Synopses & Reviews
Isaac's parents have abandoned him for a trip to Italy in the final days before his bar mitzvah. And even worse, his hotheaded older brother, Josh, has been left in charge. An undefeated wrestler, MMA fighter, and bar brawler, Josh claims to be a "Son of the 613"—a man obedient to the six hundred and thirteen commandments in the Tanakh—and he has the tattoo to prove it. When Josh declares that there is more to becoming a man than memorization, the mad "quest" begins for Isaac. From jumping off cliffs and riding motorcycles, to standing-up to school bullies and surviving the potentially fatal Final Challenge, Josh puts Isaac through a punishing gauntlet that only an older brother could dream up. But when Isaac begins to fall for Josh's girlfriend, Leslie, the challenges escalate from bad to worse in this uproarious coming-of-age comedy.
Review
"This is a book every bar-mitzvah boy will want to steal . . . Everyone should read it the moment he becomes a man."
—Kirkus, starred review
"Rubens creates a funny, frank portrayal of adolescent humiliation and the trouble with older brothers."
—Publishers Weekly
"Rubens neatly gets inside Isaac's head, and although there's something to offend almost everyone here, there's also plenty to think—and laugh—about as well."
—Booklist
"Rubens captures the nerdy geekiness of middle-school-aged boys in short and snappy, cleverly formatted chapters rich with sarcasm, humor, and pathos."
—School Library Journal
Synopsis
13 Things to Know About
131. This book is about a guy named Evan.
2. Three months before his 13th birthday, he has to move from New York City 3. to Appleton, Indiana,
4. where nobody knows him.
5. He's not very happy about it.
6. His mom is kind of nuts.
7. His dad is kind of nuts too.
8. Evan's not nuts, but he keeps ending up in nutty situations.
9. One of them involves a movie called The Bloodmaster.
10. Another involves a girl named Patrice.
11. But the nuttiest situation of all is his bar mitzvah
12. which it's possible no one will come to.
13. Unless Evan can make some new friends really fast.
Synopsis
The novel based on the groundbreaking musical by Jason Robert Brown and Dan Elish, 13, a story about friendship, fitting in, and what it means to turn thirteen. Soon to be a movie-musical streaming on Netflix
"No one said becoming a man was easy.
Evan didn't expect relevant life advice from Rabbi Weiner, who looks so old that he must have gone to yeshiva with Moses. But wondering what it means to become a man is the least of Evan's problems.
After being uprooted right before his thirteen birthday from New York City to Appleton, Indiana, he's more focused on using this fresh start to find the right friends to invite to his bar mitzvah. Because this is his chance to get in with the popular kids--the cool football players and pretty cheerleaders.
But it's the weird kids who welcome him, like his nerdy neighbor Patrice and Archie, whose crutches and muscular dystrophy make him an easy target for bullying. Evan doesn't want to be laughed at for being different. He can pretend to be like the cool kids; he's sure he can.
But if you spend all your time pretending to be someone else, who do you become?
In this story of acceptance and friendship, Evan prepares for his bar mitzvah, grapples with his father's affair, and learns from his rabbi, all the while presented with various images of what it means to be a man. While he struggles to fit in with the popular boys at school, he eventually learns that being cool is not as important as being a good friend--and a good person.
With relatable humor and accessible language, and at a consumable length, this book is perfect for all tweens and especially boys looking for a relatable read.
Netflix has announced an adaptation of the Broadway musical that inspired 13: A Novel. Jason Robert Brown will be returning to compose new music for the show, and the cast includes Rhea Perlman, Josh Peck, Debra Messing, and Peter Hermann.
Synopsis
13 Things to Know About 13
1. This book is about a guy named Evan.
2. Three months before his 13th birthday, he has to move from New York City 3. to Appleton, Indiana,
4. where nobody knows him.
5. He's not very happy about it.
6. His mom is kind of nuts.
7. His dad is kind of nuts too.
8. Evan's not nuts, but he keeps ending up in nutty situations.
9. One of them involves a movie called The Bloodmaster.
10. Another involves a girl named Patrice.
11. But the nuttiest situation of all is his bar mitzvah--
12. which it's possible no one will come to.
13. Unless Evan can make some new friends really fast.
Synopsis
Isaac is preparing for his bar mitzvah when his older brother Josh, a self-proclaimed "Super Jew" and undefeated wrestler, forces him into a quest to become a man: shooting a gun, riding a motorcycle, playing pool, and falling in love...and that's just the beginning.
About the Author
MICHAEL RUBENS was a producer for several years for the award-winning Daily Show with Jon Stewart, writing and directing field pieces with Stephen Colbert, Rob Corddry, Samantha Bee, Ed Helms and other Daily Show correspondents. In addition to his work with the Daily Show, Michael has also been a host, writer, and producer of several programs on the Travel Channel, including Eclipse Chasers: Ghana and Drew Careys Sporting Adventures: World Cup. Michael has also written and produced for CNN, Oxygen and other networks. He has appeared as a guest commentator on VH1s infamous celebrity-bashing programs. His first novel, The Sheriff of Yrnameer, was published last year. This is his first book for young adults. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.