Joey’s boisterous family has run a senior resort for decades, but casino development is changing Atlantic City in 1975. A run-in with a mob boss sets Joey off to a summer of new experiences, squiring an older teen girl around town as he tries to avoid getting into serious trouble. (Sydney Taylor Middle Grade Notable) ( )

I loved this compelling and heartfelt story! Joey Goodman is a 13-year-old Jewish boy growing up in seedy Atlantic City in the 1970s, during the transition from family-owned hotels and old-times boardwalk amusement parks to the rise of the casinos. He feels overlooked and underestimated in his large family busy with their family-run hotel, so he jumps at the opportunity to chaperone the 15-year-old daughter of the "king of steel pier" for a couple of weeks. Before he knows it, Joey is drawn into a shady world of mobsters and must juggle secrets and make choices about how to live in the world. An entertaining and thought-provoking story sure to be loved by middle grade readers. ( )