Your PJ Our Way Books for July 2025
PJ Our Way is proud to offer four fantastic books this month! Your reader can encourage Shaindy to tell the truth, learn about life for children in Soviet-era Russia, help two brothers care for a girl they rescued from the Nazis, or join Noah at Camp Challah for the summer!
Be sure to have your PJ Our Way subscriber choose their book by July 10th!
The Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman
By: Mari Lowe
Ages 10+
191 pages
Twelve-year-old Shaindy attends an Orthodox girls’ school, where she struggles academically and doesn’t have good friends -- unlike her super smart and popular next-door neighbor, Gayil. Everything changes when Shaindy sees Gayil standing at her bedroom window with a sign saying, “Want to know a secret?” The unexpected invitation leads to a chain of pranks that escalate from harmless mischief to something much darker. Torn between friendship with the popular girl and doing what’s right, Shaindy realizes she has to figure out how to stop the pranks or she could end up being Gayil’s next target.
The Genius Under the Table
By: Eugene Yelchin
Ages 10+
208 pages
Narrating from a child’s point of view, Russian-American Eugene Yelchin (“Yevgeny”) recounts his years as a Jewish kid growing up in Cold War Russia. The “genius under the table,” he would draw pictures on the underside of the table he slept beneath in his family’s tiny living space. The short, episodic chapters are funny, kid-centered, and entertaining, and humorous drawings on almost every page help lighten the sobering facts of life for Jews in the former Soviet Union. A captivating autobiography of an artist’s young beginnings.
The End of the Line
By: Sharon E. McKay
Ages 9+
128 pages
It’s 1942 and five-year-old Beatrix and her mother are fleeing the Nazi persecution of Jews in Amsterdam. After Nazi officers take Beatrix’s mother off a train, two elderly brothers step in to save Beatrix’s life by pretending she is their niece. The bachelors have no experience with little girls, but with the help of a neighborly grandmother and young teacher, they create a family and safe home for Beatrix. This sweet story is an excellent introduction to the Holocaust and highlights how Righteous Gentiles played an important role in saving Jewish lives.
Noah Green Saves the World
By: Laura Toffler-Corrie
Ages 10+
273 pages
Noah’s been looking forward to attending the David Lynch Film Camp for months. But when his parents decide to sign him and his sister up for Camp Challah instead, he packs his bags, straps on his head cam, and tries to make the best of it. Noah’s awkward in social situations; combine that with an eccentric grandfather, a clueless counselor, a loyal group of friends, and a mystery dating back decades, and hilarity ensues. A cast of charming and wacky characters will keep readers on the edge of their seats in this hilarious adventure full of positive Jewish messages about friendship, kindness, and saving the world.
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.