Your PJ Our Way Books for November
PJ Our Way is offering four fantastic books for the month of November!
A young girl saves the day on a field trip, a kid solves a mystery during World War II, a pair of sisters starts a new life in Sweden, and a boy discovers a long-lost comedian on a family vacation. Select one of these awesome titles by November 10th!
How I Became a Spy
by Deborah Hopkinson
Ages 10+
272 pages
Bertie is a messenger in World War II London. During an air raid, he and his dog, Little Roo, stumble across a young woman who has been knocked unconscious, but when they return later to find her, she has disappeared, leaving behind only a notebook written in code. Is she a spy? Bertie and his friends, Jewish refugee David and American girl Eleanor, are determined to crack the code. Featuring real-life characters, Sherlock Holmes references, and material to help readers crack the code alongside the characters, this is a fun, engaging historical mystery.
Adina at Her Best
by Rebecca Klempner
Ages: 9+
83 pages
Adina struggles with controlling impulsive behavior and often finds herself in trouble at school and at home. Her supportive parents have tried to encourage her to accept help, but she’s unwilling to cooperate. When she is asked to wait out an activity while on a school trip with her fourth-grade class, she despairs of ever regaining the respect of her peers.
Luckily for Mr. Hernandez, Adina is in exactly the right place at the right time to recognize the early signs of a stroke. All ends well as Mr. Hernandez recovers and Adina becomes more accepting of her own neurodiversity. This cute, short book will resonate with kids who struggle with “good” behavior as well as their friends and classmates.
A Faraway Island
by Annika Thor
Ages: 10+
248 pages
Twelve-year-old Stephie and her little sister Nellie are sent from Nazi-occupied Vienna to foster homes on a tiny, remote island off the coast of Sweden. Nellie picks up the language easily and soon feels at home, but Stephie finds it difficult to make friends at school and to live up to strict Aunt Marta’s standards. Although there is the tension of Stephie’s worry about her parents, for the most part this is a universal story of a bookish girl trying to fit into a new environment. The island backdrop and Stephie’s stern foster mother and kindly foster father are reminiscent of the classic Anne of Green Gables. The author is Swedish-Jewish, and this is the first book in a series.
Mort Ziff Is Not Dead
by Cary Fagan
Ages: 9+
176 pages
It’s the winter of 1965, and Norman Fishbein has decided to use his contest winnings to fly his family from their home in Toronto to Palm Beach. Over the course of the week’s vacation, Norman makes friends with a girl his age and finds a new way to connect with his older brothers as they work together to help an aging comedian keep his job at the luxury hotel where they are staying. This heartwarming story of a young boy who takes his family on the trip of a lifetime — in more ways than one — will introduce young readers to a different era in Jewish American history.
Note: Quantities of each title are limited! If you see another book offered for selection this month, head over to Story Central to check it out.