Aviva vs. the Dybbuk

Debut author Lowe offers an intimate look at a contemporary Orthodox Jewish community in this nuanced story of a girl regaining her footing after her father’s death. An aura of mysticism and mystery surrounds 11-year-old Aviva, who lives with her Ema above the local mikvah, which Aviva believes is haunted. The source of the haunting is a dybbuk of Jewish folklore, which here takes the form of a prankster boy who reminds Aviva of her beloved late Abba. “He would have enjoyed our dybbuk,” she narrates. Soon, an act of anti-Semitic vandalism and a subsequent attack on the family’s shul throw Aviva’s tight-knit community into high alert. Shy but quick-witted and competitive, Aviva is an engaging heroine whose qualities are on full display when she faces off against a friend turned rival during a heated match of machanayim, a dodgeball-like game, and when she is recruited to help plan the annual Bas Mitzvah Bash. Lowe portrays Aviva and Ema’s mourning with a gentle touch, gradually building to an ending that points toward spiritual and emotional healing, thanks to the steadfast support of their Jewish community, especially its women. Back matter includes a glossary of Hebrew and Yiddish words. Ages 8–12. Agent: Tamar Rydzinski, Context Literary. (Feb.)