Here's a tender, poignant and often hilarious coming-of-age story about Larry, a short, Jewish 13-year-old who moves to a new city and endures the crises we all endure when we're 13: the dreaded school bus, a serious crush, bullying, a formidable sibling, family financial stress, learning to discern true friends from superficial friends, and ultimately, making choices about the kind of person we want to be. Aaron Levy captures with amazing mastery the confidence crises and vulnerability we all feel as we enter our teens by delivering meaningful and vivid storytelling and by bringing us vibrant characters who make us feel and think -- characters we emotionally invest in. This book is a must-read Young Adult novel -- perfect and resonant for middle schoolers and for classroom fiction studies. One of my favorite books EVER. I believe Aaron Levy is a future heavy-hitter in YA fiction and put this book alongside those by other YA greats like Lauren Myracle, John Green and Sherman Alexie. (Full disclosure: I proofread this novel and was a beta reader. As a professional editor, I read a lot of great -- and awful -- stuff. When I say this is one of my favorite books EVER, I am being objective and unbiased. It's simply a wonderful and moving work of fiction!)