The Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman by Mari Lowe

SHAINDY is a twelve-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl who struggles in school
and has no good friends. She watches with envy as her next-door neighbor,
GAYIL, excels socially and academically. They have little to do with each
other, and it comes as a surprise when Shaindy looks out her window one
September evening and sees Gayil staring out at her from her own window
with a sign reading want to know a secret?
The secret (at first) is that Gayil has a key fob that will allow them to break into
their school after hours. Together, they set up a harmless prank in their
classroom. But under Gayil's instigation the mischief becomes malice, and
Shaindy sees that the pranks and humiliations are targeted only at certain
girls. But what could they have in common? With the fear of Gayil's fury and
her own reluctance growing, Shaindy comes to the terrifying conclusion that if
she can't figure out how tostop it, the next target could be her.
One of our editors commented: This was like an eleven year old version of
Mean Girls with the psychological thrill of Jennifer's Body. Think Heathers, but
Veronica and JD are in the sixth grade (and no one dies, because this is
middle grade). Yom Kippur functions both as the countdown that looms on the
horizon of the story, and also a potential moment of healing for the girls at the
end.

Mari Lowe has too little free time and spends it all on writing and escape
rooms. As the daughter of a rabbi and a middle school teacher at an Orthodox
Jewish school, she looks forward to sharing little glimpses into her community
with her books. She lives in New York with her family, menagerie of pets, and
robotic vacuum.

Levine Querido
On Sale: Nov 7/23
5.5 x 8.25 • 176 pages
9781646142644 • $28.99 • CL - HC - Hardcover
Juvenile Fiction / Social / Friendship • Ages 8-12 years