Just a Hat

*Signed Bookplate*

FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL JEWISH BOOK AWARD; KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST YA HISTORICAL FICTION, 2023; CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE BEST BOOK OF 2023.

Action-packed, humorous, and bittersweet, this 1970s-era coming-of-age novel is more relevant than everexploring how a second-generation immigrant kid in a new hometown must navigate bullying, unexpected friendships, and the struggle of keeping both feet firmly planted in two very different cultures.

Its 1979, and thirteen-year-old Joseph Nissan cant help but notice that small-town Texas has something in common with Revolution-era Iran: an absence of fellow Jews. And in such a small town it seems obvious that a brown kid like him was bound to make friends with Latinoswhich is a plus, since his new buds, the Ybarra twins, have his back. But when the Iran hostage crisis, two neighborhood bullies, and the local reverends beautiful daughter put him in all sorts of danger, Joseph must find new ways to cope at home and at school.

As he struggles to trust others and stay true to himself, a fiercely guarded family secret keeps his father at a distance, and even his piano teacher, Miss Eleanorwho is like a grandmother to himcant always protect him. But Joseph is not alone, and with a little help from his friends, he finds the courage to confront his fears and discovers he can inspire others to find their courage, too.

Just a Hat is an authentically one-of-a-kind YA debut that fuses the humor of Firoozeh Dumass Funny in Farsi with the poignancy of Daniel Nayeris Everything Sad Is Untrue.