Trouble Finds Evie Lefkowitz
Now Available!
Things aren’t going well for Evie Lefkowitz. Since her father passed away, she’s successfully helped her mother fend off every unappealing suitor. But now her mother seems thrilled about an upcoming date— with the assistant principal at Evie’s middle school. Things couldn’t get much worse…
Until her mother volunteers Evie as a tutor for Joey Ceraco, a boy Evie hasn’t spoken to since their kindergarten playdates—a boy who, along with his best friend Tommy Halliday, is known as trouble.
Evie’s friends—Spencer and Rachel—couldn’t be more different from Joey and Tommy, and Evie’s identity as “the cantor’s daughter” at Temple Shir Shalom has kept her very far from trouble. But a questionable science project makes them all look beyond labels and reluctantly come together in a daring after-school rescue that could get them all lifetime detention.
And maybe getting in a little trouble is what it takes for Evie to become the person she’s meant to be.
Praise
“It’s hard to know where to start in describing the depth and heart of delightful must-read, Trouble Finds Evie Lefkowitz. The characters are highly engaging and relatable, managing serious themes but also infusing humor throughout. Evie is interesting and complex, and so are her friends and classmates, which is, in fact, one of the many themes of the book. Other themes include coping with grief, bullying, ignorance and intolerance, as well as finding strength and understanding in unexpected ways and more. The book deftly explores the idea that sometimes taking a stand for something that feels right may lead to a bit of trouble, but is nonetheless a risk worth taking.”
—The Sydney Taylor Shmooze (read more)
“Evie’s first-person narration is relatable throughout, and the novel brims with authentic characters, pitch-perfect dialogue, and emotional truth, making it a story that young readers will want to revisit.”
—Kirkus (read more)
“Original, clever, deftly crafted, a fun read from cover to cover, and with a valued message about the importance of personal courage and resolution, Trouble Finds Evie Lefkowitz from PJ Publishing is especially and unreservedly recommended for elementary school, middle school and community library General Fiction collections for young readers ages 9-12.”
—Midwest Book Review
“A warm, witty, and incredibly engaging story about family, fellowship, and bringing out the best in others.”
—Terri Libenson, author of Becoming Brianna
“The troubles that seem to seek out Evie come quickly and suddenly—and they’re set within the greatest trouble of all: losing someone you love. What will keep you pounding through this book is not the question of whether trouble will find you, but the question of what happens when it does. In that way, what a splendidly hopeful and moving novel this is—for all of us. “
—Gary D. Schmidt, Newbery Honor winner and author of The Wednesday Wars
