7th grader Zippy (short for Zipporah) has a lot going on. Her best friend Bea is interested in going to the school dance, but Zippy doesn't want to, and it causes a rift in their lifelong friendship. Zippy's mom has scheduled Zippy's Bat Mitzvah for the spring, but Zippy isn't even sure she believes in all of that stuff. Her family hardly ever goes to synagogue, and she's never been to Hebrew school. And while Zippy has long considered herself to be a witch, she's never felt her power so strongly as the day she apparently conjures up Miriam, a sad, almost transparent girl with beautiful wings and no memories of her past. Is she a ghost? An angel? Some kind of Jewish spirit? Or something more dangerous?

This story starts along the familiar path of middle-grade friendship woes: "My friend has different interests/is making new friends/is entering adolescence faster than me! Oh noes! Will we not be friends any more?" But then it gets more interesting with the Bat Mitzvah plotline and the witchcraft plotline. Snyder does a great job of winding them together well -- because of the friendship breakup, Zippy doesn't have anyone to confide in about Miriam, but because of the Bat Mitzvah prep, she is able to ask the rabbi some questions about Jewish folklore that help her learn more about what Miriam might be. Zippy's voice is engaging, and there's good representation here for kids who belong to a religion but don't practice it all the time. For some reason I didn't totally love it, but I can't put my finger on why, so if it sounds intriguing, you should definitely check it out. ( )

Twelve-year-old Zippy has a few big unpleasant surprises thrown at her: one, her best friend Bea seems to be outgrowing her, all of a sudden interested in dating and dances; and two, her mom announces that Zippy is going to have a bat mitzvah, even though they are only "part-time Jews." Zippy isn't thrilled with either of these things, and then on top of everything, she accidentally summons...she isn't sure what. An angel? A dybbuk? She calls her Miriam, and along with studying for her bat mitzvah, she tries to figure out who Miriam is, where she came from, and how to help her.

Self-reliant Zippy uses her witch skills and her research skills to solve her problems as best she can. Eventually, there's some reconciliation with Bea, some air-clearing with her parents, and a semi-useful discussion with the rabbi, and Zippy is able to help Miriam go where she needs to go next.

A story of growth, full of good questions.

Quotes

Sometimes important things happen and everything changes, so slowly you don't notice or so quickly you nearly miss it. (3)

How was someone supposed to try to like things? ...Wasn't I allowed to be in charge of my own feelings? (17)

It was like everyone had stepped into the next room together and left me behind. I didn't like that feeling, but I also didn't want to walk into the next room and join their club. (56)

"Most of the rules we follow have both a sacred explanation and a practical one too." (Rabbi Dan, 99)

...the truth is that the most important part of any spell is the words. Words matter more than anything else. Words are power. (123)

"It feels like she's outgrown me..." (Zippy to Miriam re Bea, 159)

"I didn't think you cared about things like that. You go out of your way to, well...be your own person. Like you don't need anyone else."
.... "Mom. I don't go out of my way. I just...am this way. I'm me..." (Mom and Zippy, 196)

"It's hard to see you lonely."
"It's hard to be lonely," I said. "But that doesn't mean I want to fake it to fit in. Anyway, it wouldn't work." (209)

"I think you're wonderful and just want you to be open to all the ways you can be wonderful." (Mom, 236)

...the truth is when things are happening to you, in the present, they're a lot harder to see clearly. (253)

Rabbi Dan smiled, in that way grownups sometimes do when you're most confused, like they think they helped you and it's not their problem anymore. (267)

There's something to learn everywhere you look. (287) ( )