Your PJ Our Way Books for March 2025
PJ Our Way is proud to offer four fantastic books this month! Your reader can navigate middle school friendships with Leah and Anthony, follow Lily’s journey from refugee to one of the first women in comics, join Joey for a summer in Atlantic City, or unplug from social media with Karma Cooper.
Be sure to have your PJ Our Way subscriber choose their book by March 10th!
Always Anthony
By: Terri Libenson
Ages 10+
336 pages
Anthony (athletic, popular, African American) is not happy about being tutored by Leah (quiet, studious, Jewish), but his parents insist he bring up his Language Arts grade. Leah is not happy about the situation either, but the two seventh graders soon become unlikely friends, Anthony sharing that he has dyslexia and Leah confiding that she was bullied in elementary school. When Leah encourages Anthony to stand up to two eighth graders on his basketball team who are bullying a sixth grader, things get complicated. Libenson’s engaging and fast-paced hybrid novel conveys Anthony’s point of view through generously illustrated pages of text and Leah’s through graphic-novel form. This eighth entry in the Emmie & Friends series works fine as a standalone novel.
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 1930s 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.
The Prince of Steel Pier
By: Stacy Nockowitz
Ages 10+
248 pages
13-year-old Joey Goodman and his family spend every August helping out at his grandparents’ kosher hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In the summer of 1975, while playing Skee-Ball, Joey attracts the attention of Artie Bishop, a local mobster. When the charismatic Artie hires him to chaperone his 15-year-old daughter, Joey soon finds himself caught up in some shady business. He also finds himself lying to his family; white lies that eventually develop into outright deception. This fast-paced, exciting coming-of-age story is infused with warm Jewish content and a 1970s Jewish world view.
Queen of Likes
By: Hillary Homzie
Ages 10+
255 pages
Karma Cooper is the queen of social media and completely addicted to Snappypic (a fictional social media platform) until her concerned parents shut down her account and confiscate her phone. It takes her a while to adjust to losing 12,000 followers, but eventually she learns to anchor herself in real life and relate to people she has neglected in her pursuit of "likes," such as her best friend, her brother, and a boy in her class named Milton P. In this quick and light read, Karma discovers that real friends are more valuable than virtual ones, and that popularity isn’t everything. Parents will like this book for its unplugged message, and kids will relate to Karma’s experiences as she navigates the drama of middle school.
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.