Your PJ Our Way Books for June
Check out the four books available for selection from PJ Our Way this month. Join two 12-year-olds on an adventure aboard a scientific research ship, read about a Canadian family who welcomed a teenaged refugee in their home during WWII, learn about the challenges one Jewish boy faced during the Spanish Inquisition, and root for a young girl struggling with dyslexia. Choose your book by the 10th!
Consider the Octopus
by Nora Raleigh Baskin and Gae Polisner
Ages 10+
272 pages
In alternating voices, 12-year-olds Jeremy “JB” Barnes and Sidney Miller narrate their adventures (and misadventures) on board a scientific research ship headed toward the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. His mom may be the chief scientist on the Oceania II, but JB isn’t into science at all and wishes he were anywhere else. Science geek Sidney, however, is thrilled that an error has resulted in an invitation to take part in the ship’s symposium. Aided and abetted by her hippie grandmother, Sidney gets herself on board, where she and JB become unlikely allies, convinced they’re somehow meant to do something really important. But what can two kids do to help solve the crisis of a floating garbage island twice the size of Texas? The book takes a hard look at the desperate situation our oceans are in but leaves readers with a sense of optimism for the future. Additional Jewish content was specially created for this unique PJ Our Way edition of the novel.
Room for One More
by Monique Polak
Ages 10+
232 pages
Twelve-year-old Rosetta and her sisters get a ready-made brother when her family welcomes teenaged refugee Isaac Guttman into their Montreal home. Rosetta and Esther are less than thrilled to share a bedroom, but soon talkative Rosetta and reticent Isaac form a strong bond. Gradually, he opens up to Rosetta about his past and learns to look forward to a brighter future. Isaac’s experience as a refugee and his family’s persecution by the Nazis provide some age-appropriate detail about the Holocaust, but some funny scenes paired with Rosetta’s nosy but well-meaning personality help keep this engaging book from becoming too heavy.
The Secret of Carlos Romanus
by Esther Kosofsky
Ages 9+
148 pages
Fifteen-year-old Moshe Levi is the head of his family now that his father has died. But on his very first business trip from Amsterdam to Africa, Moshe is shipwrecked in Spain, where the powerful Catholic Inquisition have expelled all the Jews, forcing Moshe to hide his Jewish identity. Using his extensive knowledge of Jewish traditions and keen powers of observation, he manages to find a secret Passover Seder and befriend a local Jewish family. Kids will enjoy this easy-to-read, fast-paced story about Moshe’s adventures, and they’ll gain a unique perspective on Jewish life in Spain during the 17th century.
Welcome Back, Maple Mehta-Cohen
by Kate McGovern
Ages 10+
278 pages
11-year-old Maple Mehta-Cohen has an impressive vocabulary and loves making up mystery stories, but she also has a big secret: she can’t read. Maple managed to keep her dyslexia a secret from all the adults in her life for years. Now that her secret is out, she has to repeat fifth grade. Embarrassed and anxious, Maple lies and tells her new classmates that she’s been asked to stay back as a teacher’s helper. Meanwhile, her (ex) best friend Aislinn invited all the sixth-grade girls to her birthday party, but not Maple. This is a sweet, engaging story about a young girl struggling to face life’s challenges and learning to love herself just as she is.
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.