Jewish Americans
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NOTE: RECENTLY ADDED TITLES
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Adler,
D. A. (1999). One
yellow daffodil: A Hanukkah story. Illustrated by L. Bloom. |
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A Holocaust
survivor shares Hanukkah with a loving family that gives him the courage to
remember. (amazon.com) |
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Blue, R. (1997). Good
Yontif. A picture book of the Jewish year. Illustrated by L. Feldman.
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Follow a Jewish family through the changing seasons in
this richly illustrated book on Jewish holidays. (amazon.com) |
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Blume,
J. (1991). Are
you there, God? It’s me, Margaret. |
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Margaret, almost twelve, experiences the difficulties of
growing up and choosing a religion in Judy Blume’s popular novel. (Horn Book, 1991) |
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Carmi, D. (2002).
Samir and Yonatan. Blue Sky Press. (4-8) |
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Riding his bicycle down the market
steps, a young Palestinian falls and smashes his knee so badly that he needs
surgery. For the first time in his life, Samir leaves his home in the |
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Conway,
D. C. (1994). Northern
lights: A Hanukkah story. Illustrated by S. O. Hass. |
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When a storm
grounds their plane, Sara and her dad celebrate the first night of Hanukkah
with a Yupik Eskimo family. By the light of an oil lamp, they share stories,
eat fried bread, and witness the colorful glow of the Northern Lights...a
Hanukkah celebration after all. Warm, wonderful watercolors illuminate this
eloquent story. (amazon.com) |
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da Costa, D.
(2001). Snow in Jerusalem. Illustrated by C. Van Wright & Y. Hu.
Albert Whitman. (1-4) |
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Although they live in different quarters
of |
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Edwards, M. (2004). Papa’s
latkes. Illustrated by |
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This
is the first Chanukah since Mama’s death, and as Selma and her younger sister
ready themselves for the holiday, they can’t help but remember the fun the
family had preparing in years gone by. Then Papa arrives home with latke
ingredients: potatoes, oil, and onions enough "to keep you crying till
Passover.” But can they make latkes without Mama? Schuett’s thickly painted,
double-page illustrations hark back decades to a simpler time. Each blends
beautifully with quiet, unsentimental words that express grief, unspoken
sadness, and fear of the future as well as the love the characters share.
This is a stirring, tender portrait of beloved children and a single father
doing his best to help his daughters celebrate their mother’s memory by
building new traditions atop fondly remembered old ones: "Happy
Chanukah, Mama.” (Booklist) |
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Fishman,
C. G. (2001). On
Hanukkah. Illustrated by M. W. Hall. |
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Learn about the Jewish celebration of light as a family participates
in several activities for Hanukkah. (amazon.com) |
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Fishman, C. G. (2000). On
Passover. Illustrated by M. W. Hall. |
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As her family prepares for Passover, a little girl
learns about the many traditions which are part of the celebration of this
holiday. (card
catalog) |
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Fishman,
C. G. (2000). On Purim.
Illustrated by M. W. Hall. (K-3) |
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As her family sits down to make masks, a young girl
knows it’s time for Purim, the holiday that celebrates how Queen Esther saved
the Jewish people. It’s time for making hamantashen, pastries filled with poppy
seeds and honey. Time to place these pastries in homemade paper gift baskets
with candy and fruit. Time for the Purim carnival, for playing games and
watching the Purim parade. And, of course, time to put on their new costumes
and masks. (amazon.com) |
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Fishman,
C. G. (2000). On
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Illustrated by M. W. Hall. |
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When the season shifts from summer to fall, the young
narrator of this book knows it’s time to celebrate the High Holy Days. New
Year’s cards are exchanged, the family gathers for a special holiday meal
during Rosh Hashanah and they go to synagogue. Ten days later, Yom Kippur is
observed and the family reflects on the past year and looks forward to the
future. (amazon.com) |
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Fishman,
C. G. (2001). On
Shabbat. Illustrated by M. C. Hall. |
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Every Friday afternoon, as
her father comes home with a bouquet of flowers and two loaves of fresh-baked
challah bread, a young girl knows it’s time for Shabbat, the most important
Jewish holiday. Shabbat celebrates the day God rested after creating the
heavens, the Earth, and everything on it. On Shabbat, her family lights the
Shabbat candles and invites the Shabbat Queen to come into her house. They
sing songs, receive blessings from each other, and have a special meal. The
next morning, they worship at the synagogue, and in the afternoon, they study
the Torah and play games. When they see three stars in the sky, it is time
for the Havdalah ceremony, which ends Shabbat, and a new week begins. (amazon.com) |
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Glaser, L. (2004). Mrs.
Greenberg’s messy Hanukkah. Illustrated by |
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What’s
the first night of Hanukkah without latkes? But Rachel’s parents are too busy
to think about cooking, so Rachel pays a visit to elderly Mrs. Greenberg,
whose sparkling kitchen begs to be invaded by an energetic little girl with
potato pancakes on her mind. Pretty soon potatoes, flour, and eggs coat the
floor, and an exhausted Mrs. Greenberg has collapsed in a chair. When Rachel’s
parents arrive, they focus on the mess, and a tearful Rachel apologizes. Then
Mrs. Greenberg comes to the rescue, declaring firmly, "My house hasn’t
felt this lived in in years.” Pattern and bright color abound in Cote’s
lighthearted, cartoonlike pictures, which channel the glow of the menorah on
the table right onto the happy faces of the characters as they sit down to
eat Rachel’s latkes. A recipe, at the front of the book, completes this
lively package, suggested for children who are already familiar with the
holiday. (Booklist) |
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Goldin, B. D. (2002). Night
lights: A Sukkot story. Illustrated by L. August. |
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In a tender story about the Jewish harvest holiday,
Sukkot, young Daniel overcomes his fear of the dark with the help of his
sister, who teaches him about the stars in the night sky and the Jewish
ancestors they represent. (amazon.com) |
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Goldin,
B. D. (1999). While
the candles burn: Eight stories for Hanukkah. Illustrated by |
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Timeless
and contemporary stories for Hanukkah. (amazon.com) |
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Goldin,
B., D. (1995). The
world’s birthday: A Rosh Hashanah story. Illustrated by J. Winter. |
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Daniel is determined to
have a birthday party for the world to celebrate Rosh Hashanah. (card
catalog) |
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Hurwitz, J. (2000). Baseball
fever. Illustrated by R. Cruz. |
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Ezra
Feldman, almost ten, likes baseball more than anything else in the world. But
his father cannot understand why his son would rather rot his brains watching
men swinging big wooden sticks than read a book or play chess. Can an
unwanted car trip, a grumpy old professor, and a surprising chess victory
help father and son find a little common ground--and convince Ezra's dad that
cheering for the national pastime isn't completely off base? (amazon.com) |
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Kimmelman,
L. (1994). Hanukkah
lights, Hanukkah nights. Illustrated by J. Kimmelman. |
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A young reader’s introduction to the symbols and
traditions of Hannukah is also a counting book that follows a family’s joyful
observance through the eight days. (amazon.com) |
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Kimmelman,
L. (1997). Hooray!
It’s Passover. Illustrated by J. Kimmelman. |
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A loving family
comes together to celebrate Passover, during which they sing songs, recite
prayers, eat special foods, and play a Passover game. (amazon.com) |
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Kimmelman,
L. (1998). Sound
the shofar! A story for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Illustrated by J. Himmelman. Harpercollins
Juvenile Books. (K-3) |
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An extended family celebrates the Days of Awe.
Information about the ceremonies and traditions of both home and synagogue
are featured as is the family’s pride in Uncle Jake, who will blow the shofar
at synagogue to signal the beginning and end of the holiday. (amazon.com) |
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Koss,
A. G. (2000). How
I saved Hanukkah. Illustrated by D. DeGroat. |
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A Hanukkah to remember
finally! Marla Feinstein, the only Jewish kid in her fourth-grade class,
knows what this holiday season will be like. While everyone else is
decorating trees and hanging stockings, she’ll be forgetting to light the
candles and staring at a big plastic dreidel. But when Marla decides to learn
what the Hanukkah traditions are really about, things change fast. Soon she’s
got her family turning latkes into Hanukkah Performance Art and doing a wild
hora. (amazon.com) |
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Lamstein,
S. M. (1997). Annie’s
Shabbat. Illustrated by C. Lang. Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman.
(K-3) |
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An idealized family celebration of the weekly Sabbath
holiday beginning with preparation for Friday’s dinner at sundown and ending
with the Havdalah service after sunset on Saturday. (Horn Book, 1998) |
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Manushkin, F. (1992). Latkes
and applesauce: A Hanukkah story. Illustrated by R. Spowart. |
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When a blizzard
leaves a family housebound on Hanukkah, they share what little food they have
with some starving animals who later return the favor. (card catalog) |
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Manushkin, F. (2001). The
matzah that Papa brought home. Illustrated by |
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Bringing cherished Passover traditions to life, a new
book by the author of Latkes and Applesauce: A Hanukkah Story includes a short history
of the Passover story, lively illustrations, cumulative verse, and an
explanation of holiday symbols. (amazon.com) |
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Moss,
M. (1996). The
ugly menorah. |
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On
the first Hanukkah since her grandpa had died, Rachel keeps her grandmother
company, and as grandma tells the story of her ugly menorah, grandpa’s spirit
seems to fill the house again, and when Grandma lights the candles, the
menorah is transformed. (amazon.com) |
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Newman,
L. (1998). Matzo
Ball Moon. Illustrated by |
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Matzo
Ball Moon is a cheerful family story of Passover preparations, a warm
grandmother-granddaughter friendship, the mysterious disappearance of Bubbe’s
famous matzo balls, and the wonderful things that can happen under a matzo
ball moon. (amazon.com) |
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Penn,
M. (1999). The
miracle of potato latkes: A Hanukkah story. Illustrated by G. Carmi. |
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This charming Hanukkah picture book tells the tale of
Tante Golda, who makes the most delicious potato latkes in all of |
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Polacco,
P. (1998). The
bee tree. |
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On the day that Mary Ellen announces she is tired of
reading, Grampa carefully traps and then releases a series of bees so that he
and his granddaughter can follow the insects back to their tree. The
fast-paced adventure story, which contains a moral about the value of books
and reading, features a generous amount of white space and large, brilliantly
colored pictures. (Horn
Book, 1993) |
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Polacco, P. (1994). Mrs.
Katz and Tush. |
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A long-lasting friendship develops between Larnel, a
young African-American, and Mrs. Katz, a lonely, Jewish widow, when Larnel
presents Mrs. Katz with a scrawny kitten without a tail. (card catalog) |
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Polacco,
P. (2001). The
keeping quilt. |
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A homemade quilt ties together the lives of four
generations of a Jewish family, remaining a symbol of their enduring love and
faith. (card
catalog) |
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Portnoy,
M. & Kahn, K. J. (1994). Matzah
ball: A Passover story. |
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Aaron must bring a bag of
lunch to the baseball game, but while his friends are off at the concession
stand, something wonderful happens. (amazon.com) |
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Rosen, M. J. (2000). Our
eight nights of Hanukkah. Illustrated by D. DiSalvo-Ryan. |
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A child narrator describes how his
family celebrates Hanukkah, including lighting the holiday menorah, playing
traditional games, and eating foods like latkes and chocolate coins. The
portrait emphasizes charity, family ties, a limited focus on gifts, and
sharing experiences with neighbors of different ethnic backgrounds. The
cheerful color artwork helps develop the holiday mood. (Horn
Book, 2001) |
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Rosen, M. J. (2000). The
blessing of the animals. |
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When Jared’s friend encourages him to bring his dog to the St. Francis Blessing of the Animals, Jared is excited, but his mother objects because they are Jewish. She says, however, that if he gets four opinions about whether or not to go, he can make up his own mind. Although in places the explanations feel didactic, Jared’s search raises some thought-provoking ideas about Judaism. (Horn Book, 2001) |
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Rothenberg. J. (1997). Inside-out
grandma. |
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Grandma may look silly, but she's got a good reason for
her inside-out wardrobe. Hanukkah is approaching and Grandma's strange dress
habit is a reminder to buy enough oil to fry potato latkes. Why this would
remind someone of cooking oil is a puzzle to Rosie. So Grandma goes through a
list of connected remembrances to reveal the humorous answer. (amazon.com) |
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Schotter, R. (1998). Passover
magic. Illustrated by M. Hafner. |
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Molly and her family celebrate the spring holiday of
Passover in all the joy, magic, and warmth of its traditions and activities,
from preparing the seder plate to welcoming the prophet, Elijah. (amazon.com) |
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Schotter, R. (1998). Purim
play. Illustrated by M. Hafner. |
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Every year, when people are winter-weary and longing for
spring, Purim comes and it’s time for play, time for the annual Purim play,
that is! Frannie’s two cousins always come to Frannie’s house to celebrate
Purim and reenact the story of how brave Queen Esther saved the Jewish
people. But this year, the cousins are sick with the flu, and Frannie’s mom,
without asking Frannie, has invited old Mrs. Teplitzky from down the street
to play the role of the evil Haman. Can this topsy-turvy play go on? (amazon.com) |
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Schwartz,
B. (1999). Where’s
my dreidel?: A Hanukkah Lift-the-Flap story. Illustrated by V. Livney. |
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Where can Max’s dreidel be? As he searches his home, Max
joins his family as they prepare for Hanukkah. By story’s end, everyone, including Max , has what he needs to enjoy
Hanukkah dinner. (amazon.com) |
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Singer, |
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Eight tales by Nobellaureate Isaac Bashevis Singer, one
for each night of the Hanukkah celebration, tell of a world in which miracles
abound, love triumphs, and faith prevails. (amazon.com) |
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Sussman, S. (1988). Hanukkah:
eight lights around the world. Illustrated by J. Friedman. |
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Short stories
depict eight contemporary Jewish families in different countries celebrating
the holiday. (card
catalog) |
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Sussman,
S. (1993). There’s
no such thing as a Chanukah bush, Sandy Goldstein. Illustrated by C.
Robinson. |
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A wise, understanding grandfather helps Robin, a Jewish
child, cope with Christmas; not an easy task when even Sandy, who is also
Jewish, is allowed to have a Christmas tree and Robin can't have one. (card catalog) |
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Yolen, J. (1993). Briar
rose. |
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Haunted by the tales of the Holocaust, a young American
woman begins a search for her grandmother’s World War II past. (amazon.com) |
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Zalben,
J. B. (1991). Goldie’s
Purim. |
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Although Goldie is scared at first, she overcomes her
stage fright to play Queen Esther in the synagogue’s celebration of Purim. (card catalog) |
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Ziefert,
H. (1994). What
is Hanukkah? Illustrated by R. Brown. |
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Josh learns about the miracles that happened a long time
ago and how the traditions of Hanukkah are continued today. The lift-the-flap
format makes this introduction to a special holiday accessible to the
youngest child. (amazon.com) |
Non-fiction:
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Abrams,
J. Z. (1991). Shabbat:
A family service. Illustrated by K. J. Kahn. |
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A family
service for the Jewish Sabbath. (card
catalog) |
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Adler, D. A. (1996). The
kids’ catalog of Jewish holidays. |
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A cornucopia of riches celebrating the Jewish holidays,
this easy-to-use introduction to each of the Jewish holidays gathers together
a rare blend of stories, poems, recipes, songs, crafts, puzzles, cartoons,
and more! (amazon.com) |
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Alder, D. A. (1994). A
picture book of Passover. Illustrated by L. Heller. Old |
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Describes the events which led to the liberation of the
children of |
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Backman,
A. (1990). One
night, one Hanukkah night. |
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Each
night for eight nights a candle is added to the great silver menorah.
Illustrations depict the celebration in homes past and present. (card catalog) |
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Behrens,
J. (1987). Passover:
Festivals and holidays. Illustrated
by T. Behrens. |
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Follows the members of the Adler family as they prepare
for and celebrate Passover. (card catalog) |
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Ben-Zvi, R. T.
(2005). Four
sides, eight nights: A new spin on Hanukkah. Illustrated by |
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Four
sides of a toy, eight nights of celebration, forty-four candles burning in
honor of an ancient miracle, two-thousand-one-hundred-seventy-some years of
Hanukkah -- everything you ever wanted to know about the Hanukkah holiday,
centered on the children’s game of dreidel (a spinning top). Jokes, history,
customs, trivia, science facts (just how fast does a dreidel spin?) come to
life with wacky and informative illustrations throughout. |
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Berger, G. (2002). Celebrate!
Stories of the Jewish holidays. Illustrated by P. Catalanotto. |
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This sparkling collection of stories, recipes, crafts,
and commentary introduces readers to the eight major Jewish holidays. (amazon.com) |
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Brinn,
R. E. (1993). Jewish
holiday crafts for little hands. Illustrated by K. Kahn. |
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Provides simple directions for making over 100 craft
items from easily available materials for Shabbath and various Jewish
holidays. Includes a glossary and summary of the holidays. (card catalog) |
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Brinn, R. E. (1995). Jewish
holiday games for little hands. Illustrated by S. Springer. |
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Dozens of games for Shabbat and the Jewish holidays.
With game boards and playing cards designed for reproduction. Simple
directions, holiday explanations, and glossary. Ideal for home and classroom,
large groups or solitary play. (amazon.com) |
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Burns, M. (1994). The
Hanukkah book. Illustrated by M. Weston. |
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Discusses why and how Hanukkah is celebrated and
includes recipes, songs, and instructions for playing with a dreidel. (amazon.com) |
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Chaikin, M. (1990). Menorahs,
Mezuzahs, and other Jewish symbols. Illustrated by |
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Explains the history and significance of many Jewish
symbols, such as the Shield of David, the menorah, and the mezuza, and
discusses holiday symbols and rituals. (card catalog) |
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Drucker, M. (1999). The
family treasury of Jewish holidays. Illustrated by |
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Recounts the history and rituals of ten Jewish holidays,
including appropriate games, recipes, and songs. (card catalog) |
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Ehrlich, A. (1994). The
story of Hanukkah. Illustrated by O. Sherman. |
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A young reader's retelling of the first Hanukkah
describes the Jewish people's struggles for religious freedom under the rule
of an evil king and the miracle that enabled them to restore their temple and
keep the flame of faith burning. (amazon.com) |
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Fishman, C. G.
(2003). Hanukkah.
Illustrated by M. O. Young. Carolrhoda. (2-3) |
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Introduces
the Jewish Festival of Lights, or Hanukkah, relating the story behind the
holiday and how it is celebrated. (card catalog) |
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Goldin, B. D. (1997). The
Passover journey: A seder companion. Illustrated by |
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Retells the story of the Israelites’ fight for
liberation from slavery in |
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Groner, J. S. &
Wikler, M. (2000). All
about Passover. Illustrated by K. Kreiswirth. |
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The history and customs of Passover in language young children
can understand. Includes the story of the Exodus, all about chametz and
matzah, the tradition of tzedakah at Passover, and an introduction to the
seder. With favorite recipes. (amazon.com) |
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Groner, J. S. &
Wikler, M. (1992). Hanukkah
fun for little hands. Illustrated by K. J. Kahn. |
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Simple Hanukkah
crafts and activities for little ones. Make dreidel decorations, read the
picture-story of Hanukkah, and have fun with the full-color playing cards. (amazon.com) |
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Groner,
J. S. & Wikler, M. (1993). Thank
you God! A Jewish child’s book of prayers. Illustrated by S. O Haas. |
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Presents
common Jewish prayers and blessings in English and Hebrew with simple
transliterations. (card catalog) |
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Gross, J. (1992). Celebrate:
A book of Jewish holidays. |
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Introduces Shabbat, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot,
Simhat Torah, Hanukkah, Tu Bishvat, Purim, Passover, and Shavuot. (card catalog) |
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Hoyt-Goldsmith, D. (1998). Celebrating
Hanukkah. Photographs by L. Migdale. |
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Presents the history, traditions, and significance of
Hanukkah as it is celebrated by a Jewish family in |
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Hoyt-Goldsmith, D. (2000). Celebrating
Passover. Photographs by L. Migdale. |
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Hoyt-Goldsmith and Migdale expand
their series on American celebrations with this offering that details a
Reform Jewish celebration of Passover. Hoyt-Goldsmith focuses on
nine-year-old Micah Kamrass, explaining how he and his extended family
prepare for and celebrate the week-long holiday. She recounts the festival’s
origins nearly 3,000 years ago, describes some of the special foods that are
served, and explains the components and proscribed order of a seder, the
ceremonial meal held during the first two nights of the festival. Illustrated
sidebars depict the ancient story, and |
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Kimmelman, L. (2000). Dance,
sing, remember: A celebration of Jewish holidays. Illustrated by O.
Eitan. |
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A
page or two of text briefly explains the significance of each holiday and its
traditions; the entries are often embellished by a story, song, activity, or
recipe. The book is invaluable for its inclusion of several holidays rarely
(if ever) mentioned in secular children’s literature; the warm, playful
illustrations and attractive presentation make it a sure bet for holiday
gift-giving. (Horn Book, 2001) |
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Kolatch, A. J. (1997). A
child’s first book of Jewish holidays. Illustrated by H. Araten. |
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This
thoroughly engaging introduction to the major Jewish holidays by the creators
of The
Jewish Child’s First Book of Why will delight children ages three to six.
Bright and colorful illustrations add fun and excitement to each holiday
presentation. (amazon.com) |
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Kolatch,
A. J. (1992). The
Jewish child’s first book of why. Illustrated by H. Araten. |
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Presents
thirty-two questions and answers relating to Jewish holidays and customs. (card catalog) |
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Kolatch, A. J. (1997). Let’s
celebrate our Jewish holidays. Illustrated by A. Bloch. |
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Designed for youngsters ages six and up, the author of The Jewish Child’s First
Book of
Why captures the essence of each special day of celebration. In
easy-to-read, intelligent prose, he explains to young readers how each
holiday in the Jewish calendar originated, how each is celebrated, and the
message that each offers us today. (amazon.com) |
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Kripke,
D. K. (1999). Let’s
talk about the Sabbath. Illustrated by J. N. Weider. |
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A renowned children’s writer takes young readers on an
enchanted journey through the Jewish Sabbath. (amazon.com) |
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Musleah,
R. (2000). Why
on this night? A Passover Haggadah for family celebration.
Illustrated by L. August. |
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The rich traditions of Passover come alive in this
contemporary family haggadah. As children and adults gather at the seder
dinner to remember the Israelites’ journey from slavery to freedom, this
creative yet authentic haggadah will guide and engage them. It takes children
beyond the Four Questions and the search for the afikoman, encouraging them to
enjoy every step of the seder. Through stories, songs, poems, activities, and
explanations, children can step back in time to experience the exodus as if
they themselves were leaving |
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Nerlove,
M. (2000). Shabbat.
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A simple and lovely story about Shabbat - the Jewish
Sabbath - that young children are sure to enjoy again and again. (amazon.com) |
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Russo, M.
(2005). Always
remember me: How one family survived World War II. Schwartz/Atheneum. (3-5) |
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In a
moving picture book, Russo tells her Jewish family’s story of Holocaust
survival. She remembers herself as a small child visiting her grandmother,
Oma, who tells Russo the family history with photos stretching back to Oma’s
youth and marriage before World War I. Children will need help to understand
the multigenerational time frame and to keep track of who’s who; in fact, the
book may appeal more to adults than to young readers. But Russo personalizes
the history with photo-album entries printed on the endpapers, and her
gouache illustrations, framed like photos, show the individuality and
strength of family members as they faced the Nazis who sought to destroy all
Jews. Miraculously, Oma and her three daughters, two of whom were in the
camps, survived to be reunited in the |
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Silverman,
M. (1999). Festival
of lights: The story of Hanukkah. Illustrated by C. S. Ewing. |
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Here is a moving retelling of a timeless story. Young
readers will also find the legend of the menorah, instructions for making a
dreidel, and the music for a traditional holiday song. (amazon.com) |
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Simon,
N. (1998). The
story of Hanukkah. Illustrated by L. Gore. |
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