Twelve-year-old Leely Dorman has a big problem. She knows the right thing to do, but getting it done seems impossible. How can Leely, the child of Russian immigrants living in Brooklyn during the Great Depression, find the money to pay back a debt to her friend-especially when the Dorman family can barely afford to put food on the table for themselves? In this charming first novel, author Lee Chai"ah Batterman introduces readers to Leely, her brainy fifteen-year-old sister Evy, and Arnie, her tag-along brother, as they face a new neighborhood, a new school and new friends. Over the course of the novel, Leely becomes a faithful friend, an entrepreneur and the first girl in the neighborhood to study to become a Bat Mitzvah. The contrast of Leely"s Jewish background and her best friend Francy"s Italian heritage adds an especially colorful twist to their sweet friendship. But it is Leely"s moral dilemma-and her poignant and often humorous efforts to resolve it-that draws readers into this beautifully written tale of adolescent tribulations and family cohesiveness. There is a life lesson to be learned in every chapter of TWO CENTS AND A MILK BOTTLE, from developing humane values and intercultural friendships to confronting sickness and death. And Leely proves herself a wonderfully capable teacher for young adults and their parents alike.Torah Aura Productions publishes books for Jewish schools and families that help celebrate our heritage and our faith.We have over 25 years of experience as the leading creator of high quality educational materials that enable Jewish children to become empowered Jewish adults.Our books guide and enhance the Jewish knowledge, spirituality and identity of children and their families, and our innovative tools bring Judaism alive in synagogues, Hebrew schools, and day schools.Torah Aura Productions was founded in 1981 by a group of innovative Jewish educators who looked out at the field of Jewish education and found materials that were shallow and dull. They started a company to create new tools for families and teachers that would be exciting and meaningful. For more than two decades, Torah Aura has revolutionized the way Jewish schools enable their students to become empowered Jewish adults, and has helped families make Judaism a meaningful presence in their homes.Some of the areas we publish in:- Torah and Bible- Talmud- Jewish teaching- Jewish parenting- Jewish ethics and values- Jewish holidays- the Jewish lifecycle- Israel- Hebrew- Jewish prayerTorah Aura Productions: Making success in Jewish education an achievable reality.