Children's Book Suggestions | Jewish American Heritage Month 2025

A few of our favorite books about Jewish American past and present published in 2024. For more book ideas, check out our Jewish American Heritage Month 2024 lists or browse the library catalog. Books about Jewish holidays can be found in the general holiday section under 296 or in the Hanukkah section. Books about the Holocaust can be found in nonfiction in 940.5318.

More great books are honored annually with the Sydney Taylor Book Award.

Updated April 17, 2025
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One small spark : a Tikkun Olam story
Spiro, Ruth
Paper Book
Imagine the world you want to live in. If it's not the world you see, will you create it? So begins a young girl's journey to solve a problem she notices one rainy day while walking to school. In that moment, the small spark inside her grows and then connects her to others who...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

The peacock
MacLeod, Jennifer Tzivia
Paper Book
What do you do about a peacock in your backyard? World War II has just ended and Barbara is waiting for things to get back to normal. But, instead, her father has to travel to Europe, leaving their Toronto home behind. His company has a plan to give Jewish refugees jobs as tailors so they...

Bridging Fiction (Grades 2-4)

On all other nights : a Passover celebration in 14 stories
Baron, Chris
Paper Book
On All Other Nights is a joyful middle-grade anthology centered around Passover--from an exciting array of bestselling and award-winning Jewish creators! Welcome to Passover, a Jewish holiday that has been celebrated for thousands of years. The heart of Passover...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Max in the house of spies
Gidwitz, Adam
Paper Book
An acclaimed Best Book of 2024! Instant New York Times bestseller . Wall Street Journal Best Books of the Year . Booklist Editors' Choice . Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year . School Library Journal Best Books of the Year . Common Sense Best Books...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

When we flew away : a novel of Anne Frank, before the diary
Hoffman, Alice
Paper Book
Bestselling author Alice Hoffman delivers a stunning novel about one of contemporary history's most acclaimed figures, exploring the little-known details of Anne Frank's life before she went into hiding. Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl has captivated and inspired readers for...

Children's Fiction (Grades 3-5)

Mendel the mess-up
LaBan, Terry
Paper Book
Cursed from birth, Mendel Schlotz is the unluckiest kid in his village. He's also the only one who can save it. Ask anyone--twelve-year-old Mendel can't do anything right. When he tries to herd goats, they get out. When he tries to chop wood, he breaks the ax. It's...

Children's Graphic Novels (Grades 3-5)

A world worth saving
Lukoff, Kyle
Paper Book
A NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST * A groundbreaking, action-packed, and ultimately uplifting adventure that intertwines elements of Jewish mythology with an unflinching examination of the impacts of transphobia, from Newbery Honor winner Kyle Lukoff. "Rare and beautiful--a novel...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Right Back at You
Mackler, Carolyn
Paper Book
From the award-winning, bestselling author of Not If I Can Help It, a story about reaching across time to find the support you need against bullies, bad friends, and antisemitism. Mason lives in 2023. His parents have just split up, and there's a guy at school who won't get off his...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Benji Zeb is a ravenous werewolf
Moulton, Deke
Paper Book
Benji Zeb has a lot going on. He has a lot of studying to do, not only for school but also for his upcoming bar mitzvah. He's nervous about Mr. Rutherford, the aggressive local rancher who hates Benji's family's kibbutz and wolf sanctuary. And he hasn't figured out what to do about Caleb, Mr....

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Uprising
Nielsen, Jennifer A.
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestselling author of Iceberg, Jennifer A. Nielsen inspires readers with a brand-new thriller based on the remarkable true story of a young Polish girl who bravely fought, participating in the Warsaw city uprising, and took a stand in the name of freedom.<...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

Just shy of ordinary
Sass, A. J.
Paper Book
A SYDNEY TAYLOR HONOR 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...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

The girl who sang : a Holocaust memoir of hope and survival
Nadel, Estelle
Paper Book
A heartrending graphic memoir about a young Jewish girl's fight for survival in Nazi occupied Poland, The Girl Who Sang illustrates the power of a brother's love, the kindness of strangers, and finding hope when facing the unimaginable. Born to a Jewish family in a...

Young Teen Graphic Novel (Grades 5-7)

Uri and the king of darkness : a Hanukkah story
Bait, Nati
Paper Book
Uri and the King of Darkness: A Hanukkah Story is a captivating children's book that blends the magic of Hanukkah with a tale of bravery and imagination It's the first night of Hanukkah and Uri's dad is still not home. "What happened to Dad? Is he caught in the fray?...

Holiday Book (Age 4-8)

Afikoman, where'd you go? : a Passover hide-and-seek adventure
Levington, Rebecca Gardyn
Paper Book
Help the children find the afikoman during their seder! It's a rambunctious Passover hide-and-seek story for fans of Where's Waldo? and The Gingerbread Man. This lively, funny picture book brings to life the Passover tradition of searching for the afikoman-literally. When...

Holiday Book (Age 4-8)


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