Your PJ Our Way Books for December
PJ Our Way is pleased to present four awesome books for December selection! Find excitement and adventure as Max Einstein tries to better the world, learn about children’s horror extraordinaire R.L. Stine, follow two Ethiopian girls’ perilous journey across several countries, or join Sacha on a magical, mysterious tour of New York City. Be sure to make your choice by December 10th!
Max Einstein: The Genius Experiment
by Chris Grabenstein and James Patterson
Ages 10+
368 pages
Max Einstein is a 12-year-old genius orphan whose only friends are her fellow squatters in the Manhattan horse barn where she lives. In her free time, Max attends NYU and studies the work of Albert Einstein, her hero and inspiration. Everything changes for Max when she’s abducted by members of the evil Corp and then rescued by employees of the Change Makers Institute (CMI). Funded by a mysterious benefactor, the CMI whisks Max away to Jerusalem, where young geniuses from around the world are competing to lead a team that will solve some of the world’s biggest problems using science and technology. But the Corp hasn’t given up on their quest to kidnap Max so they can exploit her genius for their own nefarious plans. Undeterred by their threats, Max and her friends refuse to give up on their quest to bring solar electricity to one of the most remote regions of the Congo.
Who is R.L. Stine? by M.D. Payne
Ages: 10+
112 pages
R.L. Stine is the award-winning author of the tremendously popular Goosebumps series, which has sold more than 400 million copies worldwide. Stine created his first humor magazine at age 9. He never stopped writing, but it wasn’t an easy journey. His perseverance and hard work are central to his success; he stayed true to his passion for humor and horror despite lost jobs and failed books.
The Storyteller's Beads
by Jane Kurtz
Ages: 11+
160 pages
This is a beautifully written story about two Ethiopian girls from very different backgrounds: Rahel is blind and from the Beta-Israel (Jewish) community; Sahay is an orphan and from the Kemant (Christian) community. The girls overcome their prejudices and learn to love and trust each other during their dangerous and difficult journey across Ethiopia and the Sudan.
The Watcher in the Shadows By Chris Moriarty
Ages: 11+
326 pages
This fun fantasy, rich in Jewish context, is a sequel to The Inquisitor's Apprentice. (Despite plenty of background information reiterated in this volume, to fully understand the story, kids might want to read the books in sequence.)
Thirteen-year-old Sacha Kessler’s special talent for seeing magic lands him an apprenticeship with the police department’s star inquisitors in a magical, turn-of-the-century New York City. In this fast-paced, exciting story, the Klezmer King has been murdered onstage during a performance, and Sacha is determined to find the killer before he strikes again. Sacha faces his doppelganger dybbuk once more, and the evil Morgaunt is still at large, attempting to control all the black magic in New York City. Full of period details about the Worker’s Rights Movement, neighborhood mafias, and the immigrant experience, The Watcher in the Shadows is fresh historical fiction with a magical twist.
What do you think of this month’s books? Comment below to let us know.