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PJ OUR WAY Monthly Selection
Eleven-year-old Danny Wexler, the only Jewish boy in his blue-collar town during the late 1970s, is obsessed with the Bermuda Triangle. When a local child goes missing, Danny's convinced it's connected to an old Bermuda Triangle theory involving UFOs. With his two best friends and their Spacetron telescope, Danny heads to his backyard to investigate. But hunting for extraterrestrials is complicated, and it doesn't help that his friend Nicholas's mom doesn't want her son hanging out with a Jewish boy. Equipped with his super-secret spy notebook, Danny sets out to fight both the aliens and the growing antisemitism in the town, in hopes of mending his divided community. |
Named one of three top books to help older kids understand antisemitism by The Jewish Federation of Baltimore: associated.org/stories/reading-room/
"A white van, the Bermuda Triangle, and undercurrents of prejudice: welcome to the '70s. …examines what it is like to be othered and the anchoring force of friendship. A look at the past with the resonance for the present." - Kirkus Reviews
Highly Recommended by School Library Connection: "Realistically portrays the microaggressions Danny and his family encounter as a result of antisemitism as well as the confusion they cause for a young man who is growing up and facing a world that is not always kind to him."
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2012 Grand Prize Winner of the Purple Dragonfly Book Award
Ten-year-old Nathan Rockledge cannot catch a break. After all, life as a fourth-grader can be hazardous what with science projects to deal with and recess football games to avoid. Everyone, including his best friend Tommy, seems to have bad luck when hanging around Nathan. Throw in an older sister who is a royal pain, a dad who is stuck in the past, and a mom who keeps trying to poison him with her awful cooking, and poor Nathan’s life as a fourth grader appears to be completely doomed. Armed only with his sketchpad, his imagination, and his wits, Nathan Rockledge navigates the perils of the fourth grade in style, to emerge heroic, as Nate Rocks, proving that even a ten-year-old can accomplish great things.
Follow the quirky and imaginative adventures of ten-year-old Nathan Rockledge as his cartoons come to life. |
"[Pokras] manages to paint images of idyllic childhood situations that only a small boy could dream of, and does it with a flair that is both light-hearted and endearing. In a word, Nate Rocks! I strongly encourage the author to keep writing in the style that she does, because her work lifts the heart and manages to bring a smile to the face of all who reads it." - J.L. Whitehead, examiner.com
"... encourages the magic that is missing from our children's lives and inspires children to follow their dreams... one that children will definitely want to read and not put down." -Readers' Favorite
"... encourages the magic that is missing from our children's lives and inspires children to follow their dreams... one that children will definitely want to read and not put down." -Readers' Favorite
2013 Gold Metal Readers' Favorite Book Award
Twelve-year-old Millicent Marie does not like her name. After all, she was named for a woman who died more than fifty years ago and was not the most lovable member of the Harris family. Her friends call her Millie, but when she writes in her diary she refers to herself as Amanda, the name she always wished she had. When Millie’s younger brother finds her diary on her computer, he decides to publish it as a blog for the entire world to see, including the boy Millie has a crush on. In the midst of all the mayhem, Millie/Amanda discovers she is suddenly Springside Elementary’s most sought after sixth-grade mystery gossip and advice columnist. But not all is fun and games, as Millie quickly learns, once she realizes feelings are at stake. Nobody, least of all Millie, expects things to turn out as they do.
"A charming read that young people will relish, highly recommended." -Midwest Book Review
"This is a lovely read for tweens (and their parents!). Author Karen Pokras captures Millie’s life angst—from disillusionment with sixth grade, to decisions about doing soccer or drama, to denying she has a crush—with humor and inside knowledge. I also enjoyed Millie’s coming of age and gradual maturing. ... Millie learns huge life lessons about friendship, respect, and the fact that other people have feelings and problems.Highly recommended" - Readers' Favorite
"This is a lovely read for tweens (and their parents!). Author Karen Pokras captures Millie’s life angst—from disillusionment with sixth grade, to decisions about doing soccer or drama, to denying she has a crush—with humor and inside knowledge. I also enjoyed Millie’s coming of age and gradual maturing. ... Millie learns huge life lessons about friendship, respect, and the fact that other people have feelings and problems.Highly recommended" - Readers' Favorite