Your PJ Our Way Books for April

How to Find What You’re Not Looking For
by Veera Hiranandani

Ages 11+

384 pages

It’s 1967, and 12-year-old Ari Goldman’s life has just been turned upside down. Her parents are no longer speaking to her beloved older sister, Leah, after Leah eloped with an Indian Hindu man, Raj. The family’s bakery isn’t doing well, and her parents are considering selling it. And, as one of the few Jewish families in their small town in Connecticut, Ari and her family face antisemitism on a regular basis. To top it all off, Ari was just diagnosed with dysgraphia – a writing disability that her parents are unwilling to accept.

Set against the backdrop of the civil rights movement, the Vietnam war, the assassination of Martin Luther King, and a landmark Supreme Court decision outlawing bans on interracial marriage, this award-winning novel explores one girl’s struggles to understand what’s right, what’s wrong, and what she believes in when everything around her is changing.

Alley & Rex: Bite the Bagel
by Joel Ross

Ages 9+

160 pages

In this sequel to Alley & Rex, sixth-grader Alley Katz is upset when Principal Kugelmeyer closes down the school’s hugely popular breakfast cart due to a lack of funding. Not wanting hungry kids to miss their second (or first) breakfast of the day, Alley decides to create his own incredibly wacky and completely unappetizing doughnut-bagel hybrid. Luckily, some ingenious help from his friends saves the day. Big-hearted Alley is also determined to help his big-brained friend Rex when the gym teacher insists that Rex wear the official gym uniform instead of his usual bunny suit. Energetic illustrations match the tone of this hilarious story about odd-couple friends and how they help one another survive school.

Too Far From Home
by Naomi Shmuel

Ages 11+

354 pages

Meskerem’s mother just got a big promotion at work, so her family must relocate from Katzin, her small hometown, to Hertzliya, a large city in central Israel. Leaving her beloved grandmother and childhood friends behind, Meskerem begins fifth grade at the local school. Meskerem’s father emigrated from America, while her mom was born in Ethiopia. Although Meskerem is a native Israeli, the other kids immediately assume that she’s one of the new immigrants who just arrived on Operation Solomon, the much-publicized airlift evacuation of Ethiopian Jews from the Sudan. Their insensitive and racist comments make Meskerem feel ashamed and confused about her heritage; thus, she impulsively declares that she’s American. Eventually, she learns to appreciate and take pride in her rich and diverse Jewish, Ethiopian, and American identity while earning her classmates’ respect and friendship. This sweet book is translated from the Hebrew and won the Anderson Award as well as a commendation by the Zeev prize committee in Israel.

The Doughnut King
by Jessie Janowitz

Ages 10+

336 pages

Tristan’s doughnut business is doing well – perhaps a little too well! Tris and his partner Josh just can’t keep up with the demand for their tasty treats. Tris is sure that a Donut Robot will solve all their problems, but it costs $50,000! To top it all off, the small town of Petersville is losing residents and needs to attract more people. Tris reluctantly agrees to try out for a kids’ reality cooking competition because the prize money will be enough for the Donut Robot and the publicity could really help the town. When he’s offered a spot on the show, he wonders if it's because his mother used to work with the show’s host. But it soon becomes clear that Chef JJ isn’t doing him any favors. Even with the whole town counting on Tris, he’s not sure he can live with what it takes to win. This Junior Library Guild Selection is the sequel to The Doughnut Fix but works well as a standalone novel.