Mazel Tov! Some New & Upcoming Bar/Bat/Bnei Mitzvah Middle Grade Books, a guest post by Joshua S. Levy

It’s not entirely clear when the bar mitzvah began. Parties; the inclusion of women in the ritual via the bat mitzvah; even the ceremonial reading from the Torah scroll…all of that is of fairly recent vintage. But the core of this Jewish tradition—that at 13, or maybe 12, a child has reached a new and important level of maturity—that bit is old. Very old.

As is the tradition of telling stories about it.

One of the most ancient Jewish texts to mention the bar mitzvah comes from a collection of tales called Midrash, these written down well over a thousand years ago. Among the many (often mysterious) stories is a little one that goes something like this:

There were once two twin brothers that at first were like two plants, growing side by side: soft myrtle and a bush of wild roses. But as they got older, one was good for its nice smell, but the other, only for its thorns. And by the time they reached thirteen years old, one went to school, but the other refused. And so, parents are responsible for their children until thirteen, and from then on say: “Thank goodness they’re not my job anymore.”

I’m not quite sure if, today, parents can write off their kids at thirteen, but the heart of this tradition—along with stories about it—is still going strong.

In my upcoming book (out on May 14, 2024, from HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books), Finn and Ezra’s Bar Mitzvah Time Loop, I get to play in these traditions. Two kids are reliving their (not great) bar mitzvah weekends over and over, trapped in a kind of Groundhog Day situation. They just want to get past it, just want to grow up. And now they’re both stuck. Friday. Saturday. Sunday. No way out. Until they meet and realize they’re not alone.

It’s a fun book: One I hope gets kids turning pages and laughing. But, for me, it’s also an important book: One I hope gets kids thinking about how bittersweet it can be to grow up, and how important it is to appreciate what we have before it’s gone.

The bar and bat mitzvah—or, to use the modern gender-neutral term, bnei mitzvah—occurs at such a perfect, middle gradey moment. And new stories grounded in bnei mitzvah are being told all the time. Along with mine, here are just a few recent (and upcoming) examples:

The Witch of Woodland by Laurel Snyder (ISBN-13: 9780062836656; Publisher: HarperCollins/Walden Pond Press; Publication date: 05/16/2023)

A young girl preparing for her bat mitzvah discovers she has mysterious abilities in this magical contemporary coming-of-age story from the beloved author of Orphan Island.

Hi, whoever is reading this. I’m Zipporah Chava McConnell, but everyone calls me Zippy.

Things used to be simple—until a few weeks ago. Now my best friend, Bea, is acting funny; everyone at school thinks I’m weird; and my mom is making me start preparing for my bat mitzvah, even though we barely ever go to synagogue. In fact, the only thing that still seems to make sense is magic.

See, the thing is, I’m a witch. I’ve been casting spells since I was little. And even if no one else wants to believe in magic anymore, it’s always made sense to me, always felt true. But I was still shocked the day I found a strange red book at the library and somehow . . . I conjured something. A girl, actually. A beautiful girl with no memory, and wings like an angel. You probably don’t believe me, but I swear it’s the truth.

Miriam is like no one else I’ve ever met. She’s proof that magic is real. And, it’s hard to explain this part, but I just know that we’re connected. That means it’s up to me to help Miriam figure out what she is and where she came from. If I can do that, maybe everything else in my life will start to make sense too.

Anyway, it’s worth a try.

Shira & Esther’s Double Dream Debut by Anna E. Jordan (ISBN-13: 9781797215655; Publisher: Chronicle Books; Publication date: 10/10/2023)

The switcheroo fun of The Parent Trap meets the showbiz spirit of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel in this timeless coming-of-age story about family, friendship, and following your dreams.

When Shira and Esther first meet, they can hardly believe their eyes. It’s like looking in a mirror! But even though they may look identical, the two girls couldn’t be more different. Shira dreams of singing and dancing onstage, but her father, a stern and pious rabbi, thinks Shira should be reading prayers, not plays. Esther dreams of studying Torah, but her mother, a glamorous stage performer, wishes Esther would spend more time rehearsing and less time sneaking off to read books. Oy vey! If only the two could switch places . . .

Would Shira shine in a big-time televised talent show? Would Esther’s bat mitzvah go off without a hitch? What’s a little deception, when it means your dreams might finally be within reach? One thing is certain: Shira and Esther are going to need more than a little chutzpah to pull this off. But if they do, their double dream debut is sure to be the performance of a lifetime.

Benji Zeb is a Ravenous Werewolf by Deke Moulton (ISBN-13: 9781774880524; Publisher: Penguin Random House/Tundra Books; Publication date: 07/02/2024)

Benji Zeb has to balance preparing for his bar mitzvah, his feelings for a school bully, and being a werewolf in this heartfelt, coming-of-age novel for middle-grade readers. For fans of Don’t Want to Be Your Monster and Too Bright to See.

Benji Zeb has a lot going on. He has a lot of studying to do, not only for school but also for his upcoming bar mitzvah. He’s nervous about Mr. Rutherford, the aggressive local rancher who hates Benji’s family’s kibbutz and wolf sanctuary. And he hasn’t figured out what to do about Caleb, Mr. Rutherford’s stepson, who has been bullying Benji pretty hard at school, despite Benji wanting to be friends (and maybe something more). And all of this is made more complicated by the fact that, secretly, Benji and his entire family are werewolves who are using the wolf sanctuary as cover for their true identities! 

Things come to a head when Caleb shows up at the kibbutz one night . . . in wolf form! He’s a werewolf too, unable to control his shifting, and he needs Benji’s help. Can anxious Benji juggle all of these things along with his growing feelings toward Caleb?

It’s extraordinary (or maybe it’s entirely obvious) just how many different types of stories can be told around one coming of age tradition. It is tough to be twelve and thirteen (and the pressure of being bnei mitzvah often doesn’t help). I think I’m still reeling from it in some ways. Guess I’ll just have to keep writing middle grade stories until I work it all out.

In the meantime, please enjoy this incredibly awkward late ‘90s be-hatted bar mitzvah photo of myself that I present to your Internet-wide readership for all to enjoy.

Thanks for having me!

Meet the author

Joshua S. Levy is the author of several middle grade novels, including Seventh Grade vs. the Galaxy (and its sequels), and The Jake Show, a recent Sydney Taylor Honoree. He is also co-editor of (and contributor to) the middle grade short story Passover anthology, On All Other Nights. Finn and Ezra’s Bar Mitzvah Time Loop is his next middle grade novel, out from HarperCollins on May 14, 2024. Josh lives with his wife and children in New Jersey. Visit him online at www.joshuasimonlevy.com or on Twitter (@JoshuaSLevy) and Instagram (@JoshuaSLevy).

About Finn and Ezra’s Bar Mitzvah Time Loop

Finn and Ezra’s bar mitzvah weekend takes on a Groundhog Day twist in this hilarious and magical middle grade novel from Joshua S. Levy.

Finn and Ezra don’t have a lot in common—except, of course, that they’re trapped in a bar mitzvah time loop, reliving their celebrations in the same New Jersey hotel over and over and over again. Not ideal, particularly when both kids were ready for their bar mitzvahs to end the moment they began. Ezra comes from a big family—four siblings, all seeming to get more attention than him, even on his bar mitzvah weekend. Finn is an only child who’s tired of his parents’ constant focus, even worse on his bar mitzvah weekend. They just want to get past it, just want to grow up. And now they’re both stuck. Friday. Saturday. Sunday. No way out.

Until Finn and Ezra meet and realize they’re not alone.

Teaming up, they try everything they can think of to break the loop. But nothing works, and after every reset, the boys’ schemes become more desperate. As their frustrations build, the questions mount and real-life problems start to seep through the cracks. With all the time in the world, can Finn and Ezra ever figure out how to move forward? 

ISBN-13: 9780063248243
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: 05/14/2024
Age Range: 8 – 12 Years

Filed under: Guest Post