Evie's family runs a Jewish funeral home and she enjoys helping out. She doesn't normally interact with the grieving family, but one day she befriends Oren, a boy overwhelmed by grief after an awful accident. Oren hasn't spoken a word since, but Evie is set on helping him deal with his loss and discover his voice again. - (Baker & Taylor)

In this novel for middle readers, twelve-year-old Evie befriends a boy who is grieving the loss of both his parents. - (Orca Book Publishers)

? “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.

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

Booklist Reviews

Evie loves helping at her family's Jewish funeral home and hopes to become a funeral director someday. She has only been allowed to assist with tasks like cleaning and handing out tissues, in hopes that with time she may be promoted to junior funeral director. When a boy named Oren, who has lost his parents in a car accident, and his uncle schedule a meeting with Evie's parents, she is asked to lend a hand. Thrilled to finally be helping with a grieving family, Evie prepares to answer any questions Oren may have. However, when Evie meets with Oren, she discovers that he hasn't spoken a word since the accident. After a rocky first meeting, Evie becomes committed to helping Oren express his grief in a different manner. Levy does an excellent job explaining Jewish funeral practices and traditions throughout the story while also depicting genuine feelings and questions children may have about death. Sorry for Your Loss is a sincere story about hope, healing, and a blooming friendship amid grief. Grades 4-7. Copyright 2021 Booklist Reviews.

Kirkus Reviews

Evie Walman does not have, nor does she want, any friends. A lot of the kids in her class think it's creepy that her parents own a funeral home. It's certainly not a normal summer job for a rising eighth grader, but Evie takes her position as junior funeral director very seriously. And despite what anyone may think, she is equally as serious about not making any friends—that just leads to getting hurt. When she meets Oren Katzman after the tragic deaths of his parents, she is eager to help him through his grief during the arduous funeral process, but certainly not as his friend. At first this seems easy for Evie, especially since Oren hasn't spoken since the accident, but when her parents invite him to help out at the funeral home as well, the two can no longer avoid their growing (if mostly silent) friendship. This middle-grade novel is both a celebration of life and a peaceful acknowledgement of the harsh realities of death. It is a heartfelt and expertly written tale of loss, family, and friendship that will have readers blinking back their tears as they follow Evie and Oren as they navigate their way through their new companionship. Characters are White and Jewish. A beautiful and sincere story of death, healing, and family. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus 2021 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.