Here’s the exclusive cover reveal for It’s a Whole Spiel, the first-ever anthology of Jewish YA fiction!

It’s a Whole Spiel: Love, Latkes, and Other Jewish Stories includes stories from authors David Levithan, Hannah Moskowitz, Nova Ren Suma, Alex London, and other familiar voices in Young Adult fiction. With a forward from actress Mayim Bialik, It’s a Whole Spiel explores the experiences of Jewish young adults in love, at synagogue, in school, and everywhere in between.

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“A Jewish boy falls in love with a fellow counselor at summer camp. A group of Jewish friends take the trip of a lifetime. A girl meets her new boyfriend’s family over Shabbat dinner. Two best friends put their friendship to the test over the course of a Friday night. A Jewish girl feels pressure to date the only Jewish boy in her grade. Hilarious pranks and disaster ensue at a crush’s Hanukah party. From stories of confronting their relationships with Judaism to rom-coms with a side of bagels and lox, It’s a Whole Spiel is an insightful and funny Jewish anthology from a collection of diverse Jewish authors. One story after another of yes, we are Jewish, and we are also queer, and disabled, and creative, and political, and adventurous, and compassionate.”

Here’s the exclusive cover reveal for ‘It’s A Whole Spiel’

‘It’s a Whole Spiel’ editors Katherine Locke and Laura Silverman share their thoughts:

“We are so proud of this anthology from cover to cover. Lisa Maltby’s art is so fresh, bold and upbeat, which captures perfectly the feeling of the stories themselves, all thanks to the art direction from the team at Knopf! With this anthology, we wanted to bring something exciting and hopeful to YA readers, a type of Jewish experience that they may not have read before. We wanted this anthology to reflect diverse Jewish experiences, the intersection of Jewish life with the rest of our lives or the ways that they remain immersed all together. And we think you can see that in the art as well: different characters living their own lives, part of the same tapestry but also unique in their individuality and futures.

“And we are so excited to announce that Mayim Bialik, the author, actress, and neuroscientist, wrote the foreword to the anthology! We’re thrilled to have her on board, and we think she captured the essence of this collection perfectly when she wrote, “What this book seeks to achieve is a connection to a larger vision of a Judaism that is engaging, open, and wise.”

“For readers who aren’t Jewish or not familiar with Judaism, they’ll find in here stories that feel familiar in other ways: stories of awkward dates, first love, crushes, breaking the rules, struggles with friendships, and growing up. That is another connection to a larger vision, one that we believe is vital, open-minded, and builds empathy and understanding.

“The full line-up of contributing authors is: Adi Alsaid, Alex London, Dahlia Adler, David Levithan, Rachel Lynn Solomon, Goldy Moldavsky, Lance Rubin, Matthue Roth, Elie Lichtschein, Nova Ren Suma, Hannah Moskowitz, Dana Schwartz, Laura Silverman, and Katherine Locke.”

It’s a Whole Spiel will be released on Sept. 17, and is available for preorder from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and your local independent bookseller.