Your PJ Our Way Books for June
PJ Our Way is proud to offer four excellent titles this June. Your reader can read along as Esther and Michiko navigate the challenges of friendship after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, laugh along as Chunky pulls ridiculous pranks at summer camp, get lost in a historical fantasy as Ziva tries to save her twin brother from the Angel of Death, and join Salman’s journey from Iraq to the young state of Israel.
Be sure to have your PJ Our Way subscriber choose their book by June 10th!
Chunky Goes to Camp
By: Yehudi Mercado
Ages 10+
208 pages
Yehudi “Hudi” Mercado was sent to detention so many times in school that his parents have decided he needs to spend the summer at sleepaway camp. He’s not sure how he’ll survive Jewish camp in the middle of the Texas desert, but things start to look up when he meets Pepe, another funny Latino Jew who can also see Hudi’s invisible best friend, Chunky.
The Three Amigos (Hudi, Pepe, and Chunky) get into all sorts of hijinks, including a prank war against the three preppy Joshes. As the pranks escalate and the truth about Pepe’s background comes out, Hudi worries he might get labelled a troublemaker again and wonders if he can save his new friendship and salvage the summer.
As the author notes, “If Chunky was about my journey as a middle grader finding my funny, then Chunky Goes to Camp is about finding my people.” This heartwarming sequel to PJ Our Way reader favorite Chunky also works well as a stand-alone book.
The Princess Dolls
By: Ellen Schwartz
Ages 9+
148 pages
Japan has bombed Pearl Harbor, but best friends Esther and Michiko are focused on getting beautiful dolls of British princesses Elizabeth and Margaret for their joint birthday. When Esther is given a doll but Michi isn’t, the girls fight and stop speaking to each other. Esther tries and fails to make amends, but before she can try again, Michi’s family, along with other Japanese Canadians, are sent to an internment camp in the center of the country. Esther is determined to do whatever it takes to heal their friendship.
A Boy From Baghdad
By: Miriam Halahmy
Ages 10+
192 pages
It’s 1951, and twelve-year-old Salman Shasha dreams of becoming an Olympic swimmer. But the Iraqi government has been turning against its Jewish community, and eventually Salman and his family must leave Baghdad for their own safety. They go to Israel with high hopes, but when they arrive, they realize that the promised land is not what they thought it would be. The Ashkenazi Jews look down on families like Salman’s and treat them badly. Salman’s family, and other new arrivals from Iraq, must live in terrible conditions in a refugee camp. Facing taunts from the Ashkenazi bullies, Salman decides to focus on beating them in a swimming race. Eventually he realizes that with hard work, and especially determination, anything is possible.
Black Bird, Blue Road
By: Sofiya Pasternack
Ages 11+
320 pages
In this historical fantasy laced with Jewish lore, 12-year-old Ziva is determined to find a cure for her beloved and brilliant twin brother Pesah's leprosy. After he has a vision of the Angel of Death, she decides they must leave home and go in search of a cure. Joined by a half-sheyd (demon) teenager, they survive various challenges and threats but eventually Ziva finds herself bargaining with the Angel of Death. Only one sibling is allowed to survive, and they both desperately want to sacrifice themselves for the other. The ending is poignant, but the engaging characters, tenderly evoked emotions, and non-stop action make this a memorable and ultimately uplifting story for older readers.
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.