The glow of the Hanukkah lights will shortly fill our homes and shine through the windows. The Hanukkah story  is a great story with heroes and villains, suspense, and a satisfying ending. Even when the story is modified for young readers, it still retains its majesty and provides many opportunities for reinforcing  Jewish values.

This year’s crop of Hanukkah books includes some excellent retellings as well as a look at Hanukkah in settings other than the U.S. There have been several books with interfaith families as the focal point. And there’s a delightful handful of Hanukkah books for adults.

It’s impossible for our small library to buy every worthy book. So use your public library as well as the synagogue library for books with a Hanukkah theme.

Try these and other books on display for Hanukkah holiday reading:

Ritt, Melody. Charley and Seymour’s Hanukkah Miracle. Friends Charley and Seymour are sharing Hanukkah; Charley’s supposed to bring the candles but he forgets. Uh, Oh. It’s not Hanukkah without candles. He comes up with an ingenious-and authentic- solution. Read the book to find out what Charley did. (picture book)

Rostoker-Gruber, Karen. Don’t Invite a Bear Inside for Hanukkah. Vibrant illustrations illustrate this silly story of a bear who helps a young boy get ready for Hanukkah with the expected results. The silliness is not without its message of the mitzvah of hospitality. (picture book)

Weissman, Elissa Brent. Hanukkah Upside-Down. We all live in our little bubbles. But Hanukkah transcends that bubble as cousins Noah (New York) and Nora (New Zealand) find out in this story which ultimately reinforces the commonalities of the holiday. (picture book)

Mayer, Marissa. Let it Glow. Twin 12-year-old girls, adopted into different families and faiths, meet at winter holiday time, discover their twinness and learn about the tradition that each has been raised with. (Tween)

Check your library catalog for teen and adult Hanukkah themed books. Romance is big this year in books for both teens and adults.

Hanukkah Sameach!

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Aileen Grossberg

Aileen Grossberg, a professional librarian, is a long-time congregant and serves as volunteer librarian for Shomrei's Lampert Library. The library, one of the best-kept secrets at Shomrei is used by the Rabbi, congregants, students and teachers of the JLC (Hebrew School) and Preschool. It's a tremendous resource completely supported by your donations and gifts. Aileen also heads the Shomrei Caterers, the in-house food preparation group. Can there be any better combination…good food and good books!

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