Open Books Challenge 2026: By a Jewish AuthorUnpublished

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An award-winning writer reimagines the life of Jesus, from the points of view of four people closest to him before his death. This is the story of Yehoshuah, who wandered Roman-occupied Judea giving sermons and healing the sick. Now, a year after his death, four people tell...

Winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Named a best book of the year by the Boston Globe, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, SLJ, ALA Booklist, the Horn Book, and more Recipient of five starred reviews From Michael L. Printz honoree & National Book Award...

"The best fantasy novel I've read in years, because it's about real people... Impossible to put down." --Stephen King Enter a mesmerizing world of power, privilege, and dark magic among the Ivy League elite in the first book in the Alex Stern series. ...

An unforgettable coming-of-age novel following a young Cuban-Jewish immigrant girl in 1960s New York City who must overcome the sudden derailment of her American Dream. WINNER OF THE PURA BELPRE AWARD * A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST MIDDLE GRADE BOOK OF THE CENTURY "A...

From four stunning and accomplished French women--a charming bestseller about how to slip into your inner cool and be a Parisienne. In short, frisky sections, these Parisian women give you their very original views on style, beauty, culture, attitude and men. The authors--Anne...

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR TIME Magazine・NPR・Library Journal・The Globe and Mail・Lilith・Forward Magazine・Toronto Star・The New Yorker Winner of the Choix Goncourt Prize, Anne Berest...

For fifty years, Anna Schlemmer has refused to talk about her life in Germany during World War II. Her daughter, Trudy, was only three when she and her mother were liberated by an American soldier and went to live with him in Minnesota. Trudy's sole evidence of the past is an old photograph: a...

He knows a lot of big words, but he doesn't know where babies come from. He's never heard of a stork, but he plans to be a bird when he grows up. He's Superfudge, otherwise known as Farley Drexel Hatcher. And, according to his older brother Peter, the biggest pain ever invented. Among other things....

'The funniest book I've read in ages. Savage but compelling' Ian Rankin 'A fearless romp with big laughs along the way' Graham Norton 'Funny, rumbustious, unstinting and wonderfully Hogarthian' The Observer 'His relish is infectious' Times<...

Named a Best Book of the Year by Entertainment Weekly, Vogue, Time, Esquire, BookPage, and more This darkly hilarious and "delicious new novel that ravishes with sex and food" (The Boston Globe) from the acclaimed...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * NATIONAL BOOK AWARD LONGLIST * "A masterpiece" (NPR) about marriage, divorce, and the bewildering dynamics of ambition Now an Emmy Award-nominated FX limited series on Hulu, starring Claire Danes, Jesse Eisenberg, Lizzy Caplan, and...

A richly imagined new novel from the author of the New York Times bestseller, People of the Book. Once again, Geraldine Brooks takes a remarkable shard of history and brings it to vivid life. In 1665, a young man from Martha's Vineyard became the first Native...

The New York Times bestselling author of Tell Me Three Things and What to Say Next delivers a poignant and hopeful novel about resilience and reinvention, first love and lifelong friendship, the legacies of loss, and the stories we tell ourselves in order to survive.

Spunky, strong-willed eleven-year-old Mirka Herschberg isn't interested in knitting lessons from her stepmother, or how-to-find-a-husband advice from her sister, or you-better-not warnings from her brother. There's only one thing she does want: to fight dragons! Granted, no dragons...

New York Times bestseller An unforgettable novel about a young Jewish woman growing up in Boston in the early twentieth century, told "with humor and optimism...through the eyes of an irresistible heroine" (People)--from the acclaimed author of The Red Tent<...

A thrilling reimagining of the world of Charles Dickens, as seen through the eyes of the infamous Jacob Fagin, London's most gifted pickpocket, liar, and rogue. "Fagin the Thief takes one of literature's greatest rogues and gives him a soul, a backstory, and a spotlight....

The instantNew York Times bestselling memoir of a young Jewish woman's escape from a religious sect, in the tradition of Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Infidel and Carolyn Jessop's Escape. The Satmar sect of Hasidic Judaism is as mysterious as it is intriguing to outsiders. In...

The astonishing true story of a girl who survived the Holocaust thanks to Oskar Schindler, of Schindler's List fame. Rena Finder was only eleven when the Nazis forced her and her family -- along with all the other Jewish families -- into the ghetto in Krakow, Poland. Rena worked as...

One of the most moving and eloquent accounts of the Holocaust, read by tens of millions of people around the world since its publication in 1947, presented here in a fine hardcover edition. The Diary of a Young Girl is the record of two years in the life of a remarkable...

"It's an absolute must-read for every human being. Period." -Anna Chlumsky A book for finding purpose and strength in times of great despair, the international best-seller is still just as relevant today as when it was first published. "This is a book...

"[A] luminous, Marquez-esque tale." -O, The Oprah Magazine From the New York Times bestselling author of The Dovekeepers and The Museum of Extraordinary Things: a forbidden love story set on the tropical island of St. Thomas about the extraordinary woman who...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Inspired by the incredible true story of one Jewish family separated at the start of World War II, determined to survive--and to reunite--We Were the Lucky Ones is a tribute to the triumph of hope and love against all odds  <...

WINNER OF A NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD AUSA TODAY BESTSELLER An intellectual and emotional jigsaw puzzle of a novel for readers of A. S. Byatt'sPossessionand Geraldine Brooks'sPeople of the Book ...

CALDECOTT MEDAL WINNER * #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER * The magic and wonder of winter's first snowfall is perfectly captured in this classic seasonal picture book celebrated by generations of readers--a beautiful gift for the holiday season! New York Public Library's #1 book on the...

The award-winning author of modern classics such as Schindler's List and Napoleon's Last Island is at his triumphant best with this "engrossing and transporting" (Financial Times) novel about the adventures of Charles Dickens's son in the Australian Outback during the 1860s.<...

From award-winning author Eric A. Kimmel with gorgeous, brightly patterned illustrations from artist Mara Penny, Hank and Gertie brings a modern twist to the classic Hansel and Gretel folktale combined with the high-adventure landscape of the Oregon Trail. While taking a...

*A New York Times Notable Book of 2022* *A Washington Post Notable Work of Fiction* *An NPR Best Book of the Year* *A New Yorker Best Book of 2022* From the New York Times bestselling author of The...

Leo Gursky taps his radiator each evening to let his upstairs neighbor know he's still alive. But it wasn't always like this: in the Polish village of his youth, he fell in love and wrote a book. . . . Sixty years later and half a world away, fourteen-year-old Alma, who was named after a character...

New York Times bestseller! Terri Libenson returns with another endearing, relatable story of friendship and finding confidence. Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Jennifer L. Holm. Middle school is full of challenges. Everyone knows how...

The Giver, the 1994 Newbery Medal winner, has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the...

"An unflinchingly honest romance." --Kirkus, starred review From the author of THE MATZAH BALL and MR. PERFECT ON PAPER comes this hilarious and emotional rivals-to-lovers romance. Step 1: Get the secret recipe. Step 2: Don't fall in love......

From the author of the multi-million copy bestseller The Tattooist of Auschwitz comes a new novel based on a riveting true story of love and resilience. Her beauty saved her -- and condemned her. Cilka is just sixteen years old when she is taken to...

Set in the Allegheny Mountains of Appalachia, Take What You Need traces the parallel lives of Jean, and her beloved but estranged stepdaughter, Leah, who's sought a clean break from her rural childhood. In Leah's urban life with her young family, she's revealed little about Jean, how much she misses...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the author of Uprooted and Spinning Silver comes the first book of the Scholomance trilogy, the story of an unwilling dark sorceress who is destined to rewrite the rules of magic. FINALIST FOR THE LODESTAR AWARD * "The dark...

Julie Orringer's astonishing first novel, eagerly awaited since the publication of her heralded best-selling short-story collection, How to Breathe Underwater ("fiercely beautiful"--The New York Times; "unbelievably good"--Monica Ali), is a grand love story set against the backdrop of...

Though they've lived their entire lives less than five blocks from each other, Reuven Malter and Danny Saunders exist in very different worlds. Reuven blends easily into both his secular Jewish faith and his typical American teen life, while Danny's conservative Hasidic clothes and appearance make...

A New York Times Editors' Choice "[An] intelligent, funny, and remarkably assured first novel. . . . [Andrew Ridker establishes] himself as a big, promising talent. . . . Hilarious. . . . Astute and highly entertaining. . . . Outstanding." --The New York Times Book...

Beloved for more than 30 years, this award-winning classic from Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury celebrates the joys of an afternoon outdoors with family. We're going on a bear hunt. We're going to catch a big one. Will you come too? Join a father and his four...

A heartbreaking and uplifting story of family secrets and devastating disaster, set against a Paris backdrop, fraught with revelations and resolutions. "An absorbing tale of family secrets from the author of Sarah's Key." - People magazine "Hypnotic, passionate,...

American Pastoral is the story of a fortunate American's rise and fall - of a strong, confident master of social equilibrium overwhelmed by the forces of social disorder. Seymour "Swede" Levov - a legendary high school athlete, a devoted family man, a hard worker, the prosperous inheritor of his...

Maurice Sendak's Caldecott Medal-winning picture book has become one of the most highly acclaimed and best-loved children's books of all time. A must for every child's bookshelf. This iconic story has inspired a movie, an opera, and the imagination of generations. When Max dresses in his...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY MICHIKO KAKUTANI, THE NEW YORK TIMES * NAMED ONE OF THE TEN BEST NONFICTION BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY TIME NAMED ONE OF THE BEST...

After recovering from a life-changing injury, a teen girl must navigate a new job, an ex-best friend, and two surprisingly attractive coworkers in this "sweet, romantic summer tale" (Kirkus Reviews) for fans of Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian. Hannah used to be all about...

In the years since this publishing house was founded, we have worked with an array of wondrous authors who have brought illuminating clarity to our bewildering world. Now, instead, we bring you Lemony Snicket. Over the course of his long and suspicious career, Mr. Snicket has investigated...

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK AS FEATURED ON TODAY "This may be the most epic love story I've ever, ever read."--Jenna Bush Hager on TODAY An intimate and lyrical celebration of great love, great art, and the...

A New York Times bestseller! From the author of Today Tonight Tomorrow comes a magical, "emotionally savvy[,] and genuinely romantic" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) story in the vein of Groundhog Day about a girl forced to relive her disastrous...

The bestselling first installment of the graphic novel acclaimed as "the most affecting and successful narrative ever done about the Holocaust" (Wall Street Journal) and "the first masterpiece in comic book history" (The New Yorker) * PULITZER PRIZE WINNER * One of Variety's...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER * Named a Best Book of the Year by the New Yorker, NPR, Vogue, the Washington Post, Electric Lit, and more! A "dryly witty" (The New Yorker) and "fabulously revealing" (The New York Times Book Review) debut that...

The death of Judd Foxman's father marks the first time that the entire Foxman family--including Judd's mother, brothers, and sister--have been together in years. Conspicuously absent: Judd's wife, Jen, whose fourteen-month affair with Judd's radio-shock-jock boss has recently become...

In The Golem and the Jinni, a chance meeting between mythical beings takes readers on a dazzling journey through cultures in turn-of-the-century New York. Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life to by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic...

A New Translation From The French By Marion Wiesel Night is Elie Wiesel's masterpiece, a candid, horrific, and deeply poignant autobiographical account of his survival as a teenager in the Nazi death camps. This new translation by Marion Wiesel, Elie's wife and frequent...

Winner of the National Jewish Book Award and an American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists," The Devil's Arithmetic plunges the listener into the terrible realities of the Nazi concentration camps. Chaya's tale is a celebration of the strength of the human spirit and a dramatic introduction to the...

Duffy and the Devil was a popular play in Cornwall in the nineteenth century, performed at the Christmas season by groups of young people who went from house to house. The Zemachs have interpreted the folk tale which the play dramatized, recognizable as a version of the widespread...

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST YA BOOKS OF ALL TIME * A NEW YORK TIMES READER TOP 100 PICK FOR BEST BOOKS OF THE 21ST CENTURY * A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE CENTURY The extraordinary, beloved novel about the...