Your PJ Our Way Books for March

Take a look at PJ Our Way's selections for March! Follow two new friends as they journey through a bike accident, a poetry contest, and a bat mitzvah, or find out what happens when a baby is found on the steps of a library. Learn about a diplomat who saved thousands of Jews during WWII, or root for a kindhearted sixth-grade troublemaker and his super-smart friend. Whether you like realism, historical fiction, biography, or laugh-out-loud humor, one of these choices is sure to be your next great read. Choose your book by the 10th!

Detour Ahead
by Pamela Ehrenberg and Tracy López

Ages 10+

352 pages

In alternating chapters of prose and verse, Gilah prepares for her upcoming bat mitzvah while her new friend Guillermo enters a poetry contest. The compelling dual point-of-view brings readers into the minds of Gilah, who is neurodiverse and attends a special needs school, and Salvadoran American Guillermo, who is finding his voice through poetry.

Alley & Rex
by Joel Ross

Ages: 9+

144 pages

Alley Katz doesn't make very good choices, or at least that's what the adults in his life are always telling him. After a particularly messy incident involving a burrito, a ceiling fan, and a bunch of kindergarteners, Principal Kugelmeyer tells Alley that if he doesn't get an A on the next science test, he'll have to transfer to the dreaded Steggles Academy, where his horrible Grannie Blatt is the lunch lady.
Alley's not happy about being paired with a peer mentor to help him with the test, especially when he finds out it's Rex, the shy fourth grader who wears a bunny suit and carries a briefcase. But Alley needs Rex to stay in school, and Rex needs Alley to survive school.
Readers will love this hilarious, highly illustrated book about how two boys, “one with the heart of a lion and the test scores of a baked potato, the other a shy boy genius in a bunny suit,” become friends.

The Summer We Found the Baby
by Amy Hest

Ages: 9+

181 pages

In short alternating chapters, eleven-year-old Julie, her six-year-old sister Martha, and Julie's frenemy, twelve-year-old Bruno, narrate this heartwarming and hopeful story set in a Long Island beach town during World War II. Each child's voice and viewpoint are distinct, and the varying narratives keep the pace moving quickly. Additional Jewish content was specially created for this unique PJ Our Way edition of Hest's novel.

His Name was Raoul Wallenberg
by Louise Borden

Ages: 10+

129 pages

Raoul Wallenberg, Swedish diplomat to Hungary, risked his life to save thousands of Hungarian Jews during World War Two. This superbly researched biography, complete with illustrations, maps, and photos, documents his heroism and is chock full of messages of tolerance, courage, and willingness to make a difference. Kids (and adults!) will be inspired by the bravery and daring of this extraordinary man. This book is a Sydney Taylor Book Award gold medalist.

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.