Turning thirteen isn't easy. Especially when your best friend is growing away from you and your mother decides that you must be Bat Mitzvahed, even though your family isn't particularly religious. Luckily, Rabbi Dan is a pretty cool guy and willing to work with Zippy, even though she has had no training in Hebrew and little knowledge in Judaism, beyond the high holy days. What Zippy is really interested in is witchcraft, forcing her into "weirdo" status at school. After finding a strange red book Zippy manages to cast a spell delivering a new friend with wings. Miriam is very kind and the two girls immediately hit it off. Is Miriam an angel? Rabbi Dan gives Zippy a book about magic creatures in Judaism to help her in figuring it all out. The friendship goes sour when Miriam seems to be zapping energy from Zippy. Could she really be a dybbuk? Another piece of the puzzle is that Zippy suddenly understands Hebrew and become the star of her Bat Mitzvah class. What is going on? And what does Miriam do when Zippy is at school or at home? The mystery is solved, but not before Zippy is transformed in many ways and realizes that growing up is not as horrible as it seems.
Laurel Snyder is an unpredictable author. Her 2017 Orphan Island is one of my favorite books ever and she has proven to be an eclectic author who crosses genres and ages. I love this new offering in that it touches on a topic rarely seen in children's lit: Judaic mysticism. Readers will learn about all kinds of magical figures from Jewish folklore, all within the framework of a coming of age story. Realistic fiction fans will enjoy Zippy's struggles with her best friend and parents as she is navigating the choppy waters of puberty. Fantasy readers will love the magical bits and be interested to discover exactly what Miriam is. Zippy is not your normal protagonist. She feels a bit more Harriet the Spy than your average hero and is definitely someone that I would have loved to hang around with at that age. Kids interested in witchcraft will snatch this book up and want to break out some spells of their own. It was nice to see Judaism represented in a very relatable and contemporary way and will make many kids in my community feel represented. A heartfelt book featuring a new idea and a very readable plot that will appeal to the target audience.
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