We are thrilled to announce that author Suri Rosen has won a Canadian Jewish Literary Award in the Youth Literature category for her debut YA novel, Playing with Matches!
Join us at the Canadian Jewish Literary Awards Ceremony at York University at 2:00p.m. on October 18, 2015.
Tribute Communities Recital Hall
Room 120, Accolade East Building
York University
4700 Keele St.
Toronto, ON
Please register in advance at cjlawards.eventbrite.ca. Admission is free. Find a full list of award recipients here.
About Playing with Matches
A comic tale of what can go wrong when you try to make things right
When 16-year-old Raina Resnick is expelled from her Manhattan private school, she’s sent to live with her strict aunt — but Raina feels like she’s persona non grata no matter where she goes. Her sister, Leah, blames her for her broken engagement, and she’s a social pariah at her new school. In the tight-knit Jewish community, Raina finds she is good at one thing: matchmaking! As the anonymous “Match- Maven,” Raina sets up hopeless singles desperate to find the One. A cross between Jane Austen’s Emma, Dear Abby, and Yenta the matchmaker, Raina’s double life soon has her barely staying awake in class. Can she find the perfect match for her sister and get back on her good side, or will her tanking grades mean a second expulsion? In her debut novel, Suri Rosen creates a comic and heartwarming story of one girl trying to find happiness for others, and redemption for herself.
Praise for the Book
“Charming . . . Rosen gives us a coming-of-age tale with a twist featuring a fun heroine who puts 100 per cent toward creating a happy ending.” — Quill & Quire
“This charming story of growing up and owning up, will ring true with readers, particularly those who share her cultural traditions.” — School Library Journal
“Fizzy, funny and ultimately redemptive.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Suri Rosen has created a set of characters fully realized. Each has positive traits and some flaws, making them inherently human. . . . Readers may want to keep a box of tissues nearby.” — Jewish Book Council
“Playing with Matches is compulsively readable. It is absolute fun, and Raina is the best kind of narrator.” — CM: Canadian Review of Materials
“This is a funny, refreshing look at the challenges of being a teenager, when the world seems against you no matter how hard you try to make things right . . . because Rosen chooses to amuse rather than preach, her gentle lesson about self-discovery and forgiveness will resonate with young adult readers.” — National Reading Campaign
“Besides being a sweet, big-hearted coming-of-age comedy, this offers a fascinating glimpse into the importance of the matchmaking role in observant Jewish communities.” — The Bulletin of The Center for Children’s Books
"Breezy and entertaining." — Ottawa Jewish Bulletin