literature, often drawing from her personal experiences and cultural background. Chaikin was recognized with an award for her body of work, celebrating her significant contributions to the field.
Molly is an honest girl, but when she finds a gold ring on the street, she puts it on her finger and makes no attempt to find the owner. Gradually, however, guilt begins to overwhelm her, for she realizes that the ring belongs to Hanna Gittel, a young Jewish refugee child. The descriptions of cozy family life with simple recreations and holiday parties are refreshing to read in our more sophisticated and complicated times.
As news of German victories on the battlefields and Nazi atrocities against the Jews comes over the radio, Mollie faces important decisions as she and her Brooklyn friends prepare to enter junior high school
I Should Worry I Should Care , the first in a series of five novels for young readers, won critical acclaim and awards for Miriam Chaikin. All five books are about Molly and her family and friends in a Brooklyn neighborhood around the time of World War II. Molly and her friends play out their young girl interests against the background of those troubled times. The ALA Booklist said, "There is lots of warmth here and plenty of color in Chaikin's evocation of an early l940s Brooklyn neighborhood."