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Yasha's Amazin' Bar Mitzvah
  • Published: 15 April 2026
  • ISBN: 9780593659465
  • Imprint: Penguin Workshop
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 240
  • RRP: $38.00

Yasha's Amazin' Bar Mitzvah

  • Margaret Gurevich
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A Russian American boy searches for his identity, true friends, and above all, tickets to see the Mets win the World Series in this heartfelt novel from Margaret Gurevich.

A Russian American boy searches for his identity, true friends, and above all, tickets to see the Mets win the World Series in this heartfelt novel from Margaret Gurevich.

It's 1986, and thirteen-year-old Yasha Reznik doesn’t understand why his parents moved them all from his Russian community of Brighton Beach to the suburbia of Rockwood, New Jersey. Sure, it may be their “American Dream,” but it’s not his. Yasha’s dream is to make it through his Bar Mitzvah, watch the New York Mets make it to the playoffs, and fit in at his new school.

But fitting in may be harder than he thinks, when he’s one of only two Russian families in town and all the kids he meets keep calling him Drago (thanks Rocky movies), even after he starts going by “Jake” instead of “Yasha.” The only person who seems to really get him is Bernie, his pal from the senior citizen home where Yasha is doing community service for his Bar Mitzvah project.

Then Bernie says his dream is also to see the Mets win the World Series. And Yasha may not know his Torah portion yet, or why he feels alone even with his new “friends,” but he does know one thing: somehow, someway, he’s going to get those tickets.
  • Published: 15 April 2026
  • ISBN: 9780593659465
  • Imprint: Penguin Workshop
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 240
  • RRP: $38.00
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Praise for Yasha's Amazin' Bar Mitzvah

"A loving, carefully delineated portrayal of growth."—Kirkus

“Yasha’s Amazin’ Bar Mitzvah is a tender, humorous, and heartfelt story about navigating the ups and downs of middle school friendship and learning how to be yourself. Readers will want to stay with Yasha long after the last page. A must-read for baseball fans and non-athletes alike.”—Anne Blankman, National Jewish Book Award winner

“Heartfelt and true to the challenges of being the new kid in town, Yasha’s Amazin’ Bar Mitzvah serves as a reminder that you don’t have to abandon your old roots to grow new ones. Readers will root as hard for Yasha as he roots for the Mets.”—Joshua S. Levy, National Jewish Book Award–winning author of Finn and Ezra’s Bar Mitzvah Time Loop

Praise for AIN'T IT FUNNY:

“A novel that made me laugh, then cry, and stayed with me long after I finished reading.”—Stacy McAnulty, author of The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl

“Maya’s genuine and hopeful spirit captivated me from the start! I rooted for her as she skillfully navigated the humorous challenges of working in her grandmother’s Russian store, negotiated growing family and school anxieties, and geared up for her debut as a stand-up comedian. Ain’t It Funny is a story that’s wholly original, bighearted, and empowering—just like Maya herself.”—Jennifer Richard Jacobson, author of Small as an Elephant and Paper Things

"Themes of bullying, friendship difficulties, and mental health support are handled with sensitivity and authenticity. Budding comedians will also enjoy the humor and the useful sections that explain the process of creating a joke, along with tips for performing stand-up routines… A culturally textured, heartfelt story of dislocation and growth."—Kirkus Reviews

"Beyond mental health representation, Gurevich imbues the narrative with Russian Jewish heritage by featuring some traditional Russian dishes, Chanukah, and Russian cultural beliefs, such as adhering firmly to reserved displays of emotions. Gurevich has created an earnest but nervous protagonist in Maya, reflective of anxious adolescents today."—Booklist