The Jake Show: A Funny Middle Grade Novel About Divorce, Friendship, and Summer Camp for Kids

by Joshua S. Levy

In Joshua S. Levy's middle grade novel, a Jewish seventh grade boy is 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 he's stuck between playing the role of "Yaakov" for his mother and "Jacob" for his father.

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 he struggles to keep up the ruse--and be a good friend at the same time. As the cost of lying grows, he must decide what's truly important, or risk losing the people he cares about the most.

Genres: Middle Grade, Jewish, Realistic Fiction, Childrens, Audiobook, Fiction, Juvenile

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2023

About the author

Joshua S. Levy is the author of FINN AND EZRA'S BAR MITZVAH TIME LOOP, THE JAKE SHOW, and SEVENTH GRADE VS. THE GALAXY (and its sequels). He is also co-editor of ON ALL OTHER NIGHTS. Josh lives with his wife and children in New Jersey. Visit him at www.joshuasimonlevy.com.

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Great middle-grade read, about a boy caught between two sets of parents with very different beliefs and ideas about raising him!
Jake frequently has identity crises. His parents, recently divorced and now married to other people, often argue about their differing methods of parenting, especially when it comes to religion. Jake is somewhat of a t.v. sitcom expert, so he considers the different ways he must behave between his parents to be like becoming a different character on a show. One “Jake face” for Mom, another for Dad. But he really wishes he could just be the Jake he wants to be, without disappointing anyone.

Memorable Quotes:
“My parents and brother took it well. They told me that who I like isn’t one of the parts of me that makes me good or bad. It’s other stuff-being kind to people. That’s what really matters.”

[Amy Ariel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm. Well.
Here’s the thing. I didn’t LOVE this book. However, I did choose it for our middle grade book club because 1. It’s got a main character who is a cis-Jewish-boy, 2. It will engage us in conversations about different ways of being Jewish, 3. It also has a queer character, 4. It raises some socioeconomic issues within the Jewish community that are worth talking about, 5. Both step parents are decent human beings and useful adults who a kid can go to for help while the relatively newly divorced parents consistently behave badly.

You know how challenging it is to find a main Jewish character in a kids’ book who isn’t queer, who is male, and who is a relatively decent human? AND where in the book there isn’t something that makes the book impossible to recommend (making the villain a fat woman who is mistaken for a man - don’t do that!) Turtle Boy was awesome. That’s the best recent one I can think of. Rabbi Harvey. Jose and the Pirate Captain Toledano. They aren’t abundant.

What didn’t I like?
Jake.
As an adult I cared about him.
As a kid, I would have found him so annoying he wouldn’t have felt worth my time. I also am not sure how I feel about the way the Jewish observance extremes were set up. Overall, it felt kind of clunky and implausible to me. Which, it’s a middle grade book, does it matter? I don’t know.

Three stars.
BUT I DO think this book should get on all the middle grade lists. Not every book needs to be a 5 star to be worth reading for representation.

[BookishlyJewish]

This review first appeared on my blog: BookishlyJewish

It is a rare delight to see the author of the book I am currently reading win a National Jewish Book Award for another one of their works which I have reviewed. Last week, while rapidly making my way through The Jake Show by Joshua S. Levy, his latest middle grade novel - Finn and Ezra’s Bar Mitzvah Time Loop - got the nod for MG fiction. I am not surprised. That book was so delightful I went back and found the author's prior book. Also not a surprise - it too is delightful!

Jake is an epic TV fan. He also has several aliases. As he toggles between living with his orthodox mother and his secular father, he is called Yaakov or Jacob respectively. It's clear his parents love him, but they each expect Jake to want the same religious practice as they do. Since he doesn't want to hurt either of them, he lives a double life, practicing orthodoxy with his mother and eating cheeseburgers with his father. It’s like starring in three different TV shows - the striving yeshiva Bochur who wears a black hat and spends his days poring over a Talmud, the up and coming scientist watching television while coding, and the kid who doesn’t want to make friends because the courts keep forcing him to switch schools anyway. Too bad Tehilla and Caleb, two kids from Jake’s new modern orthodox school, didn’t get the memo. 

As Jake starts to get close to his two new BFFs, his family life gets worse and worse. Neither of his parents realize how he desperately molds himself to the life of the parent he is with at any given moment. Keeping this a secret is getting harder and harder. How is he supposed to figure out what he wants for himself with all this fighting and pressure? So he concocts the worlds wildest plan to trick his parents into sending him to summer camp with Tehilla and Caleb - a space where he can just be himself for a change. 

Levy is particularly strong when it comes to writing madcap hi-jinks. The Shira Club is enough to have anyone rolling in the aisles, and the entire camp episode is one large comedy of errors. Plus, the ridiculousness of color war in a Jewish summer camp seen through the eyes of a first time, thirteen year-old camper is pretty priceless. Yet at the heart of all that hilarity is a core of seriousness. Clearly Jake and his family have some communication issues, but Caleb and Tehilla have a lot going on too - even if Jake is too wrapped up in himself to notice. Particularly brave and moving was the depiction of the fall out for a kid in a modern orthodox school to come out as a gay. 

The Jake Show is a quick read, and middle schoolers will fly through it. Even the ones who are reluctant readers, because it is so funny. However, the more contemplative readers will have something to invest in, and maybe even to start a conversation with their parents about. It’s not just a book for children of divorced parents, or gay kids, or poor kids. It’s a book for all kids striving to become compassionate adults - sometimes in spite of inadequate role models. Jake and his friends find their way, but in true camp fashion they do so together, before the parents arrive to pick them up.

[Jerry Jennings · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Jake Show (2023) by Joshua S. Levy is a novel for 8 to 12- year- olds focusing on Jake’s journey to find who ‘really’ he is and who he wants to become. Booklist, in their review reports: “This comical, authentic, and firmly Jewish caper should play to rave reviews with both secular and spiritual audiences.”

The Jake Show received the Sydney Taylor Book Award Silver Medal and is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and is among Tablet Magizine’s Best Jewish Children’s Books of 2023. Furthermore, I liked it a lot.

Jake is a seventh grader who is Jewish. His parents are divorced and both are remarried. His mom wants him to be a shining example of an Orthodox pre-teen. His father wants him to be a relaxed secular Jewish pre-teen. This Mom and Dad are playing out a classic sitcom of tug of war.

Jake isn’t sure he can be what either parent expects. He just wants to be ‘Jake’. And one of the things that is truly ‘Jake’ - is that he is obsessed with TV sitcoms.

At his new school (Jake has been a student at four schools since the divorce and this is the fifth) Jake becomes friends with Caleb and Tehilla. They are carrying, thoughtful and authentic in the friendship they share with Jake. This friendship gives Jake ‘space’ to grow and find himself.

One of the many solid writing choices Joshua S. Levy makes is, as the Tablet review states is the: “all-too-rare positive portrayal of (Jake’s) stepparents, who here have a friendly relationship with each other and exert a moderating influence on their spouses.”

This novel covers many topics, which include: family dynamics, secrets, parent expectations, being caught between two worlds, middle school friendships, the value of being an honest friend, experiencing summer camp, finding oneself, and accepting differences in others.

The story is very well written, much like a good sitcom is plotted tightly, cast members are strong caricatures of their function in the sitcom, and the settings can be a little over the top when it comes to believe ability. Good sitcoms can be both entertaining and thought-provoking. The Jake Show is both.

I recommend this book.

[Jennifer L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can one boy pull off being a different version of himself for his divorced parents and even trick them into sending him to the Jewish summer camp of his dreams?

Time for a Spoiler Free Review.

The Jake Show by Joshua S. Levy is a teen book full of fun and heart. As a child of divorced parents, I can confirm it is incredibly relatable. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let me give you a brief synopsis.

Jake is a Jewish boy whose parents got divorced. While they were moderately observant while together, his parents have hit the opposites sides of the observance spectrum: his mom went full orthodox and married a rabbi, while his father went secular and married a gentile. Poor Jake wants to please both his parents so he switches between his fedora and black coat at one home and his jeans and tv shows at the other.

His parents send him to a new school where he makes friends with other misfit kids who tell him about their favourite place in the whole world: Jewish summer camp. But how can he convince his extreme parents to send him to a middle of the road summer camp? And how long can he keep up his double life before it all comes crashing down?

You’ll just have to read the book to find out.

Levy does a great job of taking a series look at the struggles of children of divorce as they often find themselves living two separate lives. I love the way he accentuates this with the two extremes of Jewish observance (or lack thereof). He also keeps it light as Jake is obsessed with sitcom tv shows and uses them as an emotional crutch throughout the book.

Just an FYI, there are LGBTQ positive themes in the story.

I loved this audiobook and give this book 8/10 episodes of Happy Days.

[Rebecca Lynn O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This year, I was also gifted The Jake Show by Joshua Levy! The book was published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishing (harpercollins.com). Joshua is Jewish Florida native who has written several middle grade books.

Jake is a TV-loving kid who is being pulled between two different worlds: The devout "yiddishkeit" of living with his mother and the secular, STEM encouraging of living with his father. Shuffled from school to school and between these two worlds, Jake has mastered the art of masking, but with the guidance of some excellent friends (and a few close-calls along the way), learns that he can't be both the person his mom wants him to be and the person his dad wants him to be at the same time (let alone himself).

I really connected with Jake and the need to perform differently for different groups of people. I also remembered the feeling of starting in a new school and feeling like it would only be temporary. While adjusting to the Jewish vocabulary in the beginning was a little difficult for me (Jake did a great job at providing subtitles for things a few chapters in), this book was a great read! Jake's story will resonate with readers trying to parse out who they are/who they want to be. I'm so excited to add this book to the shelves in my library!

[I Trump · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the humor in this book immensely. Jake/Jacob/Yakov seeing his life through the lens of a sitcom was a funny analogy. I felt for his situation. The push and pull he felt from his parents was believable. Even if the reader hasn't dealt with this in a faith based way, putting children in the middle of parent battles is all too common. I appreciated he had supportive stepparents and positive relationships with them. I think a few things could be improved somewhat. It was unclear how the parents had drifted apart so religiously. The full impact that had on him isn't revealed until the end of the book. Since it drives the story, a little more self-reflection would've been good. And I know part of Jake's journey is to be a better friend, but I would've liked to have seen him be a better friend in more specific ways over time. I did feel for him, and I appreciated this author's perspective giving not only positive Jewish identity, but also positive identity for a non-Jewish character. And I thought the best friends were great allies and helped with his growth immensely. Their struggles with poverty and having to come out in an Orthodox environment were important reality checks for him, and they were well-written characters. The world needs more books like this. I hope publishers realize this.

[ahuva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alright, so this was pretty decent. Definitely not Joshua S. Levy’s finest, but it was still alright. 3.5 stars.

I definitely feel like the book was a bit confusing layout-wise. The way that Jake told you about himself was hard to put together because of the way it was written.

I also think that the levels of orthodoxy that Jake’s parents adopted were very extreme and didn’t feel super realistic. That being said, this is a middle school book, so this does make sense in that regard.

I liked Jake’s character development, and I liked that his friends called him out on his bad behavior and that he didn’t totally disagree with them.

The book was also very fast paced, but that’s usually what you get when you read a middle school book.

I also thought it was nice that instead of Jake being LGBTQ+, which I see often in middle school, Jewish books, Caleb was. It was a nice change.

TLDR: pretty fast paced and not Joshua’s best, but otherwise a pretty okay read. 3.5 stars.

Bye guys!

[Naomi Milliner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to the wacky and warm-hearted world of Jake (aka Jacob, aka Yaakov). Torn between his divorced parents and their plans for him, TV-obsessed Jake sometimes retreats into an imaginary TV show of his own: "I was a CHARACTER, not a person. And only people have choices." There are many
literally laugh-out-loud moments - and an equal number of profound and poignant ones. Levy performs an outstanding balancing act here. Though it's clearly Jake's "show," the supporting cast deserves credit as well - both of his parents and their tremendously empathetic spouses, as well as Jake's wonderful sidekicks, Caleb and Tehillah, are well-drawn and believable. Jake's shenanigans are sometimes over the top, yet his character, and his conflicts, feel tremendously authentic. I nominate this book for an Emmy!

[Yapha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jake is being torn apart by his divorced parents. Both are Jewish, however since the divorce his mother has turned much more religiously observant while his father observes next to nothing. They each want Jake to be like them, switching him from school to school with different ideologies. When Jake is with each parent, he tries to be who they want him to be, never truly able to be himself. When he finally begins to make a few friends at his new school, he finds it hard to believe that they actually want to be his friend. They do though, and help him pull off an amazing bait and switch to come to summer camp with them. This is a great exploration of being true to one's self and the meaning of friendship. A fantastic book on all levels, including its portrayal of the wide spectrum that is Jewish observance. Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.

[Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s tough to rate the book. Maybe 3.2 stars is more accurate, but I couldn’t just give it three stars. I liked the writing and the characters were really well done. The story itself is more lessony than actual plot points. And the plot is all over the place. The main character was hard to root for because it was obvious to everyone including himself that he was doing the wrong thing and knew exactly what the right thing was and could have easily done it at any point in time. I guess this book would be good for children whose parents are divorced. The book is mainly about being torn between two parents with vastly different ideologies and trying to please both of them even though it’s impossible.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Between a 3 and a 3.5 for me. What I loved about this book was that it was about a Jewish kid who was obsessed with TV. When he got all excited because Caleb asked him what he liked to watch? Wow I felt THAT. Shoutout for that Ducktales 2017 chapter and teaching the youths of today what Jump the Shark is a reference to. However, the middle part of the book was kind of a slog because it's just Jake coming up with ridiculous ideas on how to fool his parents and he is really was being a bad friend. Also, I say this time and time again but I don't like it when really unreasonable parents all of a sudden change at the end. It just seems unrealistic considering how extreme the mom and dad were. But I did like the theme of that there isn't one good way to be Jewish.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It should come as no surprise that I think books make great gifts. In my mind, the perfect Hanukkah gift for a Jewish tween/teen is a book featuring – drum role here – a Jewish tween/teen! I’m just saying that if you do eight nights of gifts, at least one night should feature books. Of course, adults should feel free to read these books, too. There are a lot of good ones. Oh, and if your tween/teen is unhappy with the gift, feel free to blame me! Most likely, I’d just suggest another book they might like.
See the rest of my review at https://www.thereportergroup.org/book...

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jake is caught between the extremes of his divorced parent’s religious practices. He doesn’t want to be at either end but doesn’t know how to say who he truly is and what he himself wants. He uses plot lines and characters from TV shows to find answers and approaches. Ultimately he weaves a web of lies in order to achieve going to summer camp with some friends from school. Eventually he’s found out and then finds the courage to state his needs and wants. A cautionary tale for middle grade students trying to define themselves.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

My sister told me I wouldn't like the story that much, but that I would like that the main character is Jewish and obsessed with TV and she was right about that. The thing is that Jake is such an awful friend and goes about everything the wrong way. I understand that his parents are awful and put him in an uncomfortable position and he is only a kid, but he should have listened to his friends sooner. I liked that both his stepparents were nice, but they could have been more help and actually talked to their spouses.

[Sara Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice to have a solid middle grade novel that deals with the discordance some Jewish kids feel about finding the right level of religious observance. And, Levy achieves this without falling into the trap of making the modern Orthodox movement seem strange and "other." No dybbuks or mysticism here. The tangled web that Jake/Jacob/Yakov weaves to manage his parents and their strained relationship does strain credulity, but framing it as a sitcom helps. Also a nice feature - the stepparents are the heroes, rather than being adults who just don't understand Jake.

[. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jake’s parents have divorced. His mother leans into Orthodox Judaism while his father is a secular Jewish man. Jake feels caught between their expectations and is doing a pretty good job playing the roles expected of him in each setting, but the tension grows until it is unbearable. This is a book that perfectly captures the challenges some kids of divorced families experience, along with real exploration of friendship, the dangers of selfishness, and some clever, very entertaining hijinks. A great window into parts of Jewish culture, but it will have appeal far beyond that subject.

[Dara Yoder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that many kids can relate to! I don't have any Jewish students in my school, but many kids will want to read this book - they can learn about some customs/family traditions of Jewish families, BUT more importantly, they can related to Jake! A kid who loves TV and has two families that pull him in two different directions!

#bookposse

[Shayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book understands a middle-schooler's energy, interests, troubles, and even selfishness. The wide spectrum of Judaism is well covered without judgement, making it relatable for fellow Jewish readers and includes definitions throughout to inform all other readers.

[AllyP Reads Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
I really liked this book. It was very hard to listen to his horrible, asshole parents who hate each other more than they love Jake, but other than that it was a good read. The airport scene was hilarious!

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really felt for Jake; it's tough to be saddled with parents whose vision of their child doesn't take into account the child's vision. I needed to suspend my disbelief for a major plot point, but a great read overall.

[A.R. Vishny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so Jewish and so funny and so smart. It's a rare book that can genuinely get me to laugh out loud, but Levy does it here. I desperately need this to exist as like, a Disney Channel Original Movie, and can't wait for what's next.

[Julie Ditton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jake sees life like a tv show. His flashback shows a loving family that enjoys both Sabbath dinners and friday night tv shows. But after the divorce, his parents drifted to opposite poles in observance. Mother has become ultra orthodox and Dad not observant at all. Each parent tries to model their son in their own image and Jake pretends to be what they want. The story revolves around identity crisis, friendship, lies and doing what is right. I liked that the story represented different types of Judaism. Jewish kids will love this book, but other children should enjoy it as well. Although the characters are all Jewish, the problem of living up to expectations instead of being true to yourself is a universal one.

[Jennifer Halbur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jake is torn between two very different households. His secular Dad and his very strict Jewish mom. Jake tries his best to please each of them, but how can he ever be himself?

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor guy… his parents drove me bonkers! Hated that he was caught between them but loved the realistic family dynamic.

[Deke Moulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some SERIOUSLY BIG cringe moments omg this book was a hilarious ride through a kids attempt at loving a double (triple?!) life.

[LS Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a little to fantastically unbelievable for me, but the message was nice.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Anastasia Tuckness · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well done, entertaining, covers a lot of topics well.

[Joshua Abts · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good maybe not the best book I've ever read but it was fine but good