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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Challah day!
Offsay, Charlotte
Paper Book
"An oasis of Jewish joy." --School Library Journal Baked with love! A family mixes, kneads, braids, and bakes bread for dinner with Grandma and Grandpa in this joyful, rhyming story. Inspired by memories author Charlotte Offsay and illustrator Jason Kirschner...

A family preparing for an unspecified Jewish holiday demonstrates the process of making challah from start to finish. (Picture Book Age 4-8)

Dear Mr. Dickens
Churnin, Nancy
Paper Book
2021 National Jewish Book Award Winner - Children's Picture Book 2022 Sydney Taylor Book Award Honor for Picture Books Chicago Public Library Best Informational Books for Younger Readers 2021 The Best Jewish Children's Books of...

The true story of Eliza Davis, a 19th century Jewish woman, convinced the popular novelist Charles Dickens to discontinue Jewish stereotypes and include positive portrayals of British Jews in his books. (Children's Nonfiction Age 4-8)

The book rescuer : how a mensch from Massachusetts saved Yiddish literature for generations to come
Macy, Sue
Paper Book
Recipient of a Sydney Taylor Book Award for Younger Readers An ALA Notable Book A Bank Street Best Book of the Year "Text and illustration meld beautifully." --The New York Times "Stunning."​ --Kirkus Reviews (starred...

A biography of the founder of the Yiddish Book Center, which has rescued over 1.5 million Yiddish books and preserved them for future generations. (Children's Nonfiction Age 4-8)

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. From Sydney...

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)

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)

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)

All-of-a-kind family /
Taylor, Sydney,
Paper Book
Meet the All-of-a-Kind  Family -- Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie -- who live with their parents in New York City at the turn of the century. Together they share adventures that find them searching for hidden buttons while dusting Mama's front parlor and visiting with the peddlers in Papa...

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

The witch of Woodland
Snyder, Laurel
Paper Book
A young girl preparing for her bat mitzvah discovers she has mysterious abilities in this magical contemporary coming-of-age story from the beloved author of Orphan Island. Hi, whoever is reading this. I'm Zipporah Chava McConnell, but everyone calls me Zippy. Things used to be...

A girl who defines herself as a "part time Jew" learns more about her heritage when she develops magical powers while preparing for her bat mitzvah. (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 identity plays...

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)

Chunky
Mercado, Yehudi
Paper Book
In this full-color middle grade graphic memoir for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Jerry Craft, Yehudi Mercado draws inspiration from his childhood struggle with his weight while finding friendship with his imaginary mascot, Chunky, as he navigates growing up in a working class Mexican...

A graphic novel memoir starring a Mexican Jewish teen whose dreams of pursuing a comedy career on SNL are hampered by a medical condition that requires him to find a sport to maintain his physical health. (Young Teen Graphic Novel Grades 5-7)


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