• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

★ “A heartfelt and expertly written tale of loss, family, and friendship that will have readers blinking back their tears…Beautiful and sincere.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Evie Walman is not obsessed with death. She does think about it a lot, though, but only because her family runs a Jewish funeral home. At twelve, Evie already knows she’s going to be a funeral director when she grows up. So what if the kids at school call her “corpse girl” and say she smells like death? They’re just mean and don’t get how important it is to have someone take care of things when your world is falling apart. Evie loves dusting caskets, polishing pews, and vacuuming the chapel—and on funeral days, she dresses up and hands out tissues and offers her condolences to mourners. She doesn’t normally help her parents with the grieving families directly, until one day when they ask her to help with Oren, a boy who was in a horrific car accident that killed both his parents. Oren refuses to speak and Evie, who is nursing her own private grief, is determined to find a way to help him deal with his loss.

The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Praise for previous books by Joanne Levy:

“Levy's narrative is spot on.”—Booklist review for The Sun Will Come Out

“The story gives voice to the experience of Jewish preteens; chronic illness and disability are also sensitively tackled in this complex tale about difference, acceptance, and self-confidence. A heartfelt tear-jerker about love, friendship, and courage.”—Kirkus Reviews review for The Sun Will Come Out

“Uplifting, gentle…Exudes inter-generational warmth, family love, and friendship.”—Association of Jewish Libraries review for Fish Out of Water

“Though brief, this text masterfully connects the toxic masculinity to its roots in deep misogyny, making Fish a hero people of all genders can stand up and cheer for. All readers will appreciate this book’s nuanced messaging around gender roles and trusting yourself.”—Kirkus Reviews, review for Fish Out of Water

Joanne Levy is the author of the award-winning Sorry For Your Loss, a book set in a funeral home inspired by the one her dad manages. Her other books include The Sun Will Come Out, Fish Out of Water, and Bird Brain. She can usually be found at her computer, either creating spreadsheets (sometimes just for fun) or channeling her younger self into books. Joanne lives in rural Ontario, Canada, with her husband and several pets, one of whom vomited during the writing of this bio.

Joanne Levy's profile page

• Nominated, Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards - Diamond Willow
• Short-listed, Rocky Mountain Book Award (RMBA)
• Nominated, Forest of Reading Red Maple Award
• Nominated, The Governor General’s Literary Awards (GGBooks) - Young People’s Literature Text
• Commended, Young Readers' Choice Book Awards of British Columbia (YRCABC) Red Cedar Book Awards - Honour Book
• Winner, The Canadian Jewish Literary Awards - Youth Literature
• Commended, CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens, starred selection
• Commended, Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) Sydney Taylor Book Award - Notable Books

“Gentle and honest…Refreshing and will be valuable for readers no matter their religion. Purchase for elementary and middle school libraries and recommend to fans of The Thing About Jellyfish.

School Library Connection

“Though this may be a difficult read for some, the care in discussing death and dying, family, friendships, and survivors’ guilt results in a touching story that is a delight to cry through.”

Association of Jewish Libraries

“Exquisite...This book is sensitive, thoughtful, and respectful to the grieving process. Perfect for adults, too.”

Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle

“This impor­tant top­ic is sen­si­tive­ly han­dled, turn­ing an already excel­lent com­ing-of-age tale into an impor­tant addi­tion to the mid­dle grade bookshelf.”

Jewish Book Council

“Lotta tears and a lotta hugging in this one, but you won’t mind. Levy comes by her emotions honestly...Really well done from start to finish.”

Betsy Bird, 31 Days, 31 Lists SLJ

“Levy’s book treats her subject matter and her readers gently and with understanding...While the themes might be painful, the book is anything but sad, and it will give its readers some insight into grief as well some tools and suggestions for dealing with it in a proactive and positive way. Highly Recommended.”

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

★ “A heartfelt and expertly written tale of loss, family, and friendship that will have readers blinking back their tears…Beautiful and sincere.”

Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“A sincere story about hope, healing, and a blooming friendship amid grief.”

Booklist

“This highly discussable novel navigates complex feelings gracefully... Despite the heavy topics this unique novel addresses, it features humor and warmth and characters young readers will care about.”

School Library Journal (SLJ)

“There is a potent emotional openness throughout…An enlightening, delicately hopeful, and beautifully rendered story.”

Quill & Quire