Mister Lister and the Two-Way Gift

by Judith Pransky

“I’m Reuven,” he said to his new teacher. He remembered not to shake hands too hard. As he turned away, Reuven tripped on his dangling shoelace. A few of the boys snickered. Reuven wishes everything could stay the same, but there are a lot of changes in his life right now. His best friend, David, has moved away, and Reuven needs to get used to his new fourth-grade teacher. But the most upsetting change is the arrival of a new boy, Yehuda Taprik. Reuven hopes Yehuda will be a replacement for David, and that they’ll discover they’re related. But events don’t go according to his plans. It will take Zaidy’s fascinating story about the two-way gift to help Reuven understand his confusing feelings. Young readers will love this addition to the Mister Lister series by award-winning author Judith Pransky, with its engaging illustrations by Sarah Zee.

152 pages, Hardcover

Published August 1, 2023

Reviews

[Frum Books]

Fourth grade comes with changes that make Reuven nervous, but there’s a new kid at school that he hopes will solve his problems. As he gets to know him, Reuven sees they don’t have much in common after all. A strict-but-nice teacher and an exciting story from his family’s history during the Cantonist era show him what true friendship can be. Grades 3-4.