Children's Book Suggestions | Jewish American Heritage Month

Celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month with these books about Jewish kids of all ages! More books about Jewish characters can be found in our online catalog.

For books about specific Jewish holidays, check out our Holiday books. Hanukkah has its own section and the rest are in the general Holiday section under 296.

For readers looking for books about the Holocaust, browse books about the Holocaust in the online catalog or check out 940.5318 in the Children's Nonfiction section.

Updated February 15, 2024
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County)Oregon City Public Library
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Mazal bueno!
Aroeste, Sarah
Paper Book
Parents celebrate baby's first grin to baby's first word, and all the milestones in between in this book featuring Ladino words, the language of the Sephardic Jewish community. Mazal bueno! Go, baby go!

A sweet board book introduction to simple words and phrases in Ladino. (Board Book Age 2-4)

Just shy of ordinary
Sass, A. J.
Paper Book
In this heartfelt novel about family, friendship, and identity perfect for fans of The List of Things That Will Not Change and Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World, a thirteen-year-old nonbinary kid discovers that life doesn't always go according to plan--especially when they start...

A nonbinary, autistic middle schooler adjusts to life post-pandemic despite questions about identity, friendships, and relationships that complicate their "new normal" routine. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Black bird, blue road
Pasternack, Sofiya
Paper Book
In this historical fantasy novel, praised as a "rich, omen-filled journey that powerfully shows love and its limits*" and "propulsive, wise, and heartbreaking,"** Ziva will do anything to save her twin brother Pesah from his illness--even facing the Angel of Death himself....

A girls is determined to save her brother, who has leprosy, from the Angel of Death in this fantasy story inspired by medieval central Asian Jewish communities. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Honey and me
Drazin, Meira
Paper Book
Fans of Judy Blume, The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, and The Penderwicks will love this funny, charismatic story of a Jewish girl striving to forge her own identity in the shadow of her fearless best friend. **A 2023 Sydney Taylor Award Honor Book!** **A...

BFFs find their friendship tested when they start sixth grade at the same school for the first time. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

A place at the table
Faruqi, Saadia
Paper Book
A timely, accessible, and beautifully written story exploring themes of food, friendship, family and what it means to belong, featuring sixth graders Sara, a Pakistani American, and Elizabeth, a white, Jewish girl taking a South Asian cooking class taught by Sara's mom. Sixth graders Sara...

A South Asian cooking class brings Sara, a Pakistani American, and Elizabeth, a white Jewish girl together who overcome their differences to create a British-Pakistani fusion cuisine for a cooking competition. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

The many mysteries of the Finkel family
Kapit, Sarah
Paper Book
Fans of the Penderwicks and the Vanderbeekers, meet the Finkel family in this middle grade novel about two autistic sisters, their detective agency, and life's most consequential mysteries. When twelve-year-old Lara Finkel starts her very own detective agency, FIASCCO (Finkel...
A pair of Jewish, autistic sisters launch a detective agency as they navigate middle school and difficult family dynamics. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)
Linked
Korman, Gordon
Paper Book
An unforgettable novel from the New York Times bestselling Gordon Korman. Link, Michael, and Dana live in a quiet town. But it's woken up very quickly when someone sneaks into school and vandalizes it with a swastika. Nobody can believe it. How could such a symbol of hate end up in the...

Told in three different voices, a group of middle schoolers try to unravel the mystery of anti-Semitic vandalism that appears on school property. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Becoming Brianna
Libenson, Terri
Paper Book
New York Times bestseller! Terri Libenson returns with another endearing, relatable story of friendship and finding confidence. Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Jennifer L. Holm. Middle school is full of challenges. Everyone knows how much brainy Bri likes the spotlight (not...

A girl who prefers not to be the center of attention navigates school and family challenges when her mom pushes her into a Bat Mitvah she isn't totally ready for. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Ring of Solomon
Polydoros, Aden
Paper Book
"Will keep you on the edge of your seat and grinning until the last page!" --Greg Howard, author of The Whispers and The Visitors This exciting and adventurous start to a middle-grade trilogy follows a queer boy and his family as they try to halt the chaotic...

An epic fantasy adventure starring a queer Jewish teen boy who summons a demon from Jewish mythology to help him deal with bullies at school. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

All-of-a-kind family
Taylor, Sydney
Audiobook
It's the turn of the century in New York's Lower East Side and a sense of adventure and excitement abounds for five young sisters-Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte and Gertie. Follow along as they search for hidden buttons while dusting Mama's front parlor, or explore the basement warehouse of Papa's...

The OG Jewish classic featuring a Jewish family growing up in turn-of-the-century New York City. (Children's Fiction Grades 3-5)

Turtle boy
Wolkenstein, M. Evan
Paper Book
SYDNEY TAYLOR BOOK AWARD WINNER   A boy who has spent his life living inside a shell discovers the importance of taking chance in this "winner" (Booklist, starred review) of a friendship story that's perfect for fans of Wonder. Seventh grade is not...

A bar mitzvah volunteer project to befriend a terminally ill peer helps a shy middle schooler with a medical condition that causes a receding chin come out of his shell and process some long-buried grief. (Young Teen Fiction Grades 5-7)

Two tribes
Bowen Cohen, Emily
Paper Book
In her poignant debut graphic novel inspired by her own life, Emily Bowen Cohen embraces the complexity, meaning, and deep love that comes from being part of two vibrant tribes. Mia is still getting used to living with her mom and stepfather, and to the new role their Jewish...

A Jewish/Muscogee teen embraces both sides of her heritage when she runs off to Oklahoma to learn more about her dad's Indigenous side of the family. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)


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