I'm honored and delighted to be a part of It's a Whole Spiel, a YA fiction #ownvoices anthology of Jewish stories by Jewish writers, out now from Knopf.

My story is entitled “Jewbacca.” It mainly takes place at a Hanukkah party, and it’s funny, honest, and awkward.

I’ve read all the other stories, and I can attest to how truly wonderful they are. This is a perfect gift for any Jewish teens in your life. Non-Jewish teens will appreciate it, too!

ORDER HERE

“This collection provides a refreshing opportunity for Jewish teens of many beliefs and backgrounds to see themselves—and for others to see them—in stories that are as much about entertainment as they are about Jewishness.” —The Horn Book

“The stories are vibrant and honest portrayals of contemporary teenage life…sincere and enlightening stories about achieving self-acceptance.” —Kirkus

“The voices throughout feel confiding, empathic, with just the right amount of self-deprecating humor…And throughout, the underlying assurance is that the world is largely benign or benevolent.”

—Publishers Weekly

Official description:

Get ready to fall in love, experience heartbreak, and discover the true meaning of identity in this poignant collection of short stories about Jewish teens, including entries by David Levithan, Nova Ren Suma, and more!

A Jewish boy falls in love with a fellow counselor at summer camp. A group of Jewish friends take the trip of a lifetime. A girl meets her new boyfriend's family over Shabbat dinner. Two best friends put their friendship to the test over the course of a Friday night. A Jewish girl feels pressure to date the only Jewish boy in her grade. Hilarious pranks and disaster ensue at a crush's Hanukkah party.

From stories of confronting their relationships with Judaism to rom-coms with a side of bagels and lox, It's a Whole Spiel features one story after another that says yes, we are Jewish, but we are also queer, and disabled, and creative, and political, and adventurous, and anything we want to be. You will fall in love with this insightful, funny, and romantic Jewish anthology from a collection of diverse Jewish authors.