Stacy Nockowitz

The Prince of Steel Pier

All four of the Goodman brothers have summer jobs but none of them as dangerous as Joey’s. This summer, much to his own surprise, he’s working for a gangster.

The Atlantic City Boardwalk in the summer of 1975 is no place for a kid like 13-year-old Joey Goodman: anxious, fearful, prone to puking at any moment. His close-knit Jewish family babies him, even though he has a younger brother. All Joey wants is to prove his mettle, to his family, to himself, and maybe, to the world.

On his way to a Boardwalk arcade, Joey confronts a group of unsavory men who have stolen his bag of prize tickets, demanding that they return his belongings. With this bold act, Joey impresses the so-called King of Steel Pier, kingpin Artie Bishop. As Joey enters Artie’s world on the Boardwalk, he finds a place to belong, to feel important. Artie even hires Joey to chaperone his daughter for a couple of weeks. But running with Artie and his crew means questioning everything he sees and deceiving the people he loves most. And when Artie asks Joey for a very dangerous favor that puts his family’s lives at risk, Joey must learn where strength really comes from before it’s too late.

Publisher: Lerner/Kar-Ben
Publication Date: September 1, 2022
ISBN: 9781728430331

"Who wouldn’t fall for a Skeeball champion with a big heart and a nervous stomach? A fun read from start to finish."
– Gennifer Choldenko, author of the Newbery Honor book AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS

“THE PRINCE OF STEEL PIER is a highly engaging coming-of-age story about family, friendship, and trusting your gut. It also comes with a warning: you won’t want to put it down!”
–Terri Libenson, author of BECOMING BRIANNA and the Emmie and Friends series

“THE PRINCE OF STEEL PIER deftly blends wry insight with deep heart to explore big questions about strength, faith, and power. One of the best middle grade novels I’ve ever read!”
– Cindy Baldwin, author of WHERE THE WATERMELONS GROW

"A fast-paced, heartfelt coming of age story of friendship and family. Readers are going to love this!"
– Chris Baron, author of the Sydney Taylor Notable book THE MAGICAL IMPERFECT

Available for order:

AMAZON | B&N | INDIEBOUND

Stacy Nockowitz has been a middle school educator for 30+ years, both as a language arts teacher and as a school librarian. She holds Master’s Degrees from Columbia University Teacher’s College and Kent State University, and she is a graduate student at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Stacy received the PJ Library Author Incentive Award in 2020. She is an unrepentant Jersey girl and an outstanding Jewish mother to her grown kids, Jack and Margot. She lives in central Ohio with her husband, Richie, and their cat, Esther. The Prince of Steel Pier is her debut novel.

stacynockowitz.com

@snockowitz on Twitter and Clubhouse

Tags: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction