{"id":264693,"date":"2026-07-15T02:21:37","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T23:21:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/1kitap1.com\/en\/just-shy-of-ordinary-aj-sass\/"},"modified":"2026-07-15T02:21:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T23:21:37","slug":"just-shy-of-ordinary-aj-sass","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/1kitap1.com\/en\/just-shy-of-ordinary-aj-sass\/","title":{"rendered":"Just Shy Of Ordinary – AJ Sass"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I made out rhyme, verse, and imagination in the curve of the letter P before turning to Edie. \u201cIs that what you suggested in our group chat?\u201d \u201cYep. It\u2019s a calligram. The words form an image of what they describe. Usually, it\u2019s something like a cat with words like whiskers and cute, furry menace or whatever, but it\u2019s kind of hard to visualize a school club, so I think this works for the PC.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s cool.\u201d I tried to smile, but my lips quivered a little. \u201cAre you okay?\u201d \u201cYeah, just a little nervous about tonight.\u201d \u201cOh, right! You\u2019re going to a synagogue for the first time.\u201d Which was also called a temple and a beit knesset (the beit there may or may not\u2019ve been related to the beit in Beit Shalom\u2019s name, but I hadn\u2019t come across that in my research yet). There were possibly other words that meant \u201csynagogue\u201d between L and Z that I hadn\u2019t looked up yet, either.<\/p>\n

I flipped a row of green sequins on my arm sleeve to purple, then I nodded. \u201cText me how it goes? I hope you learn a lot.\u201d \u201cMe too.\u201d Nia cleared her throat. The room began to quiet down. \u201cAnd thanks.\u201d I shot Edie a grateful look before focusing back on Nia. \u201cWelcome, everyone, to the first-ever in-person Poetry Club.\u201d She looked over her shoulder. \u201cAnd thanks to Miss Richardson for being our teacher advisor.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nia waited a beat as Miss Richardson gave us a little wave, then turned back to us. \u201cI think we can keep the format the same as on Zoom, with people signing up to talk about a different style of poetry each week, then doing readings, giving feedback, and writing our own stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

My throat felt tight, making it hard to swallow. If I couldn\u2019t untangle parts of my heritage after days of research, maybe I wouldn\u2019t be great at doing specific styles of poetry, either. \u201cSince it\u2019s our first meeting,\u201d Nia continued, \u201cI figured I\u2019d introduce a poetry style I discovered over the summer. Unless anyone else wants to go?\u201d<\/p>\n

When no one spoke up, Nia launched into her talk about the nonet, a type of poem that was like a haiku, except it was nine lines instead of three. The first line had to have nine syllables, the second line eight, and so on until you got to one syllable in the ninth and final line. \u201cSome info for those who are new.\u201d Nia turned back to us. \u201cYou are free to share a poem and ask for feedback.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t want people\u2019s opinions, you can just read it and sit. The only rule about feedback is it must be constructive.\u201d She raised her eyebrows. \u201cThat means no unhelpful comments.<\/p>\n

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author\u2019s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. Copyright \u00a9 2024 by Andrew Sass-Cao Illustration copyright \u00a9 2024 by Rebecca Shieh Cover art copyright \u00a9 2024 by Rebecca Shieh. Cover design by Gabrielle Chang. Cover copyright \u00a9 2024 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.<\/p>\n

Interior design by Gabrielle Chang. Hachette Book Group supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture. The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author\u2019s intellectual property.<\/p>\n

If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the author\u2019s rights. Little, Brown and Company Hachette Book Group 1290 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10104 Visit us at LBYR.com First Edition: January 2024 Little, Brown and Company is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. The Little, Brown name and logo are registered trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.<\/p>\n

The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher. Spiral notebook coils copyright \u00a9 SpicyTruffel\/Shutterstock.com Emoji images copyright \u00a9 Cosmic_Design\/Shutterstock.com Little, Brown and Company books may be purchased in bulk for business, educational, or promotional use. For information, please contact your local bookseller or the Hachette Book Group Special Markets Department at special.markets@hbgusa.com. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Sass, A. J., author. Title: Just shy of ordinary \/ A.J. Sass.<\/p>\n

Description: First edition. | New York : Little, Brown and Company, 2024. | Audience: Ages 8\u201312. | Summary: Shai, a thirteen-year-old nonbinary homeschooler, attempts to find a \u201cnew normal\u201d post-pandemic as they start public school, meet new friends, and learn about their Jewish identity. Identifiers: LCCN 2023006589 | ISBN 9780316506175 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780316506373 (ebook) Subjects: CYAC: Gender identity\u2014Fiction. | Anxiety\u2014Fiction. | Middle schools\u2014Fiction.<\/p>\n

| Schools\u2014Fiction. | Family life\u2014Fiction. | Friendship \u2014Fiction. | Jews\u2014United States\u2014Fiction.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.<\/em><\/p>\n

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