The Jake Show

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

Joshua S. Levy’s hilarious and charming middle grade novel follows a Jewish seventh-grade boy caught between the worlds of his divorced parents—with an orthodox mother and secular father, Jake must concoct a web of lies to go to a summer camp with his friends.

For TV-obsessed Jake Lightman, his parents’ divorce is like his favorite show getting canceled: the worst. Now torn between two very different homes, he must navigate a constant tug-of-war. His strictly Orthodox Jewish mother wants him to play the role of “Yaakov,” a Torah-loving kid who never watches TV. His secular father wants “Jacob” to focus on science and math, and leave all that Jewish stuff behind. Depending on where Jake is on any given day, he changes his clothes, changes his language, changes himself.On Jake’s first day at a new school, Caleb and Tehilla barrel into his life. Suddenly he has two friends who seem to like the real Jake. And when they invite him to Camp Gershoni for the summer, Jake knows he has to go—even if his parents won’t let him.With help from Caleb and Tehilla, Jake concocts a web of lies to get to camp. But Jake struggles to keep up the ruse and be a good friend at the same time. As the cost of lying grows, Jake must decide what’s truly important or risk losing the people he cares about the most.

About the Author

Joshua S. Levy is the author of several middle grade novels. Born and raised in Florida, Josh has worked at Jewish organizations (including camps!) across the denominational spectrum and holds a master's degree in Jewish education from Yeshiva University. He now lives with his family in New Jersey, where he practices as a lawyer. Josh will always play Gaga if asked. You can visit him online at joshuasimonlevy.com.