Neshama

March 15, 2025
Anna sees ghosts. Talking with and about ghosts--not to mention her blue-dyed hair, combat boots, and weird poetry--has left Anna shunned by her sixth grade classmates. Even her father would rather break her spirit than support her macabre behavior. Only her grandmother, Bubbe Esther, offers Anna the kindness and space to be herself. On a solo visit to Bubbe's home in Gloucester, Massachusetts, Anna encounters the ghost of Ruthie, her father's sister, who died in childhood and now wants Anna's help to settle some scores. Pixley's verse balances gauzy abstractions with well-wrought details, highlighting the physicality of the living that the ghosts envy: "We watch you /at night /when you are sleeping. /We love /the sound /of your breath /hissing /like silver thread /pulled through silk." While visiting Bubbe, Anna also feels drawn to her grandmother's Jewish observance, which Ruthie practiced unabashedly--another form of self-expression her secular father has rejected. The relationship between Anna and her ghostly aunt evolves effectively, with the decisive, liberated Ruthie initially helping to bolster Anna's confidence; over time, she becomes more feral and overbearing, forcing Anna to trust and assert her own judgment. A denouement with her father feels rather quick, but readers will cheer Anna's burgeoning ability to embrace her unusual skills and advocate for herself. Characters are cued white. An eerie, melancholic story of family trauma and healing.(Verse fiction. 9-13)

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Starred review from April 1, 2025
Grades 4-7 *Starred Review* Anna has long been at odds with her classmates and her own family over the fact that she refuses to hide her ability to interact with ghosts. She can't help herself; if a spirit invites her to play or dance, she'll always heed their call. Her father is embarrassed, her mother puts it down to a vivid imagination, and her peers tease her relentlessly about the bewildering behavior. Only one person truly accepts Anna: her Jewish grandmother, Bubbe, who sees Anna's sensitive nature as a gift. During a trip to Bubbe's seaside home, Anna encounters a ghost from her family's past, and when she agrees to help the spirit settle some unfinished business, she unknowingly sets off a chain of events that will change the lives--and afterlives--of everyone involved. The breathtaking book, presented entirely in verse, instantly enthralls, using Anna's personal poetry, ghostly compositions, and other ephemera to tell the tale. The wonderful writing is spare and striking, immediately establishing an occasionally eerie, though never truly frightening, atmosphere, and the words flow effortlessly. The story allows plenty of space for thoughtful reflection on grief, antisemitism, and bullying while also conjuring cozy scenes of familial love and believably fostering understanding between opposing parties. A mesmerizing meditation on family, forgiveness, and the freedom to be found in embracing one's truest self.

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May 1, 2025

Gr 3-7-Anna is a shayna neshama, a beautiful soul, but most people don't see her that way. All they see is the weird girl who claims to see ghosts. School is miserable, and her home life is not much better, but Anna takes refuge in spending Shabbos with her Bubbe. Then, during a visit at Bubbe's, Ruthie, the ghost of Anna's aunt, asks to be let into Anna's body so she can finally heal after dying at the young age of 11, and Anna agrees. But Ruthie is very angry, and what started as her helping Anna be brave is becoming more sinister. This novel in verse is a spiritual exploration of how the past can have lasting effects through generations of a family. It is a lesson in being oneself even when no one, not even those meant to love you, accept you for who you are. Anna is a beautiful, strong, and inspiring character; if only readers could spend more time with her. Unfortunately, the verse format leaves aspects of the story feeling rushed and unexplored. Anna and her family are Jewish. VERDICT A unique ghost story that may have been better served in a different format.-Mariah Smitala

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