Your PJ Our Way Books for July
Check out the four fantastic PJ Our Way selections for July! Find out what happens when two kids concoct a surprising scheme, peruse a fascinating graphic biography, read about trouble on the soccer field, or follow a boy who’s determined to save his dog. Whether you’re interested in friendship, history, sports, animals, or just a good story – remember to choose your book by the 10th!
No Vacancy
by Tziporah Cohen
Ages 10+
217 pages
When Miriam’s father loses his job, the family buys a dilapidated motel and moves from New York City to Greenvale, population 512. It’s a huge adjustment: the motel is a money pit and Miriam’s long anticipated summer vacation feels like all drudgery and no fun, especially because her fear of the water leaves her sweating at the side of the pool. Even worse, her mother doesn’t like Maria, Miriam’s new friend and the housekeeper at the hotel, just because Maria wears a pretty cross. Then Miriam hatches a plan to save the hotel, but her conscience begins to stir as she tackles some important questions.
Roller Coaster Grandma
by Dr. Ruth Westheimer and Pierre A. Lehu
Ages: 9+
64 pages
Although Dr. Ruth is a household name, many people don’t know about her incredible life outside her radio show. (This book for young readers does not address that aspect of her career in any detail.) Using the frame of a grandmother taking her children to an amusement park, Dr. Ruth shares her story in this engaging autobiographical graphic novel. Readers will learn about how she survived World War II, lived on a kibbutz and served in the military in Palestine, fought for an education, immigrated to America, and eventually became a world-famous therapist.
Echo Still
by Tim Tibbits
Ages: 10+
192 pages
Fig’s mom died when he was little, but otherwise his life is like a normal seventh grader’s: he lives for soccer, his science teacher hates him, and he’s being forced to go to bar mitzvah classes. Then his beloved grandmother, Gigi, comes to live with them, and Fig’s life changes as he comes to understand some important things about Judaism, his family, and himself.
Saving Hanno
By Miriam Halahmy
Ages: 9+
96 pages
Nine-year-old Rudi and his older sister Lotte are lucky to get a place on a Kindertransport. Their parents even manage to find a German man who is willing to smuggle Rudi’s precious dachshund, Hanno, to London. Rudi is taken in by kindly, childless Auntie Irene and Uncle Don, but Lotte is forced to work at menial jobs rather than continuing her education, threatening her hopes of becoming a doctor. Just when Rudi is learning a little English and starting to fit in, he finds out that, with war looming, people are euthanizing their pets to save them from suffering later, and he joins forces with a group of brave children who are determined to save the animals. An author’s note explains that Saving Hanno is based in part on a true story.
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.