It's a Whole Spiel

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By Katherine Locke & Laura Silverman &

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Publisher Description

Includes a special introduction by Mayim Bialik, star of The Big Bang Theory and author of the #1 bestseller Girling Up!

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.

19 Reviews

3.5

Brandee Dolgin

Created 10 months ago

“This was a great collection of stories. No matter how Jewish you are or where you think you fit in, there will be at least one story for you. Absolutely loved it!! Some stories were a little long and others I wished had gone longer. I really enjoyed the story by Dahlia Adler since I had a similar experience when I started college. The story by Rachel Lynn Solomon hit so close to home. After living through an earthquake, I could actually feel the story as it progressed but I didn't foresee the ending so I was pleasantly surprised :) I really enjoyed that there were some LGBT characters. It's okay to be gay and Jewish and I think there will be readers out there who relate to those specific stories as well!”

Chelle Pandora Rose

Created about 1 year ago

Miriam

Created over 1 year ago

sebastianponsa

Created almost 2 years ago

Rachel Miller

Created over 2 years ago

“This is the kind of book that I wish I had when I was younger. Full of own-voices Jewish representation, these stories run the gambit from hilarious to serious, young teens to young adults, Orthodox to Jewish only by heritage. There is truly a story in here for every Jewish person to identify with, and I think it would also be a great educational read for those who want to learn a little more about Jewish life.⁣ ⁣ I loved how many different perspectives on Judaism we got in this anthology. Something that resonated throughout all of the stories was *how* Jewish someone felt they were, either too Jewish, or not Jewish enough. At times in my life I’ve certainly felt that I was not Jewish enough, but this opened my eyes to people on the other side of that line. When surrounded by Conservative or Orthodox Jews, I’ve often felt inferior, and been so blinded by my own insecurities and lack of knowledge that I never really considered how they might feel too Jewish around me. There were stories in here that explored both perspectives, and I found it incredible eye-opening.⁣ ⁣ I also loved the other kinds of representation that were featured in here. We got to see LGBTQ+ Jewish couples, and Jewish teens exploring their sexuality. Those stories were especially heartwarming, and I really appreciated that they didn’t focus on discrimination or bigotry, but were just joyful explorations of young people in love. I also really appreciated that there was a story that centered around a Mexican Jewish boy on a gap-year trip before college. Jewish characters are often incredibly white, and I think it’s really important to remember that there are sects of is Jewish people spread out across the globe. I love the way his story melded Jewish and Mexican culture.⁣ ⁣ There were so many stories in here that felt relatable for me. Stories of Jews on Birthright, and at summer camp, and on high holy days. This meant the world to me, and I truly believe that there is a story for everyone in here. I so appreciated what this book had to say, and I highly recommend it! ✡️⁣ ⁣ TW: mental health, near death experience, eating disorder”

About Katherine Locke

Katherine Locke lives and writes in a very small town outside of Philadelphia, where she's ruled by her feline overlords and her addiction to chai lattes. She writes about that which she cannot do: ballet, time travel, and magic. When she's not writing, she's probably tweeting. She not so secretly believes most stories are fairy tales in disguise. Her YA debut, The Girl with the Red Balloon, was a Sydney Taylor Honor Book. You can find Katherine online at @Bibliogato on Twitter and KatherineLockeBooks.com.

Laura Silverman received her MFA in writing for children from the New School. She is the author of Girl Out of Water and You Asked for Perfect. She currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, and spends a lot of time on the floor petting dogs. You can say hello on Twitter at @LJSilverman1 or through her website, LauraSilvermanWrites.com.