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Just Shy of Ordinary

Contributors

By A. J. Sass

Formats and Prices

Price

$16.99

Price

$22.99 CAD

This item is a preorder. Your payment method will be charged immediately, and the product is expected to ship on or around January 30, 2024. This date is subject to change due to shipping delays beyond our control.

A SYDNEY TAYLOR HONOR BOOK ★ In this heartfelt novel about family, friendship, and identity perfect for fans of The List of Things That Will Not Change and Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World, a thirteen-year-old nonbinary kid discovers that life doesn’t always go according to plan—especially when they start public school for the first time. ​
 
Thirteen-year-old Shai is an expert problem-solver. There’s never been something they couldn’t research and figure out on their own. But there’s one thing Shai hasn’t been able to logic their way through: picking at the hair on their arms.    
 
Ever since their mom lost her job, the two had to move in with family friends, and the world went into pandemic lockdown, Shai’s been unable to control their picking. Now, as the difficult times recede and everyone begins to discover their “new normal,” Shai’s hoping the stress that caused their picking will end, too.
 
After reading that a routine can reduce anxiety, Shai makes a plan to create a brand new normal for themself that includes going to public school. But when their academic evaluation places them into 9th grade instead of 8th, it sets off a chain of events that veer off the path Shai had prepared for, encouraging Shai to learn how to accept life’s twists and turns, especially when you can’t plan for them.


A. J. Sass

About the Author

A. J. Sass-Cao (he/they) is the critically acclaimed author of Just Shy of Ordinary, as well as the ALA Rainbow Book List Top 10 middle grade titles Ana on the EdgeCamp QUILTBAG, and Ellen Outside the Lines, which was also a Sydney Taylor Honor Book. He splits his time between the San Francisco Bay Area and Northwest Vermont with his husband. He invites you to visit him online at sassinsf.com. This is A. J. Sass’s first picture book.

Noa Kelner graduated from the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design. She works with publishers, newspapers, and magazines, and loves to give stories color and form. She is the cofounder and artistic director of the annual Outline Festival in Jerusalem, which celebrates illustration and creativity. She lives in Jerusalem with her husband and three children. Shabbat Is… is Noa’s debut picture book in the United States.

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