Sukkos 2024 Releases

Oct 09, 2024

Finally here: the full roundup of this season’s releases. It’s a year of plenty, with something for every taste and preference in each genre and age range. Beloved authors bring more of what we love, others surprise us with new style and tone, and exciting debut releases introduce us to new voices. 2024 has its stamp on this batch of releases - you’ll notice beautiful AI cover art, advanced technology creeping into novels, and authors tiptoeing around current events within their stories.
G’mar chasima tova and have a beautiful Yom Tov!

Young Readers Grades 3-5

Bundle of Joy, Rochel Burstyn - Pinchas Eliyohu is a tiny infant with all the answers. He’s got lots to say, but only his brother Yehuda can hear him. Friend problems, ruined science projects, and perplexing missing objects, there’s nothing Pinchas Eliyohu can’t figure out. A humorous and unique story in a hybrid comic-novel format for 3rd-5th graders.
[Read our conversation with Rochel Burstyn here]
The Unlikelies, J.S. Wolin - A funny adventure taking readers into the hilarious minds of kids who seem different, but are just like everyone else. Everyone thinks Pinky and his class are weird. All they have is each other - and one chance to prove themselves. Grades 4-5.
The Case of the Chewy Cholent, Ellen Roteman - When disappearing ingredients ruin everyone’s cholent and Shabbos afternoon bliss, the Five Star Detectives get to work tracking down clues. A fun mystery for 4th-5th graders.
The Upside Down Summer, Libby Herz - With her parents worried and her friends changing around her, a brave young girl navigates a summer during the Great Depression. Intriguing historical fiction for 3th-4th graders.

Boys Grades 5-7

Danger in the Woods, Rochel Samet - When two class enemies are paired up to master the graduation trip hiking challenge, they think nothing could be worse. Then they get lost within the thick forest, and when that’s not enough, they find themselves surrounded by a dangerous criminal group furious that their hideout has been trespassed and discovered. A bold adventure with biting suspense and relatable drama for boys grades 5-7
Hourglass, M. Jakubowicz - After a Redneck spider escapes an illegal lab, Michy Hallerman is suddenly ill and squeaking, and the baffling symptoms send the city into an insect-panic. Peretz Hallerman dreads hosting his know-it-all cousin, but Yekusiel and his disappeared father may hold the keys to save the day. But even his father’s mysterious connections aren’t fast enough, as the desperate criminals stay one step ahead. A fast-paced and captivating adventure for Grades 5-7
Walking West, Tovah S. Yavin - David and his Uncle are eager to claim land for themselves far out in Oklahoma. But the treacherous journey there seems impossible. Dramatic and fascinating historical fiction opens a window to a long-ago era in the American West. For grades 5 and 6.

Girls Grades 5-7

The Storybox 3 and Grab Bag, M. Jakubowicz - Two collections of short stories about relatable kids facing challenges and adventures that lead to delightful surprises. Great for reluctant readers who prefer reading small amounts at a time. The two books are similar, with Grab Bag featuring time-of-year specific stories from The Circle for grades 4-6 and The Storybox 3 featuring more general stories for grades 5-7.
Exclusive, Chaya Esther Chaifetz - Simi loves clothes, friends, and always being right. When all that’s at stake, can she still be herself? A fast-paced drama about friends and priorities for 5th-6th grade preteen.

Teen Girls

Upper Class, Ariella Schiller - For years, Naomi’s been dreading 11th grade, the year she’ll have her mother as mechaneches. When 11th grade comes around, everything’s falling apart. Her long-time friends are suddenly strangers, her sister can’t face the problem in front of her, and her distant camp friend is falling fast. Her friends all lean on her mother - but Naomi has no one. Ariella Schiller’s signature angst pulls you into a world of challenge, triumph, and laughter, as peels back layers of high school woes to reveal the struggle and growth beneath them. Grades 7-11
Suspicion, Ruthie Pearlman - #10 of the fantastically popular Yael Reed series leaves Yael and her legendary mysteries behind and follows Meira and Simmy Sommers deep into an Israeli-thriller adventure. Carrying their harrowing trauma from Infiltrator, Meira and Simmy are on guard. But while their vigilance leads them to mishaps and dead-ends, a web for revenge is getting closer. A heart-racing and chilling teen thriller featuring harrowing events eerily reminiscent of today’s news. Grades 7-11. [Best read after Infiltrator]
Handle with Care, Dassy Aarons - With Rina’s twin in the hospital and closest friends left behind, managing a brand new social life alongside regular hospital visits feels impossible. When emergency strikes and Rina tries to stay updated, she runs afoul of a teacher out to get her, and her part in Production, her one lifeline, hangs in the balance. A resonant and compelling drama about balance, loneliness, and impossible situations that will feel familiar to all girls juggling school, friends, and family. Grades 7-11
Chasing Dreams, Devorah Berlin - When reality, fantasy, and imagination become one, can a determined girl make a difference? Country bumpkin Tehilla wakes up in a world of glitz, glamour, and sadness, and can’t find her way back to her wholesome and healthy home. She’s sure it’s all a nightmare, but as old and new come together, she finds the change and hope she can bring to the grieving family that’s now her own. A unique and fascinating novel about a pretend illness and real emotion for girls in grades 7-9.
Teens Talk, Sarah Massry - A collection of heartwarming and candid personal stories about the ups and downs of teenage life. Delving into the smallest nuances of family, friends, and school and into grand questions about who we are and where we’re going, teens in grades 7-9 will find a mirror to their challenges and inspiration toward their potential.

Also released for teens: Listening In by Devorah Grant - relatable short stories about challenge and growth • Short but Lived by Mindy Blumenthal - the uplifting and heartbreaking true story of a teen facing a too-short life • The Greener Path by Sarah Malovitzsky - a compelling drama about identity and change

Contemporary Fiction

Today, Shuli Mensh - Frum drama takes a chill pill in this understated and easy novel about a battle-scarred family. Their father put his lifestyle ahead of his family. Now his children are turning their backs on his ambition - but it may be too late to clear their name. Whether a frozen dating life, fears of insanity, questioned dreams, or regretted pranks, the Fishers put one step ahead of another and tap into the growth that life has to offer. Light on plot, Today is heavy on rich description that absorbs you into the everyday lives of intriguing characters and takes you along for the ups and downs.
Fault Lines, Rachel Newton - A colorful and wide-ranging short story collection about the pasts that shape us and the colored lenses we see the world through. Layered and nuanced stories bring vibrant life and depth to unique characters and settings on the edge of society, shifting from casual banter to impossible choices and from fiery drama to teasing mystery. Behind personalities and perspectives you’ve never encountered lie the complex emotion and experiences that will feel oh-so familiar.
[Read our conversation with Rachel Newton here.]
The Stars are Fire, Rachel Berger - A raw and humorous novel from the author of All Fall Down. Miri left her charming ex-husband for good reason, but as she tries to pick up the pieces, the world wonders. A futile custody battle, shadowy dating prospects, and her children’s loyalties slip away as she loses the reins to her life. Meanwhile, the family business is facing bankruptcy and someone with inside knowledge is leaking to their competitors - but their aging father can’t know the truth about his enterprise. The fast-paced drama combines mystery, banter, and tears for a fun and suspenseful read that doesn’t take itself seriously.
I Lift My Eyes, Libby Klein - The fourth in the If Only series returns to a world of parents, children, husbands, and wives - dozens of vivid characters crisscrossing as they fumble through life’s grey areas and grapple with the deep emotions that fans of Libby Klein have come to love. After a shocking attack upends lives and dreams, nothing will ever be the same. For Shulem, whose repressed identity has sent him down a path of no return. For Ari, living a lie to protect his wife. For Sheiny, pretending nothing’s changed to reconnect with her grieving family. And so many more. A slow-paced read exploring sensitive topics and messy feelings. [Can be read alone.]
No One’s Child, Tamar Mor - Decades ago, a tragic mistake led to a midnight escape and a broken family. Now, Reuven has no identity, just hazy nightmares of a Peruvian killing squad and a childhood alone in the forest. As clues to his true family finally surface, can he face a past mired in tragedy and mistakes? His wife Rachelli is most comfortable in the shadows. When a dreadful job and needy coworker rupture her comfort zone, camaraderie and answers wait just beyond her grasp. A compelling and human saga from the author of Formerly My Sister. [Part 1 of 2, can be read alone.]

Also released: Two O’Clock Totty, Rachel Schorr - a slow-paced drama from the unique perspective of a perceptive child making sense of the dizzying and changing world around him

Historical Fiction

Within My Walls, Leah Gebber - When a weary post-Inquisition generation can finally plant roots, the trauma and memories of impossible choices make their mark. Bilhah seeks protection in the Imperial Palace of Hurrem Sultan; when her newfound safety closes in, she rushes headlong into the terror that sent her away from home. Eliyahu finds memories in the silence of an isolated cave he calls home. Leonora is reshaping the holy city of Tzfat to prepare for Mashiach, but beneath the powerful demeanor is a young girl desperate to redeem her burdened soul. Leonora’s web of plans draft the Ottoman Empire’s vast resources to work for the wall. And when the wall and its conspiracies bring them all together, the fresh destruction reveals sunlight between the cracks. Within My Walls is layered with evocative plot and emotional turmoil, with graceful sentences unveiling the vivid detail that forces you to absorb and be absorbed by an era you’ve never thought about.
[Read more about Within My Walls here, and a conversation with Leah Gebber here.]

Also released: Never Lost by Carol Hagler - a dual-timeline family saga about choices and faith in an age of assimilation

Mystery and Thrillers

The Final Battle, M. Kenan - The long-awaited conclusion brings relief to the war-weary Jews of Khazar. Enemies plot to end years of division, but as their cunning plans near a showdown, they become dangerously intertwined. Weaving dozens of characters and storylines, The Final Battle features familiar heroes like Istrak, Mehallalel, and Yuzbad, but only the intriguing new characters can protect New Khazar on the edge. Pedahel sets out for exile seeking justice, until he learns of the gray area behind the story he’s been told. In the Sultan’s palace, Dizar wrestles with the horrific price of his family’s life. And Tarnal flounders, oblivious to his magical abilities that can untangle a web of distrust. Through slowly building suspense, complex characters confront their pasts, unearthing their true loyalties in a world where everyone is suspect and nothing is unexpected.
[Go behind the scenes into the translation in our conversation with Libby Lazewnik here.]
The Polygon, Yonah Sapir - Agent for Hire’s action meets the twists of M. Kenan’s Wildlands in an intriguing WWII spy novel that unravels layers of intrigue to reveal unexpected heroes. Governments around the world are held hostage by a nameless actor threatening countless lives. He’s an all-capable chameleon, but whose side is he on? The elite British task force on the Polygon’s trail is running against the clock as the Germans near and their costly search goes in circles. Meanwhile, an orphaned Warsaw family disagrees bitterly on a path to survival, and a desperate father will do anything to save his children - and his people. The Axis and Allies may be two sides, but evil and good aren’t so easily divided.
Seven Blessings and a Murder, Barbara Bensoussan - From the author of Pride and Preference, a colorful and enthralling whodunit full of tension and laughter. Sheltered Dalia is off to celebrate her wayward brother-in-law’s wedding in Israel, weary about his flamboyant bride and the life they’re about to lead. Her eclectic Syrian and Moroccan families are entangled, messy, and a delightful window into a vibrant culture. When sudden death strikes, fingers point in all directions–until the next shocking death throws out all the easy answers. It will take a deep disentanglement of generations of history, scandal, and secrets to uncover the true story, but there’s no going back. [The book is self-published and available on Amazon only. Details and language are more explicit than the usual standard.]
Driving Force, Yair Weinstock - A grieving widower is no match for the malicious web of corruption rotting within his community. An innocent hit-and-run killed his wife and a small financial mistake threatens his family’s inheritance. But as he’s pulled deeper toward lingering suspicions, searching for justice and answers, he’s drawn into a plot far more complex and dangerous than he’s prepared for. The action and violence turn inward as a slow build-up comes together into an elaborately woven plot.

Non-Fiction

One Good Turn, C.B. Weinfeld - snippets of intriguing and uplifting moments from a master storyteller
Story of Our Lives, compiled by Sarah Shapiro - An anthology of essays, vignettes, and poems weaving a tapestry across decades and around the world. From holocaust memories to October 7th reflections and the everyday moments in between, the writing—humorous, atmospheric, and thought-provoking—explores our shared human experience while offering beautiful language that lingers in the mind.
Feathers in the Wind, Raizy Shapiro - Familiar scenes meet sharp insight, creating short and approachable ideas about positive speech and intentional relationships

Biography and Memoir

Because He Cared, Rabbi Yechiel Spero - the life of Rabbi Moshe Nueman, from German childhood to beloved Queens mechanech
In Spite of It All, translated by Riva Pomerantz - A gripping and moving memoir about the faith, miracles, and strength within the darkness of the holocaust and the courageous renewal in its aftermath. The story sweeps across Europe, from a tense childhood in Austria, desperate escape to Belgium and France, internment in Auschwitz, and dramatic rebuilding in divided Vienna. A novel-like read combined with detailed historical footnotes and documentation. [Translated]
[Read our latest conversation with Riva Pomerantz here.]
The Minsker Gadol, translated by Rabbi Shlomo Slonim - The story of a unique gadol whose mind and life shaped his generation. Reproduced from an unpublished manuscript first written at the turn of the 20th century.
The Rogatchover, Yair Boruchav