How I Saved Hanukkah - Softcover

Amy Goldman Koss is also the author of The Ashwater Experiment and The Girls.

Gr. 3^-6. Marla Feinstein, the only Jewish kid in her fourth-grade class, feels like an outsider--especially as everyone gears up for Christmas, including her best friend, Lucy. To make matters worse, her father is out of town, and her mother doesn't take Hanukkah seriously. The best she can hope for is a few candles, a couple of unwrapped gifts, and a dreidel that doesn't spin. Once Marla decides to find out what Hanukkah is really about, however, things turn around. Starting with a genuine dreidel game, her family begins to catch the spirit. Her mom even makes her first latkes (potato pancakes), which leads to a big Hanukkah party for all of their friends--Jewish and non-Jewish alike. A gem of a story, in which a child's persistent curiosity is the means for introducing readers to the background and traditions that make up a delightful holiday. Illustrations by Diane deGroat add to the fun. Helen Rosenberg