After being assigned to perform community service at a nursing home, sixteen-year-old Alex befriends a cantankerous old man who has some lessons to impart about jazz guitar playing, love, and forgiveness.

Liz says:

“Sonnenblick’s ability to capture believable voices and to deliver a meaningful story is amazing. There’s some tough stuff in this book but its well worth it.”

When thirteen-year-old San Lee moves to a new town and school for the umpteenth time, he is looking for a way to stand out when his knowledge of Zen Buddhism, gained in his previous school, provides the answer–and the need to quickly become a convincing Zen master.

Liz says:

“San Lee is absolutely hilarious. He causes himself a lot of grief by trying to portray himself as something he is not. In the end, however, he and everyone around him benefits from his charade. This is a fun book that is packed with meaning.”