Rebecca Reznik Reboots the Universe

Rebecca copes with family turmoil, a home invaded by demons, and what it means to grow up in this “clever, funny, and scary” (Kirkus Reviews) sequel to Naomi Teitelbaum Ends the World that’s perfect for fans of Aru Shah and Charlie Hernández.

Rebecca Reznik is having a rough time. Her dad lost his job, and her parents are fighting all the time. Her obnoxious brother, Jake, is acting out even more than usual. And post–Bat Mitzvah Becca is expected to be grown up and spiritually mature—whatever that means—but in the wake of these upsets to her routine, she just feels frustrated and helpless. Even worse, she’s starting to suspect that the awful vibes surrounding her house might be about more than family drama.

When Becca discovers a (not) Hanukkah goblin that’s turned her bedroom upside down, literally, she and her best friends Naomi and Eitan once again find themselves facing down demons from Jewish lore.

Armed with the lessons learned from her last tussle with mythological figures and the loyalty of her friends, Becca will do whatever it takes to defend her fractured family and save Hanukkah.

Samara Shanker has been making up stories about magic and monsters since she was a kid sneaking in extra reading past her bedtime. By graduate school, she had moved on to writing stories that reimagined the folklore and mythology she had always loved as a kid (mostly still written after bedtime, once she finished all her sensible homework). She now works as a tutor and children’s literacy specialist and gets to do most of her writing during the day, which has done wonders for her sleep schedule. She lives in Virginia with her rescue puppy, Jack Kirby, and devotes most of her time not spent working or writing to spoiling her niece and nephew. She is the author of Naomi Teitelbaum Ends the World and Rebecca Reznik Reboots the Universe.