cover image Celebrating Hanukkah

Celebrating Hanukkah

Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith. Holiday House, $17.95 (31pp) ISBN 978-0-8234-1252-5

Leora, the 11-year-old daughter of a San Francisco rabbi, explains the history of Hanukkah and describes how her family observes it. Migdale's photos emphasize the color and warmth of Leora's home, school and synagogue, and Hoyt-Goldsmith's unusually thorough text goes beyond the holiday to show a bit of the fabric of observant Jewish life, e.g., outlining how Leora's father prepares students for a bar (or bat) mitvah, and explaining the difference between a menorah and hanukkiah. It reads like a lesson--not for families who celebrate Hanukkah but for students learning about a holiday they themselves don't observe. Ages 8-12. (Sept.)