Admired for being smart and “nice,” the girls in Shaindy Goodman’s sixth-grade class at Bais Yaakov Orthodox Jewish day school don’t bully Shaindy outright, but neither do they befriend or include her. She may as well be invisible. So when her popular neighbor, Gayil, invites Shaindy to join her in pulling pranks on their classmates, Shaindy is thrilled to have Gayil’s attention. But the High Holidays—a time to make amends—are approaching, and the not-so-harmless pranks soon make Shaindy uneasy, especially as their classmates and teacher grow increasingly upset and eager to catch the perpetrator. By the time Shaindy realizes that there’s a pattern to the pranks (all the victims shared a bunk with Gayil and Shaindy at summer camp), it’s too late: Shaindy herself is the final target on Gayil’s list and Gayil frames her for all of their wrongdoing. Suspended from school, enraged, and ostracized by her classmates, Shaindy seeks an explanation for Gayil’s manipulative, vengeful behavior. What she learns makes her reevaluate her own role in a traumatic event that occurred at summer camp. Both girls have done wrong. As Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, comes around, Shaindy learns that moving forward will require a lot from everyone: a willingness to apologize, to forgive, and to extend hands in tentative friendship. (Ages 9-12)

SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD WINNER
NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD WINNER

Kirkus Top 10 Middle Grade for Fall ‘23

SHAINDY is a twelve-year-old Orthodox Jewish girl who struggles in school and has no good friends. She watches with envy as her next-door neighbor, GAYIL, excels socially and academically. They have little to do with each other, and it comes as a surprise when Shaindy looks out her window one September evening and sees Gayil staring out at her from her own window with a sign reading want to know a secret?

The secret (at first) is that Gayil has a key fob that will allow them to break into their school after hours. Together, they set up a harmless prank in their classroom. But under Gayil’s instigation the mischief becomes malice, and Shaindy sees that the pranks and humiliations are targeted only at certain girls. But what could they have in common? With the fear of Gayil’s fury and her own reluctance growing, Shaindy comes to the terrifying conclusion that if she can’t figure out how to stop it, the next target could be her.

P R A I S E

★ “Absorbing and principled… Lowe wastes not a word in crafting this taut and emotionally roiled exploration of culpability and forgiveness. Gayil is right–‘sixth grade is hard’–and Shaindy's vulnerability will likely resonate deeply with readers who share Shaindy's longing for acceptance.”
—Shelf-Awareness (starred)

★ “[An] introspective novel full of perceptive emotional observations.”
—Horn Book (starred)

“Pitch-perfect… The struggle between trying to fit in and keeping true to yourself will resonate with all tweens.”
—School Library Journal

“This thoughtful middle grade novel explores the complexity of middle school friendships, bullying, and what it means to make amends and have a fresh start.”
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“An enormously rewarding meditation on friendship, fairness, and forgiveness.”
—Booklist

“A nuanced exploration of the intricacies of friendship… Engrossing and deeply relatable.”
—Kirkus