Your PJ Our Way Books for November
Check out the four books available for selection in PJ Our Way this month.
Trying to help your child select a book? Check out this month’s selections. From realistic fiction to a Holocaust story made accessible for young readers through graphic novel adaptation to adventure set in Israel and science fiction set at Jewish summer camp, there is something for everyone.
Dreidels on the Brain by Joel Ben Izzy
Ages 10+
316 pages
As the only Jewish kid at Bixby school, with a family that’s downright mortifying and flat broke, it’s no wonder that twelve-year-old Joel fantasizes about becoming a superhero – Normalman – that kid who looks like everyone else.
Joel’s life is full of challenges: his father suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis and is disabled, and his mom has a host of medical issues as well. Money is a constant struggle, and if that’s not bad enough, Joel is short, wears thick glasses, and has braces. Luckily, he’s a talented magician and gets through life using his own particularly Jewish brand of self-deprecating humor. This story is set in the 1970s and is full of cultural and Jewish references from that period.
In this poignant and funny coming-of-age story, Joel learns to appreciate the good things in life and manage the difficulties too.
Lily Renee, Escape Artist by Trina Robbins
Ages 9+
96 pages
This vibrantly illustrated graphic novel tells Lily Renee’s real life story, from her idyllic pre-war, 1930’s childhood in Austria through her challenging experiences as a refugee in England, and finally, as she begins her new life as a comic book artist in America.
Scout’s Honor and the Cave of Courage
by Anna Levine
Ages: 9+
126 pages
In this sweet, gentle adventure set in Israel, twins Josh and Nate visit their cousins and join a group of Israeli Scouts on a camping trip. Josh is insecure because his brother Nate is braver and funnier than he is, so he hopes that the trip will bring out a different side of him. The opportunity comes when the Scouts are exploring some caves and two people get lost. Can Josh work up the courage to save his friends?
The Path of Names by Ari Goelman
Ages: 10+
344 pages
Thirteen-year-old Dahlia would much rather be doing math or practicing her magic tricks than going to Jewish summer camp. But Camp Arava gets much more interesting when Dahlia sees ghosts walking through her cabin wall and when she begins dreaming about David Schank, a brilliant Yeshiva student who lived many years ago. It turns out that Schank was on the run from a gang of “Illuminated Ones” who discovered that he held secret, mystical knowledge. Now, many years later, it is up to Dahlia to thwart the Illuminated Ones’ leader, the “Most Illuminated One,” and continue Shank’s battle against evil – right on the grounds of Camp Arava.
What do you think of this month’s books? Comment below to let us know.
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