Award Winning and Notable Children's Books PreK - 8

A moving biography of the woman who created The Tower of Faces, a powerful exhibit at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.

Muriel assumes her family is too poor to hold a Passover Seder this year-- but an act of kindness and a mysterious magician change everything.

Welcoming Elijah by celebrated author Lesléa Newman, unites a young boy and a stray kitten in a warm, lyrical story about Passover, family, and friendship. Inside, a boy and his family sit around the dinner table to embrace the many traditions of their Passover Seder around the dinner table. Outside, a cat wonders, hungry and alone. When it's time for the symbolic Passover custom of opening the family's front door for the prophet Elijah, both the boy and the cat are in for a remarkable surprise.

Over the last forty years, Aaron Lansky has jumped into dumpsters, rummaged around musty basements, and crawled through cramped attics. He did all of this in pursuit of a particular kind of treasure, and he's found plenty. Lansky's treasure was any book written Yiddish, the language of generations of European Jews. When he started looking for Yiddish books, experts estimated there might be about 70,000 still in existence. Since then, the MacArthur Genius Grant recipient has collected close to 1.5 million books, and he's finding more every day. Told in a folkloric voice reminiscent of Patricia Polacco, this story celebrates the power of an individual to preserve history and culture, while exploring timely themes of identity and immigration.

In the new country, Shirley and her family all have big dreams. Take the family store: Shirley has great ideas about how to make it more modern! Prettier! More profitable! She even thinks she can sell the one specialty no one seems to want to try: Mama's homemade gefilte fish.

Sukkot is Shoshi's favorite Jewish holiday. She and her brothers love to decorate their sukkah, the hut where her family will celebrate. But who will win the Ugandan Abayudaya community's annual sukkah contest? While only one sukkah can be the best, everybody wins when neighbors work together.

A little girl grieves the loss of her mother, but she can't grieve alone. When her friends and family arrive at her house to sit shiva, laden with cakes and stories, she refuses to come downstairs. But the laughter and memories gradually bring her into the fold, where she is comforted by her community.

In December 1938, a young Englishman canceled a ski vacation and went instead to Prague to help the hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Nazis who were crowded into the city.

In Eliza Davis's day, Charles Dickens was the most celebrated living writer in England. But some of his books reflected a prejudice that was all too common at the time: prejudice against Jewish people.

Al Rosen, a Jewish man, takes on the jobs of his Christian neighbors on Christmas Eve and day so they can spend the holiday with their families, starting a tradition that lasts for decades. A mitzvah, as Al explains, is a good deed, especially apt on holidays. A strong cross-over read, this warm story is about kindness and differences bringing people together.

The Torah is called the Tree of Life. Just as a tree is always growing and changing, the Torah's ideas can help us grow and change, too. Yoga can do the same. Both can help us strengthen ourselves, calm our minds, and learn to appreciate the world around us. Written by rabbi and certified yoga instructor Mychal Copeland, I Am the Tree of Life encourages us to explore both the world of yoga and the stories of the Bible and find meaning in both.

The biblical story of baby Moses as told by his big sister. Giving her baby brother a kiss, brave little Miriam places Moses's basket into the river. With one quick push, she sends him into the water, hoping her wish will come true and her brother will be saved from Pharaoh's orders. But will Pharaoh's daughter arrive in time to rescue him?

When Flory's ancestors are forced to leave Spain during the time of the Spanish Inquisition, they take with them their two most precious possessions--the key to their old house and the Ladino language. When Flory flees Europe during World War II to begin a new life in the United States, she carries Ladino with her, along with her other precious possessions--her harmoniku and her music. But what of the key? Discover the story of Ladino singer Flory Jagoda.

Gittel and her mother were supposed to immigrate to America together, but when her mother is stopped by the health inspector, Gittel must make the journey alone. Her mother writes her cousin's address in New York on a piece of paper. However, when Gittel arrives at Ellis Island, she discovers the ink has run and the address is illegible! How will she find her family?

A compelling, tender story about friendship and community, grief and healing, and one indomitable girl who somehow manages to connect them all.

New historical fiction from a Newbery Honor-winning author about how middle schooler Ariel Goldberg's life changes when her big sister elopes following the 1967 Loving v. Virginia decision, and she's forced to grapple with both her family's prejudice and the antisemitism she experiences, as she defines her own beliefs.

A boy who has spent his life living inside a shell discovers the importance of taking chance in this "winner" of a friendship story that's perfect for fans of Wonder. Seventh grade is not going well for Will Levine. Kids at school bully him because of his funny-looking chin. And for his bar mitzvah community service project, he's forced to go to the hospital to visit RJ, an older boy struggling with an incurable disease.

Soon to be a major motion picture, starring Helen Mirren and Gillian Anderson! R. J. Palacio's unforgettable graphic novel debut is a story about the power of kindness and unrelenting courage in a time of war.

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.

Ziva will do anything to save her twin brother Pesah from his illness--even facing the Angel of Death himself.

A heartfelt novel about a neurodivergent thirteen-year-old navigating changing friendships, a school trip, and expanding horizons for fans of Rain Reign and Ivy Aberdeen's Letter to the World.

With a masterful mix of comic timing and disarming poignancy, Newbery Honoree Eugene Yelchin offers a memoir of growing up in Cold War Russia.

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 middle of their school?

With the help of her Catholic friend, an eleven-year-old Jewish girl creates a provocative local tourist attraction to save her family's failing motel.

Anya and the Nightingale is the magical conclusion to the Anya and the Dragon duology for middle grade readers--now in paperback!

Like Ruta Sepetys for middle grade, Anne Blankman pens a poignant and timeless story of friendship that twines together moments in underexplored history.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Strong Inside comes the remarkable true story of the birth of Olympic basketball at the 1936 Summer Games in Hitler's Germany.

Anya and the Dragon is the story of fantasy and mayhem in tenth century Eastern Europe, where headstrong eleven-year-old Anya is a daughter of the only Jewish family in her village.

In 1885, few Jews in Israel used the holy language of their ancestors, and Hebrew was in danger of being lost-until Ben Zion and his father got involved. Through the help of his father and a community of children, Ben modernized the ancient language, creating a lexicon of new, modern words to bring Hebrew back into common usage.

Get to know celebrated Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg--in the first picture book about her life--as she proves that disagreeing does not make you disagreeable! Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has spent a lifetime disagreeing: disagreeing with inequality, arguing against unfair treatment, and standing up for what's right for people everywhere. This biographical picture book about the Notorious RBG, tells the justice's story through the lens of her many famous dissents, or disagreements.

A kitten's stroll down a keyboard leads to a celebrated one-minute composition in this charming portrait of a remarkable true friendship. Moshe Cotel was a composer who lived in a noisy building on a noisy street in a noisy city. But Moshe didn't mind. Everything he heard was music to his ears. One day, while out for a walk, he heard a small, sad sound that he'd never heard before. It was a tiny kitten! "Come on, little Ketzel," Moshe said, "I will take you home and we will make beautiful music together." And they did-in a most surprising way.

When my grandfather came to America he made himself a handsome coat! Then he wore it and he wore it and he wore it--until it was all worn out! So what did he do? He snipped and he clipped-- and he stitched and he sewed. . . and out of the still-good cloth of his coat--he made himself a smart jacket! How many things can Grandfather make out of that old frayed coat?

Here's a picture book for all Jewish families to read while celebrating Passover. Unlike other Passover picture books that focus on the contemporary celebration of the holiday, or are children's haggadahs, this gorgeous picture book in verse follows the actual story of the Exodus. Told through the eyes of a young slave girl, author Laurel Snyder and illustrator Catia Chien skillfully and gently depict the story of Pharoah, Moses, the 10 plagues, and the parting of the Red Sea in a remarkably accessible way.

After Papa loses his job during the Depression, Hannah's family moves to rural Minnesota, where she is the only Jewish child in her class. When her teacher tries to arrange carpools for a Saturday class picnic, Hannah is upset. Her Jewish family is observant, and she knows she cannot ride on the Sabbath. What will she do? A lovely story of friendship and community.

One crescent moon glows in the sky. Two headlights shine through the window. . . . On each magical night of Chanukah, a young boy and his sister count more lights shining all around them! Join them as they discover what it means to celebrate Chanukah in a world filled with so many other lights. And look carefully at each of Melissa Iwai's delightfully playful illustrations, in which an ever-growing number of cats and cleverly hidden objects serve as reminders of each day's joyous Chanukah celebration!

A grandfather lovingly teaches his grandchild a lesson about the centuries-old concept oftikkun olam. Gently told and gorgeously illustrated, this intergenerational picture book offers a soothing and universal message for our troubled times.

Izzy's favorite part of Rosh Hashanah is Tashlich, a joyous ceremony in which people apologize for the mistakes they made in the previous year and thus clean the slate as the new year begins. But there is one mistake on Izzy's "I'm sorry" list that he's finding especially hard to say out loud. Humor, touching moments between family and friends, and lots of information about the Jewish New Year are all combined in this lovely picture book for holiday sharing.

Two neighbors--one Jewish, one Muslim--have always been best friends. When they both fall on hard times, can they find a way to help each other? In Fawzia Gilani's retelling of this folktale--which has both Jewish and Arab origins--differences are not always causes for conflict and friendship can overcome any obstacle.

Akiva is just a poor shepherd living an ordinary life, until he falls in love with Rachel. Rachel thinks her husband could become a great man of learning--but Akiva can't even read! Is he too old to be a scholar or can he follow the example of the water in the nearby brook? Water is soft, yet drop by drop, it can soften the hardest stone.

Here's a heartwarming winter picture book that's sure to appeal to families who love knitting. Mrs. Goldman always knits hats for everyone in the neighborhood, and Sophia, who thinks knitting is too hard, helps by making the pom-poms. But now winter is here, and Mrs. Goldman herself doesn't have a hat--she's too busy making hats for everyone else! It's up to Sophia to buckle down and knit a hat for Mrs. Goldman. But try as Sophia might, the hat turns out lumpy, the stitches aren't even, and there are holes where there shouldn't be holes. Sophia is devastated until she gets an idea that will make Mrs. Goldman's hat the most wonderful of all. Readers both young and old will relate to Sophia's frustrations, as well as her delight in making something special for someone she loves. A knitting pattern is included in the back of the book.

A moving biography of the late Leonard Nimoy, the iconic Spock from Star Trek, whose story exemplifies the American experience and the power of pursuing your dreams.

Fleeing the Holocaust in Europe, Marcus moves with his family from Berlin to Shanghai, where he doubts this unfamiliar city will ever feel like home. But with help from his new friend Liang, and the answers to a rabbi's riddle, Marcus sets out to build a unique sukkah in time for the harvest festival of Sukkot.

A spirited picture-book tour of Israel takes readers to the Old City of Jerusalem and modern Tel Aviv, the desert and the sea, Roman ruins, the Biblical Zoo, a kibbutz, and much more. A lively, rhyming story and vibrant, colorful illustrations offer young readers a trip through this old-new land of many contrasts, cultures, and customs. Readers can also look for a mischievous gecko that plays hide-and-seek in the scenes. The end pages include interesting historical information and other facts about the places visited.

Even at the age of nine, little Golda Meir was known for being a leader. As the president of the American Young Sisters Society, she organizes her friends to raise money to buy textbooks for immigrant classmates. A glimpse at the early life of Israel's first female prime minister, who was born in Russia and grew up in Milwaukee, this story is based on a true episode in the early life of Golda Meir.

No one ignores the grand vizier. The most important advisor in the royal court, he was considered the wisest man in the kingdom. He was also Samuel's father. "Make sure Hamza never says a mean word to you again," he had ordered Samuel. What should Samuel do? He couldn't disobey his father. But how would he make sure that Hamza never insulted him again? Perhaps train a monkey to hold Hamza's lips closed, or give him some lemon juice to make his mouth pucker? Inspired by a powerful legend of conflict resolution in Muslim Spain, Never Say a Mean Word Again is the compelling story of a boy who is given permission to punish an enemy. What will he do?

Rifka's parents are actors in the Yiddish Theater in New York, but one day Rifka finds herself center stage in a special role! A slice of immigrant life on New York's Second Avenue, this is a unique book about a vanished time and a place - the Yiddish theater in the early 20th century―made real through the telling of the true life story of the 96-year-old author as a little girl.

A little boy and his family gather at the cemetery for the unveiling of his grandpa's gravestone, bringing stones to place on the grave, in the Jewish custom. They tell stories that help the boy deal with his loss, reminding him of the wonderful memories he has of his grandpa.

In this touching story, a young Jewish girl tries to make peace with the impending death of her grandfather. Rachel's grandfather, her zayde, has come to live with her family. This is because he is dying, she realizes. Rachel can't help wondering where he will go when he dies. She asks her friends. She asks her rabbi. She asks Zayde. No one has the perfect answer, but eventually Rachel finds a way to make peace with the fact of her grandfather's passing. She learns to gather all the moments she can, and to honor his life one small memory at a time.

For years the Galinskys and Lipas have shared Seder, the special Passover dinner. But no more! Mama Lippa shuts her windows tight against the Galinsky voices. Papa Galinsky cuts a new side door to avoid seeing the Lippas. But David Lippa and Rachel Galinsky love each other, and fortunately, they have a trick up their sleeves.

As Noah's wife sings the animals to sleep, an age-old tale is told afresh in a soothing poetic form brought to life with beautiful collage illustrations. (Ages 4-8)Naamah is the wife of Noah, and her name means "great singer." For forty days and forty nights, as the ark tosses on storm-wracked seas, Naamah sings. She sings to the animals, two by two. She sings to her husband, her sons, and their wives. She sings, and they all sleep, finally at peace.

Take your child on a colorful adventure to share the many ways Jewish people celebrate Shabbat around the world. Shabbat Shalom! Beginning in an old Jerusalem market Friday morning, shopping for foods to make Shabbat meals special Setting a beautiful Sabbath table in Australia Friday afternoon Lighting Shabbat candles with a family in Turkey Singing zemirot with relatives in Russia Making hamotzi as a congregation in the United States Parading the Torah scrolls at Shabbat morning services in a synagogue in Germany Relaxing in the peace of Shabbat day in Canada Enjoying a special Sabbath afternoon meal in Morocco From Israel to Thailand, from Ethiopia to Argentina, you and your children are invited to share the diverse Sabbath traditions that come alive in Jewish homes and synagogues around the world each week--and to celebrate life with Jewish people everywhere.

This inspiring adaptation of Shacharit,the Mornings Blessings, reminds us to appreciate the arrival of each new day and to be grateful for all of the miracles it brings. Intended for children ages two to seven, the Modeh Ani provides families with a calming and focusing ritual to begin their day with holiness, joy, and peace.

"Give me your tired, your poor Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free . . . " In 1883, Emma Lazarus, deeply moved by an influx of immigrants from eastern Europe, wrote a sonnet that gave a voice to the Statue of Liberty.  Originally a gift from France to celebrate our shared national struggles for liberty, the statue, thanks to Emma's poem, came to define us as a nation that welcomes immigrants. The text of that now famous poem, 

Purim is approaching and Hershel, the only blind boy in the village, wishes he could help his mother prepare hamantashen for the holiday. If only I could see, he thinks, I could help my mother more.

For generations Nachshon's family has been enslaved by the Egyptian Pharaoh. Nachshon is afraid it will be his destiny too. Then Moses confronts the fearsome Pharaoh, and Nachshon's dream of freedom begins to come true. But soon he has to overcome his own special fear. The story of the brave boy who was the first to jump into the sea will inspire young and old alike.

Drought has come to Canaan and Jacob's sons must travel to Egypt to look for food, including youngest son Benjamin. Their brother Joseph, now governor of the land, wonders if his brothers have changed since the days they sold him into slavery. Would they abandon Benjamin too? Told through the eyes of young Benjamin, the story of Joseph's test and the dramatic reunion of the brothers will capture the imagination of readers young and old.

The war is over, and everyone is saying the South lost. Ten-year-old Jacob would give anything to show those Yankees that not all Confederates are ready to surrender. He gets his chance when he sees a real, live Yankee soldier walking down his street, on leave for Passover. But before Jacob can think of a way to be brave, the Yankee asks him for a piece of his matzoh. This true story about a Jewish Yankee soldier joining a Southern family’s Passover meal shows how common values can overcome even the most divisive differences. Gathered around the seder table, the group discusses what it means to be free--a subject as relevant today as it was during the War between the States and during the Exodus.

A tour de force from acclaimed author Alan Gratz (Prisoner B-3087), this timely -- and timeless -- novel tells the powerful story of three different children seeking refuge.

1242. On a dark night, travelers from across France cross paths at an inn and begin to tell stories of three children. Their adventures take them on a chase through France: they are taken captive by knights, sit alongside a king, and save the land from a farting dragon. On the run to escape prejudice and persecution and save precious and holy texts from being burned, their quest drives them forward to a final showdown at Mont Saint-Michel, where all will come to question if these children can perform the miracles of saints. Join William, an oblate on a mission from his monastery; Jacob, a Jewish boy who has fled his burning village; and Jeanne, a peasant girl who hides her prophetic visions. They are accompanied by Jeanne''s loyal greyhound, Gwenforte . . . recently brought back from the dead.

Adam and Thomas is the story of two 9-year-old Jewish boys who survive World War II by banding together in the forest. They must learn to survive - and they do. They forage and build a small tree house, although it's more like a bird's nest. Echoes of the war are felt in the forest. The boys meet fugitives fleeing for their lives and try to help them. They learn to disappear in moments of danger. And they barely survive winter's harshest weather, but when things seem to be at their worst, a miracle happens.

In this gentle, poetic young graphic novel, Dounia, a grandmother, tells her granddaughter the story even her son has never heard: how, as a young Jewish girl in Paris, she was hidden away from the Nazis by a series of neighbors and friends who risked their lives to keep her alive when her parents had been taken to concentration camps. Hidden ends on a tender note, with Dounia and her mother rediscovering each other as World War II ends . . . and a young girl in present-day France becoming closer to her grandmother, who can finally, after all those years, tell her story.

As a young Russian Jewish girl in the early 1900s, Anna and her family lived in fear of the Czar's soldiers. The family lived a hard life and had few possessions--their treasure was a beautiful china tea set. A wedding gift to Anna's parents, the tea set came with a wish that "Anyone who drinks from this will have blessings from God. They will never know a day of hunger. Their lives will always have flavor. They will know love and joy and they will never be poor." When Anna's family leaves Russia for America, they bring the tea set and its blessings. A source of heritage and security, the tea set helps Anna's family make friends and find better lives in America. A cup from the tea set--The Blessing Cup--became an anchor of family history, and it remains a symbol of lasting love more than a century later. This tender tribute to the importance of loving lineage is a prequel and companion to the perennial bestseller The Keeping Quilt and is told and illustrated with authenticity and tremendous heart.

An amazing and inspirational World War II story about how one man saved the lives of many. Raoul Wallenberg's name may not be a universally familiar one, but the impact he had is immeasurable. Wallenberg was a Swedish humanitarian who worked in Budapest during World War II to rescue Jews from the Holocaust. He did this by issuing protective passports and housing Jews in buildings established as Swedish territory, saving tens of thousands of lives. Louise Borden researched Wallenberg's life for many years, visiting with his family and the site of his childhood home, andlearned his story from beginning to end. Wallenberg himself has not been heard from since 1945. It is suspected he died while in Russian custody, though this has never been proven. Raoul Wallenberg . . . it's a name you may not have known, but you'll never forget his story.

Beginning with Lenny's childhood in Boston and ending with his triumphant conducting debut at Carnegie Hall with the New York Philharmonic when he was just twenty-five, Music Was IT draws readers into the energetic, passionate, challenging, music-filled life of young Leonard Bernstein. Archival photographs, mostly from the Leonard Bernstein Collection at the Library of Congress, illustrate this fascinating biography, which also includes a foreword by Bernstein's daughter Jamie. Extensive back matter includes biographies of important people in Bernstein's life, as well as a discography of his music.

Spunky, strong-willed eleven-year-old Mirka Herschberg isn't interested in knitting lessons from her stepmother, or how-to-find-a-husband advice from her sister, or you-better-not warnings from her brother. There's only one thing she does want: to fight dragons! Granted, no dragons have been breathing fire around Hereville, the Orthodox Jewish community where Mirka lives, but that doesn't stop the plucky girl from honing her skills. She fearlessly stands up to local bullies. She battles a very large, very menacing pig. And she boldly accepts a challenge from a mysterious witch, a challenge that could bring Mirka her heart's desire: a dragon-slaying sword! All she has to do is find--and outwit--the giant troll who's got it!

An Israeli immigrant's journey to become a "real" American. With their mother caring for relatives in Israel and their father driving a cab all hours of the day, Roxanne and her sister, Gayle, spend a lot of time watching television reruns of Little House on the Prairie, The Brady Bunch, and Wonder Woman—perfect examples of perfect Americans. Roxanne is desperate to be like them. When Liat, a fellow Israeli, moves into the "Cursed House" next door, things begin to change and Roxanne realizes that maybe real life isn’t like TV—maybe it’s even better. The novel is set on Staten Island, New York, in the early 1980’s.

The sages of Jewish tradition understood the power of bedtime and wisely put together a Jewish "good night book" in the form of the Kriat Sh'ma al haMitah, the Bedtime Sh'ma.

A soldier tells George Washington the miraculous story of how a ragtag army of Jewish soldiers defeated a much larger force of powerful Greeks, a tale that provides just the kind of inspiration the General needs.

Sholom Aleichem's favorite childhood memory may have been listening as his father read stories aloud on Saturday nights and a roomful of adults burst out laughing. Sholom wanted to make people laugh, too. At school he became the class clown. At home he imitated even his pious grandmother. But Sholom was also thoughtful. In Russia in the 1800s, life was especially difficult for Jews, and Sholom longed to help his father by finding a legendary hidden treasure. It turned out that Sholom Aleichem's destiny was to give his father a different kind of treasure - one of words and tales that to this day bring laughter to readers around the world.

Benny loves to help out at his grandpa's bakery in the morning, and the customers love the crusty bagels with their soft insides. When Grandpa explains to Benny that God, not him, should be thanked for the wonderful bagels, Benny sets out to do just that. He decides to leave God a bagful of bagels in the synagogue at the end of each week. And each week God eats the bagels --- or so Benny thinks ...

It was a very nice Sunday in the middle of spring, in the middle of breakfast, when Rudie Dinkins heard his mama say that Rudie's sitter, Mrs. Gittel, had the flu.With his mother's help Rudie cooks a batch of chicken soup using Mrs. Gittel's secret ingredient: sweet memories of their friendship! And soon Mrs. Gittel, the Chicken Soup Queen, is feeling good as new!

To the Rabbi Yoshe Preminger, Sir, My Bubbeh believes you are the wisest man in the whole world, but I cannot agree with her. You have read a thousand books, but you do not seem to understand that immigrants came to America to escape from mean, wicked people who hurt them and their families. That is why the Pilgrims came and that is why the Jewish people came later. The Pilgrims were thankful and I think that we should be too. Signed by Rivka Rabin

Rather than regret or atone for his everyday mistakes, baker Gershon simply sweeps them into his basement. Once a year on Rosh Hashanah, he stuffs these demon-shaped transgressions in a giant bag and dumps them into the Black Sea. Of course, Gershon must discover sooner or later that his selfish acts cannot be disposed of so easily. In spite of a pointed warning from a rabbi, Gershon refuses to realize that his behavior will come back to haunt him someday. It's only when he is faced with the monstrous bulk of his misdeeds that Gershon finally, truly repents.

A flying goat, buttons the size of sleds, and a castle on Hester Street are some of the widely imaginative stories Julie's grandpa tells her about his journey from Russia to New York many years ago. But Grandma's no-nonsense memories are far different from Grandpa's tall tales.

A retelling of a Jewish folkale reminds readers of the first Chanukah and of Mattathias's bravery in protecting his faith. Once in a far-off village there nearly was a year without Chanukah. The withering olive trees produced to olives for oil, and without oil there would be no lights for the menorahs. Hayim, the poorest man in the village, said to himself, "We cannot have a year without Chanukah. I will ask the Almighty for help." Despite mockery and laughter from the villagers, Hayim asks the local scribe to write a letter to the Almighty. In it, Hayim prays for oil to light the town's menorahs. The poor man takes his letter to the highest hill and sends it off on the strongest breeze. Hayim's prayers are answered, and the villagers can celebrate Chanukah-but many in the town are convinced that Hayim is a thief.

In the beginning there was emptiness, like a blank canvas. Then, in a swirl of motion, the Creator made the world. The Creator wanted to finish everything with a special kind of light—a light so powerful it had to be stored away from sight. When the Creator tried to open the jar of light, it shattered, and sparks of light flew everywhere.

Made on the sixth day of the Creation, a white ram waits patiently in the Garden of Eden. The other animals leave one by one, but the ram waits and waits until he is needed to fulfill God's will by sacrificing himself to save a boy's life.

I painted my world, my life, all the things I loved, all the things I dreamed of, all the things I could not say in words. I painted my beloved Russia, my hometown Vitebsk, the Jewish neighborhood where I grew up, the way I saw everything as a child. During prayers he would daydream; in school he was distracted; and at home he worried about what profession he should choose. But when the young Marc Chagall realized he had artistic talent, he translated his unusual way of looking at the world into color and shape. Chagall grew up, became a painter, and traveled the world, but he never forgot about his hometown of Vitebsk, Belarus, the place that shaped his character and inspired his art.

Lazy Shlemazel is convinced he has no luck.But Moshke the tinker promises him that his luck will change if he sets to work using the 'amazing, remarkable spoon of Pohost.' Shlemazel gets busy-tilling the poretz's field, helping the miller, and baking cakes with pretty Chaya Massel. Although 'luck' remains elusive, what Shlemazel does find is even better. Lively Chagall-like illustrations capture the spirit of this traditional Jewish tale, a funny and thought-provoking look at how we make our own luck.

A Jewish family adopts a baby from Vietnam and her new brothers eagerly await her homecoming.

In 1940, Hans and Margret Rey fled their Paris home as the German army advanced. They began their harrowing journey on bicycles, pedaling to Southern France with children's book manuscripts among their few possessions.

Another Bible story vividly and refreshingly retold by Jean Marzollo introduces the widowed Ruth, who remains loyal to her mother-in-law Naomi, travels to a new city, and finally finds comfort and joy with farmer Boaz.

"In the middle of the night on a Thursday, two crooks--onions should grow in their navels--drove their horse and wagon to the saloon of Reb Elias Olschwanger, at the corner of 14th and Carr streets in St. Louis. This didn't happen yesterday. It was 1919." So begins Anna Olswanger's charming folktale Shlemiel Crooks, the story of Reb Elias and the thieves who try to steal his Passover wine.

A saying: It pays to have a little chutzpah (nerve).With old world charm, universal humor, and just a bit of chutzpah, Simms Taback offers this lively spin on thirteen playful tales—as only he could. Paired with his trademark vibrant and hilarious artwork, these stories illustrate ultimate widespread truths and important life lessons, from the difference between a shlemieland a shlimazelto the idea that just because you can talk doesn’t mean you make sense. Taback delivers the perfect combination of wisdom and humor—just the way your zayda(grandpa) would.

When Daniel is chosen by King Darius of Babylon to help him rule his kingdom, troublemakers in the region devise a plan to have him thrown into a den of fierce lions.

Long, long ago in the land of Egypt, a Hebrew mother and her daughter, Miriam, hide a newborn baby boy in a basket that they float down the Nile River to save the child's life. Rescued from the river by the Egyptian princess, Pharaoh's daughter, the boy is named Moses. When he grows up, he leads the Israelite people out of slavery.

Chanukah on the Prairie is the perfect introduction to a little-known slice of American Jewish history. As many Eastern European Jews immigrated to America, a small few traveled beyond New York City to the West. There, in the rolling plains, Jews from all over Eastern Europe came together to make a new home.

One Rosh Hashanah, a boy overhears some chickens planning a strike. They are sick of being used for Kapores, the custom practiced at the start of each New Year, when people twirl a live chicken over their heads, hoping it will erase their bad deeds. The boy needs Kapores to get rid of his bad deeds. When the chickens are found to be missing, the boy tells the villagers where to find them. The women try to coax the chickens back with grain, the men try to get them back with force, and the rabbi tries to negotiate. Finally the boy steps in to make a final plea. Will he get them to listen to reason, or will they have the last word? This amusing story will be enjoyed by anyone who has ever wanted to be a better person. Full-color illustrations. Juvenile audience.

For 40 days and 40 nights rain poured from the heavens, enveloping the world. Only Noah had been warned by God of the great floodand only Noah could save life on earth. This powerful story of salvation has fascinated people of all ages for centuries.

Join Sammy Spider on his stow-away adventure as he tours Israel and learns the many meanings of "shalom."

It's time for Passover and Pearl and her brother, Avi, are helping to prepare the house for company. Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Rachel, Uncle Solly, and "the two terrors from Teaneck," cousins Harry and Sophie, are coming to spend the holiday at Pearl's house. Pearl frets about getting along with her cousins. Her brother, Avi, is anxious about reciting the Four Questions at the Seder. But as soon as the guests arrive, Pearl and her cousins are too busy baking matzoh, making Passover place cards, matzoh covers, and preparing the Seder plate to worry about anything. As Pearl's family comes together for Passover, she learns the importance of family and faith and finds out that the real meaning of the holiday only grows stronger when it is shared with loved ones.

When Morris the fishmonger and Minnie the hat seller fall in love, Morris comes up with a wedding plan designed to deliver the very best for his beloved bride-to-be... with unexpected consequences. Morris sells all kinds of fish from the lake, in Kensington Market. Across the way, Minnie sells hats straight from Paris. One day their eyes meet, and they fall in love. Morris wants to give Minnie a beautiful home with fine furnishings, but he is only a poor fishmonger. And so he comes up with a brilliant plan -- he will make their wedding so fancy that their guests will have to shower them with lavish gifts. His Minnie will live like a movie star! Morris's plan backfires, of course, but like all good love stories, the tale ends in a happy -- if surprising -- fashion.

King Soloman is wise, the wisest man in the world. One day, the Queen of Sheba--the wisest woman in the world--arrives at the gates of Jerusalem. She has come form a faraway land to see Solomon put this wisdom to work. "Name anything," says the king. What the queen asks of Solomon is startling. To fulfill her request, he must change the birds of the sky--and change them forever. Soon the fate of every bird in the world rests with a small, colorful bird called the hoopoe. The roots of the story of Solomon, Sheba, and the hoopoe bird are deep.

A few brave souls in a Nazi camp are determined to gather nine spoons to make a menorah for Chanukah.

Zeesie wasn't really happy about the visit to her grandparents... In fact, Zeesie is quite afraid of her Zaydeh, who doesn't seem to like children. When he invites her to come along with him to synagogue, she knows she can't say no. A reluctant Zeesie finds herself in a place more beautiful than she had expected -- in an ornate shul amidst a gala party Despite herself, Zeesie is drawn into the mysterious and compelling celebration. And when she finds the courage to ask a question about the Torah, a whole new world opens up for her.

A photo essay in memory of Yitzhak Rabin, the Israeli prime minister who was assassinated in 1995.

Nine-year-old Helen is confused by the disappearance of her Jewish friend during the German occupation of Paris.

That simple truth, whispered in a synagogue, echoes throughout this deeply felt picture book. Adam, a young Jewish boy in czarist Russia, must flee his ancestral home at the outbreak of the revolution. Before he sets sail for a new land, his grandfather gives him a prayer shawl that was handed to him by his own grandfather, who was also named Adam. And so the life of Adam and his prayer shawl unfolds from time past to time present, when Adam has a grandson of his own.

Seven Jewish holidays, including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Passover, are highlighted in these delightful folktales.

A blanket that Joseph's grandfather made him is gradually transformed into many things, from a jacket to a button to the subject of a tender story.

Purim is approaching and Hershel, the only blind boy in the village, wishes he could help his mother prepare hamantashen for the holiday. If only I could see, he thinks, I could help my mother more.

When Michael’s father dies his family sits shiva, observing the Jewish week of mourning, and remembers the good things about him.

Although Bubba Brayna is almost blind and deaf, she makes the best potato latkes in the village. On the first night of Chanukkah, she cooks a special batch for the rabbi, who is coming to visit her. When she hears a thumping at the door, she lets in her guest. Only later does she realize she has served a bear her delicious latkes.

Celebrated in the second week of February, Purim commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people in ancient Persia. This picture book evokes Purim as the most joyous of the Jewish holidays.

The town of Plotchnik hasn't had a drop of rain in forty days. But the town's humble shoemaker, Poor Schmuel, has the power to command rain and much more. What makes him so extraordinary? Nobody, including the town elders, can explain it until one night the Rabbi has a very strange dream....

Using photographs & collages, this book introduces Isaiah, a young Ethiopian Jew, who uses his flute to tell the story of his people -- from Solomon & Sheba to the hardships of modern times.

On the eve of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year, Kol Nidre is chanted to the same haunting melody in synagogues the world over. In this lyrical tale, three generations explore the pageantry and mystery of this prayer.

A 13-year-old Jewish orphan reluctantly leaves her grandmother and immigrates to New York City, where she works for three years sewing lace and earning money to bring her grandmother to the United States, too. 1997 Honor book

Because forty days before a baby is born the angels in heaven decide whom it will marry, nothing prevents the wedding of Leah and Chonon from taking place.

Cohn's powerful narrative tells how two children, two families--one Jewish, one Christian--and a community resolve to stand together against the shameful actions that have been happening in their home town. Her story is based on real events that happened in Billings, Montana, in 1993. Farnsworth's beautiful paintings illuminate the message of the power of goodness.

Depicts a young Ethiopian Jewish boy and his family, including their typical daily routine followed by preparation for and celebration of the Sabbath.

An Arab boy and a Jewish boy who both live in Israel become friends.

This illustrated story sensitively explains the Jewish view of death and funeral practices and rituals to young children. Includes a glossary of Jewish funeral terms and a "Q & A" of most frequently asked questions by children and parents.

At the dreidel-making workshop, Jeremy's friends think he's molding a secret code on his clay dreidel. But he's really making a special gift for his father, who is blind. How will he get his friends to appreciate his special dreidel?

After following the advice of the wisest rabbi in the area, a rich storekeeper discovers that giving of himself is better than merely giving money.

Eight traditional shammes stories--about King Solomon and his magic ring, a mysterious spotted pony, Benayahu ben Yehoyada, and other heroes, demons, and fools--help celebrate the Festival of Lights.

Having left oppressive czarist Russia in search of better living conditions, Benjamin and his family endure the difficult journey and land at Ellis Island to start a new life in America.

The importance of the Jewish sabbath is made real in this North African tale.

A brightly illustrated story of Judah up to the lamp-oil miracle, and how his resistance to his enemies helped the Maccabees to victory.

Daniel is determined to have a birthday party for the world to celebrate Rosh Hashanah.

A homemade quilt ties together the lives of four generations of an immigrant Jewish family, remaining a symbol of their enduring love and faith.

The moving story of a young girl who learns of her grandfather's experience in Auschwitz and then helps him overcome his sensitivity about the number on his arm.

Despite his poverty, Joseph celebrated the seventh day with joy.

Hard times on adjoining farms bring about parallel acts of kindness and a celebration of "how good it is for brothers to live together in friendship."

Mrs. Moskowitz and her cat move from their house into a new apartment and feel a little lost. They miss their house, filled with family memories. But then her son brings her a box she left behind, in which she finds a pair of Sabbath candlesticks. The rediscovered candlesticks and her memories of past Sabbaths help her finally to think of the apartment as home.

A tender evocation of a child's memories of her grandmother introduces young readers to loss & the process by which it is converted into a positive & deeply motivating memory.

A flying goat, buttons the size of sleds, and a castle on Hester Street are some of the widely imaginative stories Julie's grandpa tells her about his journey from Russia to New York many years ago. But Grandma's no-nonsense memories are far different from Grandpa's tall tales.

A cowherd's simple but sincere Yom Kippur prayer is instrumental in ending the day's fast.

Depicts the anti-Semitic terror that finally drives Benjamin Shapiro, his wife, and 11 children out of Czarist Russia to America at the beginning of the 20th century.

Describes the main parts of the human body, how they work, and how Jewish people employ all parts of their bodies in the service of God.

Geisert's etchings dramatize life on the ark at the time of the Flood.

This is the first Chanukah in which Beni is old enough to participate fully. Beni and his charming bear family busily prepare for the first evening's festivities. Beni helps his mother prepare potato latkes while sister Sara makes applesauce for them. The children search for their presents, to no avail, and then brave the winter chill to visit friends. On the way they decorate a tree with red berries and pinecones. Later Beni gets to hold a green candle and repeats a prayer after his father. The first evening two candles burn brightly on the menorah as the snow falls outside. The children teach their friends how to spin the dreidel and everyone sings songs. At the end of the day, a tired Beni murmurs, "This was my best Chanukah ever."

Inge Dorenwald and Lieselotte Vessely have been best friends for most of their thirteen years. They share secrets, fears, hopes and even the same birthday. It never mattered that Inge was Jewish and that Lieselotte was the daughter of a Nazi SS officer--until now. Hitler and Nazism are infiltrating Vienna, Austria, in 1938 and suddenly it is forbidden for the girls to continue seeing each other. Despite the danger, Inge and Liselotte struggle to keep their friendship alive. But will they be able to do it?

A Jewish youth, training to become a rabbi in oppressive turn-of-the century Russia, becomes exposed to worldly ideas which change his attitude towards his religion and his country.

Six million-- a number impossible to visualize. Six million Jews were killed in Europe between the years 1933 and 1945. What can that number mean to us today? We can that number mean to us today? We are told never to forget the Holocaust, but how can we remember something so incomprehensible? We can think, not of the numbers, the statistics, but of the people. For the families torn apart, watching mothers, fathers, children disappear or be slaughtered, the numbers were agonizingly comprehensible. One. Two. Three. Often more. Here are the stories of those people, recorded in letters and diaries, and in the memories of those who survived. Seen through their eyes, the horror becomes real. We cannot deny it--and we can never forget.

A Russian immigrant family living in New York in the early 1900's prepares for the long-awaited arrival of
their mother and baby sister.

During World War II in the Ukraine, an orphaned Jewish boy joins a band of partisans who give him an important assignment against the Nazis.