Your PJ Our Way Books for January
Check out the four PJ Our Way books offered for January!
Take a look at the four excellent selections that PJ Our Way is offering this month! Find out what happens when a girl makes a magical wish, follow three kids' fight against a mysterious act of vandalism, venture into the mind of one of Queen Esther's handmaidens, or read about the life of a beloved children's horror writer. Whether you're interested in history, biography, fantasy, or realism, you're sure to find your next great read in one of these titles. Choose your book by the 10th!
Best Wishes
by Sarah Mlynowski
Ages 9+
192 pages
In this first book in the Best Wishes series, fifth grader Becca lives in New York City with her mother and older brother. Her father has moved to California and, for the first time, won't be there for her birthday. Then her best friend Harper ditches her for mean girl Olive just before Becca's birthday party. When a magic bracelet arrives in the mail, it grants her one wish. Becca wishes for a bevy of friends, and suddenly she has over a hundred guests coming to her birthday party! Are they her real friends, though? This story about true friendship is light and humorous and will have readers eager to meet the next recipient of the magical bracelet in Book 2.
Linked
by Gordon Korman
Ages: 11+
246 pages
When a swastika shows up on the wall of the only middle school in the small town of Chokecherry, Colorado, everyone wants to know who did it. Was it Michael, one of the few students of color in the school? Was it Link, the popular athlete whose pranks sometimes go too far? Or was it Pouncey, whose grandfather was rumored to be a part of the local chapter of the KKK decades ago? In the midst of all of it, Dana, the only Jewish girl in school, feels singled out and totally confused.
Meanwhile, Link learns that his grandmother's parents left her in a French orphanage before they were deported to a concentration camp. She was raised without any knowledge of her Jewish heritage, but when Link learns about it, he decides to have a bar mitzvah.
When more swastikas show up despite ongoing tolerance education, the kids decide to make six million paper links to represent the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust. When a popular social media star comes to document Chokecherry's drama and the town's painful history, people from all over the community and the country step in to help them reach their goal.
The Seventh Handmaiden
by Judith Pransky
Ages: 11+
250 pages
Darya doesn't remember how she became a slave, but she settles into her new life as the companion for an army captain's young daughter. She even learns to read and write, a rarity for girls in ancient times. When the captain dies, Darya is sold to the Royal Palace, where she becomes the seventh handmaiden to Queen Esther. Darya uncovers the murderous plot of the king's new advisor, Haman, and she and Esther find themselves pulled into the conflict. Darya is determined to protect her friends and perplexed by her own mysterious identity in this beautifully written retelling of the Purim story.
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. Stine wrote his first horror books while he was a stay-at-home dad and his wife worked in publishing. Although he has written over 300 books for teens and adults, the Goosebumps series is for readers ages 8-12. In it, Stine focuses on what he calls “the safe scare,” in which he scares kids — but not too much. His books continue to delight and terrify readers to this day.
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.