New Releases by Joanne Levy

When Aviva Davis and Holly Martin meet at the holiday pageant tryouts for their local senior’s center, they think they must be seeing double. While they both knew they were adopted, they had no idea they had a biological sibling, let alone an identical twin! The similarities are only skin deep, though, because while Aviva has a big personality and even bigger Broadway plans, Holly is more the quiet dreamer type who longs to become a famous author like her grandfather. One thing the girls do have in common is their curiosity about how the other celebrates the holidays. What better way to discover the magic of the holidays than to experience them firsthand? The girls secretly trade lives, planning to stage a dramatic reveal to their families. Two virtual strangers swapping homes, holidays, and age-old traditions–what could possibly go wrong? Find out in this sweet as a sugarplum and satisfying as a latke middle grade novel by Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles, and Joanne Levy, award-winning author of Sorry for Your Loss and several other books for tweens.

This collection of stories and poems by sixteen Jewish writers portrays the magic of Hanukkah for each person who celebrates it, as well as what it means to be Jewish. Celebrate Hanukkah with a diverse collection of poems and stories filled with history, humor, and hope. Cheer on a young baker as he tries to make sufganiyot from a family recipe. Learn about code breakers in England during World War II. Imagine hosting a refugee cousin or finding long-lost relatives. In this anthology, characters make discoveries, connect with family and friends, and mourn loved ones. Encompassing a range of genres and experiences, there’s something for readers of all faiths in the illuminating pages of The Festival of Lights.

Key Selling Points Arden is a science-loving seventh grader who wishes for a pet...until her Uncle Eli gives her Ludwig, his African Grey parrot, to look after while he''s away. The book is filled with a lot of fun parrot antics and is chock-full of facts about keeping birds as pets. Joanne Levy has a pet parrot and pulled many elements from her own feathered friend. The main character, Arden, must face a bully who uses insults and threats, and the book makes clear that bullying doesn''t have to be physical to be serious and damaging. The author has written extensively for the middle-grade reader, and her book Sorry For Your Loss was a finalist for the Governor General''s Literary Award, won the Canadian Jewish Literary Award and is a Sydney Taylor Book Award Notable Book.

Fishel (Fish) Rosner, douze ans, n’aime pas les activités qui plaisent généralement aux garçons. Il déteste les sports et préfère lire ou faire du bricolage plutôt que de grimper aux arbres ou de faire du vélo de montagne avec ses amis. Il aime aussi danser. Tout ce qu’il aime est considéré comme des passe-temps de « filles », mais Fish ne comprend pas pourquoi ce serait une mauvaise chose. Il s’intéresse simplement à des activités différentes des autres garçons. Quand il demande à sa Bubby de lui enseigner le tricot, elle lui dit d’aller jouer dehors. Quand il insiste pour que sa mère l’amène au cours de zumba, elle l’inscrit plutôt au water-polo. Pourquoi tout le monde décide-t-il ce que Fish doit faire ou ne pas faire? Cet ouvrage en format ePub est entièrement accessible. Également disponible sous le titre Fish Out of Water en anglais.

Elsie Rose-Miller loves celebrating the Purim holiday and can''t wait for the annual costume party at her local synagogue. Elsie plans to dress up as the fierce and smart Queen Esther, who saved all the Jewish people. But when financial hardship and a terrible incident of hate-inspired vandalism threaten not only the party but the synagogue too, Elsie, like Queen Esther, takes action to bring her entire community—Jewish and non-Jewish alike—together. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Lilah Bloom is getting used to her new life as a medium—a person who can communicate with ghosts. Sort of. It’s not the voices in her head that are the issue, it’s that they never seem to leave her alone! Everyone wants something from her. And how do you tell your new [dead] best friend that you can’t help them? Especially when that new dead best friend is like the older sister you always wanted, full of advice and helpful suggestions about life and dating? Add the ghost drama to Lila’s school drama, [non-dead] best friend drama, and boyfriend drama and, well, what’s a medium to do? Find out in SMALL MEDIUM TAKES CHARGE, the fun and hilarious sequel to SMALL MEDIUM AT LARGE (now available in paperback!). Keywords: middle grade, funny, humorous, tween, ghosts, dating, crush, friendship, sydney taylor, awards, red maple, jewish books, small medium at large, canadian, series

Key Selling Points A young girl befriends a boy who hasn’t spoken since his parents were killed in a car accident. Sorry For Your Loss examines themes of grieving, friendship and the nature of family. This book shows a behind-the-scenes view of what happens after someone dies. The author''s father runs a Jewish funeral home, which served as inspiration for the setting of the novel. The author has written several other middle-grade novels and has been nominated for the Red Maple Award and the Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Awards. This book has all the elements of an excellent middle-grade story: an unusual setting; diverse, relatable characters; and the perfect blend of humor and pathos. Free Discussion Guide available for download at orcabook.com.

Key Selling Points A sweet summer camp story about a painfully shy girl who meets a boy with a rare genetic condition. The book explores themes of facing your fears and the nature of true friendship. One of the main characters has progeria, a genetic condition that causes premature aging. Most children who have this don’t live past age 14. This story had its genesis in a terrible summer camp experience for the author. The book has a happy ending. Bea and her new friends stay in touch after summer is over.

Lilah can hear ghosts, and boy are they annoying! After she''s hit by lightning at a wedding, twelve-year-old Lilah Bloom develops a new talent: she can hear dead people. That''s right, she''s now a medium--a person who talks to hosts! Among them, there''s her overopinionated Bubby Dora; an old lady fashion designer; and a kid who is pure mischief and threatens to ruin everything. The ghosts are more annoying than frightening, especially when Lilah has one big fear on her mind: talking to-and possibly going to the seventh-grade dance with-her crush, Andrew Finkel. Lilah only ever wanted to be a regular seventh-grader, maybe a seventh-grader with a date for the dance, but with meddling ghosts getting in the way, her life is now filled with drama of the spirit variety. What''s a young medium to do? Keywords: middle grade, funny, humorous, tween, ghosts, dating, crush, friendship, sydney taylor, awards, red maple, jewish books, small medium at large, canadian, series

Key Selling Points A boy planning his bar mitzvah project is frustrated that he’s not allowed to pursue his interests. This book examines gender stereotyping in a safe and humorous way. Fish Out of Water explores theissue of toxic masculinity, which is very much in the news right now as traditional gender roles and assumptions are being challenged. The author has written numerous books for middle-grade audiences and balances funny and sweet well. The author is Jewish and includes Jewish content in all her stories. New, enhanced features (dyslexia-friendly font, cream paper, larger trim size) to increase reading accessibility for dyslexic and other striving readers.

Victoria Adelman is lonely. Her best friend has moved away, leaving her to spend the summer alone. One day, on her way home from a bat mitzvah, she meets Jazzy, her next-door neighbors’ granddaughter. Tori hopes her friendless status is about to change. But later, in her garden, when she meets Jazzy again, Jazzy doesn’t recognize the filthy, smelly girl as the one she met earlier. In a moment of insecurity, Tori tells Jazzy that the girl she met before was her twin sister, Vicky. Tori is sure she can fake being that girl in the dress—it’s only for two weeks. When Jazzy announces she’s staying with her grandparents for the school year. Tori needs to figure out what to do: come clean and lose her new friend, or live her life as a fake. This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!

Middle school is bad enough for braces-wearing, manga-loving, uncoordinated Kat, but helping her two best friends get together will mean that Kat has no chance of winning Tyler''s affection for herself.