In the city that is too busy, the most important thing anyone can do is pay attention.

It is eleven days before Christmas. In a fifth-floor apartment above a restaurant on 47 Street and 9th Avenue in Hell's Kitchen, a man is eating alone, watching the news, when the fork falls from his hand. He recognizes the girl on the screen.

To understand why - and what it means - we have to go back.

Eleven days. Ten years old. Nine blocks. Eight million people.

Angelica lives at Dickens House, a home for found families on Manhattan's West 47th Street. She knows that Dickens House is the kind of place that makes a city worth living in. She also knows that it will be gone by nine o'clock tomorrow morning unless someone does something.

So she does something.

She writes a sign. She stands on a corner. She holds it up.

What happens next involves a man with a briefcase full of secrets, an intern on his very first day of navigating Times Square, two collectors who manage to get covered in three colors of paint and accidentally perform Bohemian Rhapsody inside a submarine, a taxi chase through Hell's Kitchen, and a dog named Reni who appeared from nowhere with a pink ribbon around his neck and has been waiting for exactly this person for a very long time.

And a white feather. And where it came from.

For Readers Who Love Stories where children are the ones who act, while adults are still figuring out what to do. New York City the way it actually is - steam rising from manholes, halal carts, the Rockefeller tree at six forty-seven on Christmas Eve. Books for the child reading it and for the adult reading over their shoulder.

Perfect for Ages 8-12 as a primary audience. Strong adult crossover , adults who love Dickens, O. Henry, and the specific magic of New York in December. Anyone who has ever felt small in a very large city and discovered that small is exactly the right size for the thing that needed doing.

A note on the title: Newyorkish is not a word. It is not in any dictionary. It is the kind of word New York would invent for itself if it had the time - which it doesn't, but Angelica does.

"The city paid attention. We are still here. And for some of us, the long silence has finally come to an end."

- Mrs. Rivera, Director, Dickens House

Dr. Darling James Miramey (Dr. D) is an educator, author of middle grade adventure novels, creative industries executive and policy maker, dedicated to weaving education, culture, and creativity into a more inclusive and innovative landscape. With a Ph.D. in Multimedia Communication & Design and an MBA in Management, Dr. Miramey began his career as a teacher in the New York City Public Schools, working in four boroughs with students from K-12. Here, he witnessed firsthand the transformative power of education and sought to merge theory with practice. His commitment to en-suring every voice is heard, regardless of language or back-ground, led him to serve on the Language Access Advisory Committee of Civic Engagement Commission. Additionally, he has collaborated with stakeholders to drive positive change at the grassroots level as a member of the Community Educa-tion Council for Districts 3 and 14, as well as a CCELL member and The City of New York Board of Education Mayoral Appointee. As a Multilingual Communication Spe-cialist, Dr. Miramey believes in the power of effective storytell-ing to bridge cultural divides. He has developed inclusive, mul-tilingual communication strategies that resonate with diverse audiences and crafted multimedia content that inspires and educates. His work includes curating exhibitions and projects, which celebrates cultural exchange. With a proven track record in leadership, management, and strategic planning, Dr. Miramey is poised to drive innovation in educational pro-gramming by merging creativity with academic rigor. His ulti-mate goal is to foster a culture of equity and excellence, ensur-ing that every student has access to exceptional educational opportunities. He invites others to join him in shaping a brighter, more inclusive future for New York City's students.