The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen


Book Description

LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD! A WILLIAM C. MORRIS AWARD WINNER! The Chosen meets Adam Silvera in this irreverent and timely story of worlds colliding in friendship, betrayal, and hatred. Hoodie Rosen's life isn't that bad. Sure, his entire Orthodox Jewish community has just picked up and moved to the quiet, mostly non-Jewish town of Tregaron, but Hoodie's world hasn't changed that much. He's got basketball to play, studies to avoid, and a supermarket full of delicious kosher snacks to eat. The people of Tregaron aren’t happy that so many Orthodox Jews are moving in at once, but that’s not Hoodie’s problem. That is, until he meets and falls for Anna-Marie Diaz-O’Leary—who happens to be the daughter of the obstinate mayor trying to keep Hoodie’s community out of the town. And things only get more complicated when Tregaron is struck by a series of antisemitic crimes that quickly escalate to deadly violence. As his community turns on him for siding with the enemy, Hoodie finds himself caught between his first love and the only world he’s ever known. Isaac Blum delivers a wry, witty debut novel about a deeply important and timely subject, in a story of hatred and betrayal—and the friendships we find in the most unexpected places.




Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win


Book Description

Most Anticipated YA by Buzzfeed, BookRiot, Epic Reads, Publishers Weekly, and more! A fresh spin on the cult-classic Election meets Darius the Great Is Not Okay in Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win when an international incident crashes into a high school election, and Jasmine is caught between doing the right thing and chasing her dream. It’s 1979, and Jasmine Zumideh is ready to get the heck out of her stale, Southern California suburb and into her dream school, NYU, where she’ll major in journalism and cover New York City’s exploding music scene. There’s just one teeny problem: Due to a deadline snafu, she maaaaaaybe said she was Senior Class President-Elect on her application—before the election takes place. But honestly, she’s running against Gerald Thomas, a rigid rule-follower whose platform includes reinstating a dress code—there’s no way she can lose. And she better not, or she’ll never get into NYU. But then, a real-life international incident turns the election upside down. Iran suddenly dominates the nightly news, and her opponent seizes the opportunity to stir up anti-Iranian hysteria at school and turn the electorate against her. Her brother, Ali, is no help. He’s become an outspoken advocate for Iran just as she’s trying to downplay her heritage. Now, as the white lie she told snowballs into an avalanche, Jasmine is stuck between claiming her heritage or hiding it, standing by her outspoken brother or turning her back on him, winning the election or abandoning her dreams for good. Told with biting insight and fierce humor, Susan Azim Boyer's Jasmine Zumideh Needs a Win is a fresh, unforgettable story of one Iranian-American young woman’s experience navigating her identity, friendship, family, her future, and a budding romance, all set against life-changing historical events with present-day relevance.




The Judgment of Yoyo Gold


Book Description

A smart and powerful story set in the Orthodox Jewish community about what it means to fit in, break out, and find your own way, by the award-winning author of The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen. This book is Gossip Girl + My Name Is Asher Lev + I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. Yoyo Gold has always played the role of the perfect Jewish daughter. She keeps kosher, looks after her siblings, and volunteers at the local food bank. She respects the decisions of her rabbi father and encourages her friends to observe the rules of their Orthodox faith. But when she sees her best friend cast out of the community over a seemingly innocent transgression, Yoyo’s eyes are opened to the truth of her neighbors’ hypocrisies for the first time. And what she sees leaves her shocked and unmoored. As Yoyo’s frustration builds, so does the pressure to speak out, even if she can only do so anonymously on TikTok, an app that’s always been forbidden to her. But when one of her videos goes viral—and her decisions wind up impacting not only her own life but also her relationship with the boy she’s falling for—Yoyo’s world is thrown into chaos. She is forced to choose which path to take, for her community, for her family, and most importantly, for herself. Award-winning author Isaac Blum returns with a new novel that asks what it really means to be part of a community—and what it means to break free.




Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen


Book Description

As his community turns against him for siding with the mayor who wants to push their community out, Orthodox Jew Hoodie finds himself caught between his first love, the mayor's daughter, and the only world he's ever known.




Challenging Antisemitism


Book Description

Challenging Antisemitism: Lessons from Literacy Classrooms provides theoretical framing and historical context for understanding contemporary antisemitism and offers teachers curricular ideas and practical strategies to address antisemitism and amplify Jewish voices in secondary and post-secondary literacy classrooms.




Too Many Golems


Book Description

Award-winning author Jane Yolen brings us a delightfully humorous tale inspired by Jewish folklore of a well-intentioned but mischievous boy who accidentally summons ten golems. “A truly original story that charmed me from start to finish. This book put a big smile on my face!”— Lesléa Newman, author of Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail, winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award and National Jewish Book Award "A delightful reimagining of Jewish folklore! Magic that will captivate children of all backgrounds."—Ruth Behar, Pura Belpré Author Award winner and author of Tía Fortuna's New Home: A Jewish Cuban Journey, a Sydney Taylor Notable Book The rabbi’s son, Abi, has a habit of getting in trouble. It’s not on purpose, and usually, they’re harmless accidents. But this time, Abi has stolen a scroll from the synagogue—to practice his Hebrew!—and is not ready for what, or rather, who will show up at his front door as a result. The golems Abi summons may look monstrous, but we soon learn they are only there to help! With beloved author Jane Yolen's signature wit and delightful illustrations by Maya Shleifer, Too Many Golems conveys the unexpected joy of magical accidents and the importance of being a good neighbor to all. A REIMAGINED JEWISH TALE: A fresh spin on a classic Jewish folktale reinvents the original narrative into one that emphasizes kindness, community, and friendship. Readers will laugh along as, instead of battling enemies, these golems tackle an even stronger foe: Hebrew lessons! ENCOURAGING MESSAGE: With a deep understanding that learning any new skill can be a difficult and even anxiety-inducing experience, this story acknowledges every struggle and reassures readers that even without the help of magical creatures, their goals can be achieved through perseverance. IMAGINATIVE & FUNNY: Brought to life by two Jewish creators, author Jane Yolen and illustrator Maya Schleifer, this comical story of a boy who means well but can't seem to stay out of trouble will delight parents and kids with its charming illustrations, witty text, and pure imagination. CELEBRATES KINDNESS: Readers will find a warm message that showcases the importance of showing kindness to everyone, regardless of where they come from or what language they speak. PERFECT FOR COMING-OF-AGE CELEBRATIONS: The outrageous tale of Abi's battle with Hebrew is one that many Jewish children will relate to as they begin Hebrew school or embark on their Bar/Bat Mitzvah journey, making this an essential pick for parents and gift-givers. Perfect for: Parents and grandparents Teachers and librarians Bar/Bat Mitzvah gift-givers Anyone looking for picture books celebrating Jewish culture Fans of Jane Yolen Fans of such classics as Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and Where the Wild Things Are




The Search for Us


Book Description

“A sharp-witted and illuminating, impressive sophomore novel.” - Isaac Blum, author of the award-nominated The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen Two half-siblings who have never met embark on a search together for the Iranian immigrant and U.S. Army veteran father they never knew. Samira Murphy will do anything to keep her fractured family from falling apart, including caring for her widowed grandmother and getting her older brother into recovery for alcohol addiction. With attendance at her dream college on the line, she takes a long shot DNA test to find the support she so desperately needs from a father she hasn’t seen since she was a baby. Henry Owen is torn between his well-meaning but unreliable bio-mom and his overly strict aunt and uncle, who stepped in to raise him but don’t seem to see him for who he is. Looking to forge a stronger connection to his own identity, he takes a DNA test to find the one person who might love him for exactly who he is—the biological father he never knew. Instead of a DNA match with their father, Samira and Henry are matched with each other. They begin to search for their father together and slowly unravel the difficult truth of their shared past, forming a connection that only siblings can have and recovering precious parts of their past that have been lost. Brimming with emotional resonance, Susan Azim Boyer's The Search for Us beautifully renders what it means to find your place in the world through the deep and abiding power of family.




Blood Crimes


Book Description

On February 26, 1995, in a quiet Allentown, Pennsylvania suburb, 17-year-old Bryan Freeman and his 15-year-old brother, David, murdered their mother and father, Brenda and David, and younger sibling, Erik. They were joined in their homicidal rage by their cousin, Ben Birdwell, and the three then led the police on a multi-state chase that ended in Michigan. But why would the boys'raised in a devout Jehovah's Witness family'resort to such an orgy of violence? Was it because of their affiliation with the neo-Nazi Skinhead movement, as the media and prosecutors postulated? Or was there something else? These were the questions true crime author Fred Rosen, who entered the picture after the boys were returned to Pennsylvania for trial, believed needed answers in BLOOD CRIMES.




Lobster Boy


Book Description

Meet Grady Stiles Jr., a famous carnival "freak show" character and his offbeat colleagues-The World's Only Living Half Girl, Midget Man, The Electrified Girl, and the Human Blockhead. And then look beneath the tent flaps at the dark underworld of the personal life of The Lobster Boy and the events leading up to his murder. Learn how and why the author risked his own life in the pursuit of justice in this revised and updated WBP true crime classic!