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 16, 2025
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County) Oregon City Public Library
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P is for pastrami : the ABCs of Jewish food
Silberberg, Alan
Paper Book
Eat the alphabet with all of these delicious Jewish foods! From apples and honey all the way to zhug, Alan Silberberg brings his signature wacky humor to this alphabet of Jewish food. It's perfect for board book readers with a funny bone, and anyone who wants to celebrate the...

Board Book (Age 0-2)

Sophie's monster goes to shul
Asher, Sandy
Paper Book
There's an imaginary monster in Sophie's closet. He's crying because Sophie has outgrown him. She is not afraid of him anymore and nobody else can see him--until Sophie uses her imagination to find her monster a new job.

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Joyful song : a naming story
Newman, Lesléa
Paper Book
Best of the Year: School Library Journal - Publishers Weekly - The Horn Book - Boston Globe - NYPL - Chicago Public Library - Kirkus - CCBC What a happy day! Zachary's baby sister will have her naming ceremony. In the temple! With his...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

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 many problems of Rochel-Leah
Yolen, Jane
Paper Book
Named a Best Jewish Children's Book of 2024 by Tablet Magazine A "rousing historical tale"--Publisher's Weekly "This picture book is a delight!"--Historical Novel Society "Jane Yolen tri­umphs once again."-...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

Too many golems
Yolen, Jane
Paper Book
Award-winning author Jane Yolen brings us a delightfully humorous tale inspired by Jewish folklore of a well-intentioned but mischievous boy who accidentally summons ten golems.   "A truly original story that charmed me from start to...

Picture Book (Age 4-8)

The truth about the Tooth Fairy
Cypess, Leah
Paper Book
A charming new chapter book series about a young Orthodox Jewish girl out to discover the truth about all the magical mysteries in her world, perfect for fans of Marya Khan and Zoey and Sassafras Miriam is the youngest in her family, and she is tired of being treated like the...

Bridging Fiction (Grades 2-4)

Rachel Friedman breaks the rules
Kapit, Sarah
Paper Book
Introducing a charming chapter book series starring Rachel Friedman, a sweet and silly Jewish girl renowned for her peanut butter challah baking skills and larger-than-life personality! Rachel loves being Jewish, but she hates following the rules at synagogue--and everywhere...

Bridging Fiction (Grades 2-4)

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
A joyful middle-grade anthology centered around Passover--from an exciting array of bestselling and award-winning Jewish creators! Named a best Passover book of all time by People magazine. Welcome to Passover, a Jewish holiday that has been celebrated for...

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)

Tale of the flying forest
Romero, R. M.
Paper Book
A spellbinding and lyrical modern fairy tale about a girl who journeys to an enchanted world to find the twin she's never met, filled with lavish illustrations that bring the magic to life, perfect for fans of the Chronicles of Narnia. After her mother passes away...

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)

Ain't it funny
Gurevich, Margaret
Paper Book
For fans of Stand Up, Yumi Chung! and The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl comes an honest and heartfelt novel about a girl who's determined not to let her growing anxiety and OCD hold her back from using stand-up comedy to bring her parents back together. ...

Young Teen Fiction (Grades 5-7)

A world worth saving
Lukoff, Kyle
Paper Book
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 that combines wondrous fantasy,...

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 to balance preparing for his bar mitzvah, his feelings for a school bully, and being a werewolf in this heartfelt, coming-of-age novel for middle-grade readers. For fans of Don't Want to Be Your Monster and Too Bright to See. Benji Zeb has a lot going...

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)

What Jewish looks like
Kleinrock, Liz
Paper Book
Compiled by educator and author Liz Kleinrock and author Caroline Kusin Pritchard, this powerful intersectional anthology celebrates thirty-six Jewish heroes--from Tracee Ellis Ross and Victor "Young" Perez to Doña Gracia Nasi. A first-ever collection...

Children's Nonfiction (Age 8-12)

The keeper of stories
Pritchard, Caroline Kusin
Paper Book
Three starred reviews! In this "poignant" (Booklist, starred review) and uplifting true story of community, a neighborhood comes together in the wake of a library fire to save the stories within, offering a timely reminder of the essential role libraries and books play...

Children's Nonfiction (Age 4-8)

Remember my story : a girl, a Holocaust survivor, and a friendship that made history
Sarnowski, Claire
Paper Book
Told through "moments of despair, heartbreak, laughter, and triumph" (Kirkus), this "inspiring" (Booklist) and "hopeful" (School Library Journal) memoir tells the true story of how a modern teen girl and her Holocaust-survivor friend fought against hate to create change. ...

Children's Nonfiction (Age 10-13)

Uri and the king of darkness : a Hanukkah story
Bait, Nati
Paper Book
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? Could it be that an elephant's blocking his way? Maybe the enemy soldiers attacked? Maybe, just maybe, he cannot get back?" While they wait for Dad's return, Uri and his...

Holiday Book (Age 4-8)

A Turkish Rosh Hashanah
Basseri, Etan
Paper Book
It's Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Rafael and his cousins are shopping in the busy Turkish market for the ingredients for their family's Sephardic celebration. The cousins' adventures require courage, teamwork, and help from some four-legged friends!

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)

On a chariot of fire : the story of India's Bene Israel
Lyons, Erica
Paper Book
Featuring the other side of the Hanukkah story, A Chariot of Fire follows the Bene Israel community, as they flee Israel to find a new home in India. Two thousand years ago, a ship sailed east, alone on an endless sea. The people onboard were fleeing the same war that...

Holiday Book (Age 4-8)

The night before Passover
Wing, Natasha
Paper Book
Celebrate Passover with this festive addition to Natasha Wing's best-selling series! It's the night before Passover, and a little girl is excited to spend it with her family. They read the Haggadah to honor their history, eat matzoh, ask the Four Questions, and more! Celebrate...

Holiday Book (Age 4-8)

Mighty Micah
Yolen, Jane
Paper Book
"Reminds read­ers of the val­ue of stand­ing up to bul­lies."--Jewish Book Council "Unreservedly recommended for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library Judaic themed picture book collections." --Midwest Book Review "The...

Holiday Book (Age 4-8)


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