Lauded by New York Times bestselling author Lev Grossman as: “a hilarious, intimate, essential X-ray of the young Jewish soul on the brink of adulthood,” COMING OF AGE is a collection of Bar- and Bat Mitzvah tales geared to a middle-grade audience, featuring Melissa Roske’s short story, “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish.”
KAT GREENE COMES CLEAN (Charlesbridge, 2017)
Eleven-year-old Kat Greene has a lot on her pre-rinsed plate, thanks to her divorced mom’s obsession with cleaning. When Mom isn’t scrubbing every inch of their Greenwich Village apartment, she’s boiling the silverware or checking Kat’s sheets for bedbugs. It’s enough to drive any middle schooler crazy! Add friendship troubles to the mix, a crummy role in the school play, and Mom’s decision to try out for “Clean Sweep,” a competitive-cleaning TV game show, and what have you got? More trouble than Kat can handle… without, at least, a little help from her friends.
KAT GREENE mixes Harriet the Spy with some Windex and a dash of humor for a compelling story about the lengths we’ll go to for the people we love. A sparkling debut.
– Erin Donne, author of The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet
I absolutely loved Kat’s warm, funny, perfectly-pitched middle-grade voice. This book fits perfectly in the heartwarming tradition of Manhattan-based stories from E.L. Konigsburg, Rebecca Stead, Louise Fitzhugh, and Judy Blume. Highly recommended!
– Sally J. Pla, author of The Someday Birds and Stanley Will Probably Be Fine
With the same timeless feel as Judy Blume’s middle-grade books, Kat Greene relays its themes in a similarly clever and entertaining way. I loved the way author Melissa Roske empowers Kat and, as a result, her tween readers.
– Katy Upperman, author of Kissing Max Holden
Melissa Roske gives us an easy-to-love protagonist in Kat Greene. She’s smart, authentic, and very relatable. Kat navigates her struggles in realistic ways and never loses heart. Teachers will want this one on their shelves.
– Patricia Bailey, author of The Tragically True Adventures of Kit Donovan