One of a Kind: The Life of Sydney Taylor

This biography tells how Sarah Brenner, later known as Sydney Taylor, developed the experiences that informed her children’s writing. Raised in a Jewish immigrant family in New York City with five sisters and later a brother, she balanced religious practice with learning American customs. Sarah loved dance and acting, began a diary at fourteen, and adopted “Sydney” as a bolder name. Her commitment to justice led her to believe women and Jews deserved equal rights. When her daughter wanted non-Christian book characters, Sydney began retelling childhood stories that she later wrote down.