Benji Zeb Is a Ravenous Werewolf

by Deke Moulton

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Pub Date Jul 02 2024 | Archive Date Jul 02 2024

Penguin Random House Canada | Tundra Books

Children's Fiction

Description

Benji Zeb has to balance preparing for his bar mitzvah, his feelings for a school bully, and being a werewolf in this heartfelt, coming-of-age novel for middle-grade readers. For fans of Don't Want to Be Your Monster and Too Bright to See.

Benji Zeb has a lot going on. He has a lot of studying to do, not only for school but also for his upcoming bar mitzvah. He's nervous about Mr. Rutherford, the aggressive local rancher who hates Benji's family's kibbutz and wolf sanctuary. And he hasn't figured out what to do about Caleb, Mr. Rutherford's stepson, who has been bullying Benji pretty hard at school, despite Benji wanting to be friends (and maybe something more). And all of this is made more complicated by the fact that, secretly, Benji and his entire family are werewolves who are using the wolf sanctuary as cover for their true identities!

Things come to a head when Caleb shows up at the kibbutz one night . . . in wolf form! He's a werewolf too, unable to control his shifting, and he needs Benji's help. Can anxious Benji juggle all of these things along with his growing feelings toward Caleb?

Available Editions

EDITION	Other Format
ISBN	9781774880524
PRICE	CA$23.99 (CAD)
PAGES	304

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Featured Reviews

Gillian G, Reviewer

Deke is amazing at fusing Judaism and fantasy. I absolutely adored this book. It was so timely, especially considering the rise in antisemitism. I cannot wait to have my nephew read this book. I think he, as the target audience of a Jewish 10 year old boy, would devour this book as quickly as I did.

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Rebekkah R, Reviewer

I was expecting good things after reading Deke Moulton's middle-grade debut, Don't Want to Be Your Monster, but I was completely blown away by Benji Zeb is a Ravenous Werewolf!! I loved everything about this. The Jewish werewolf lore, the Talmudic discussions, the seamless integration of Jewish culture and tradition throughout. I laughed, I cried, I thought about the Yiddish word "paskudnyak" for the first time since I was a kid. Moulton tackles antisemitism, racism, and the political divisiveness in the United States, and somehow still manages to leave the reader feeling optimistic and hopeful for a better world. It was exactly the book I needed to read right now, and I think it is the book the world needs right now. I highly recommend this, for adults and young readers alike.

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.)