When Zipporah’s mother tells her that Rabbi Dan has agreed to let Zippy (white) have a bat mitzvah ceremony, Zippy is bewildered and dismayed. In her mind, her sporadic (at best) synagogue attendance and lack of Hebrew school education make her only a “part-time Jew.” She feels more in tune with her practice of witchcraft. Her best friend, Bea, used to love playing Witches with Zippy, but lately Bea has been hanging with the popular crowd instead. When Zippy channels her frustration and loneliness into the incantation of a Hebrew phrase, she summons—to her utter surprise—an ethereal, winged girl whom she calls Miriam. Zippy is nourished by this new friendship, while Miriam gains strength from sparks of energy drawn from Zippy’s touch. Seeking to understand her own magic—her connection with Miriam gives her remarkable Hebrew abilities—as well as the context of a phrase about sorceresses in her Torah portion, Zippy speaks with Rabbi Dan, who gives her a book on Jewish demons and other creatures. While Zippy’s journey reaches a conclusion that is decidedly on her own terms, and Miriam’s story finds resolution, Zippy must first navigate an emotional labyrinth: her desire to help Miriam, sadness over losing Bea, deep annoyance with her parents, and confusion over her entwined beliefs in Judaism and witchcraft. All of this is chronicled in Zippy’s self-possessed voice as the novel’s narrator and scribe. (Ages 9-12)

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.