The Decision Kids

PJ Our Way offers tweens an exciting array of middle-grade stories. A committee of young readers helps vet the books.

 

By Rachel Zaimont, Managing Editor

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This story appeared in the summer 2025 issue of PROOF, a PJ Library magazine.

 

What happens when 8-year-olds graduate from PJ Library? Thanks to donor support, their next chapter is only beginning. PJ Library created PJ Our Way to bring great Jewish middle-grade books to tweens, at an age when reinforcing a positive Jewish identity is more important than ever. PJ Our Way gives kids ages 9-12 the power to choose their own book each month from a set of curated titles.

But who decides which books get into the PJ Our Way lineup? Hint: It’s not just adults. The PJ Our Way team, comprised of Jewish content specialists and kidlit experts, seeks out compelling and diverse Jewish stories that they think will appeal to kids — but members know the most telling opinions often come from young readers themselves. Enter the PJ Our Way Advisory Committee.

Made up of more than 70 tweens from across the US and Canada, the advisory committee previews and provides feedback on stories PJ Our Way is considering. PJ Our Way takes their input seriously when deciding which books make it into the program. PROOF chatted with two of these extraordinary kids about reviewing books and what this special leadership opportunity means to them.

Rachel Zaimont: Can you tell us a little about yourselves and what you like to read?

Aviv Wieder: I’m 11 and I’m from California. I like to read nonfiction, biographies, historical fiction — but overall I read a wide variety of books.

Mayana George: I’m 11. I live in New York. I love fantasy and graphic novels, but I also think historical fiction and nonfiction are important because we have to learn from the past to do better in the future.

RZ: What are your favorite memories of PJ Library or PJ Our Way books?

AW: I enjoyed reading PJ Library books when I was younger! Now I read PJ Our Way books. I enjoyed The Spanish Plot and The Inquisitor’s Tale. Mitzvah the Mutt was the first PJ Our Way book I got — it was very memorable, a feel-good story.

MG: I have a younger sibling, and when we were younger I remember both of us would wait while our mom checked the mail. She would say, “There’s a PJ Library book waiting for you!” That was a highlight of every month.

RZ: What do you like about being on the advisory committee?

AW: On the advisory committee, we get to read and review books in a journalistic way. We’re reading books that PJ Our Way isn’t sure if they’re going to take into the program. That’s pretty exciting. It’s also interesting getting to read books that haven’t been published yet and gain insight into the process.

MG: I like reading the books and getting to review them. I think it’s fun to be on the committee and know that my reviews of the books are going to help make a difference.

RZ: When you’re reviewing a book, what kinds of things do you pay attention to?

AW: I mention whether there were scenes that I liked, that I didn’t like, that were scary, and whether I would recommend the book for kids my age.

MG: I pay attention to whether there’s any content that doesn’t fit in the story or that might be too mature or too young. I pay attention to: Does it have a good theme, a good moral? Is this story written well? Is this story about a Jewish person or important Jewish values?

RZ: What’s it like to review books knowing that PJ Our Way takes your recommendations seriously?

AW: I think it’s good that they take our opinions into account because we represent the demographic that is going to be reading PJ Our Way books. It’s important that every month there is a book that readers with different tastes are interested in reading.

MG: It’s really cool. I think that kids sometimes aren’t taken as seriously as they should be. I like that PJ Our Way is an organization for kids, helped by kids.

RZ: Do you think being on the committee is good practice for other things you might do in the future?

AW: Yes. It’s about thinking critically and evaluating something by different sets of criteria — whether that may be a literary work or a new scientific theory or a musical piece. (I play the piano and the violin.)

MG: Yeah! It gives me a first experience of reviewing books and what being an editor or publisher would be like. It’s helpful because it’s a first look into the world of books as a career.

RZ: Do you think PJ Library and PJ Our Way have changed you or helped you in any way?

AW: My family is pretty religious and my father is a rabbi, so I’m familiar with the holidays and customs we observe. But I remember one PJ Our Way book, A Boy from Baghdad, that talked about the Mizrahi customs of a boy from Iraq. It’s interesting to read about different kinds of Jewish experiences and ways people celebrate holidays. It opened me up to a lot of different perspectives.

MG: I think because of PJ Library and PJ Our Way I’ve become more aware of when books have representation of different people and when they don’t, and I think that’s an important thing to be aware of.

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