Canadian Books for Hanukkah

Annie can’t believe her eyes! The "Santa" in the mall looks so much like her grandfather’s friend, Simon. A Jewish Santa? Annie lines up to get a closer look - and ends up "placing an order". Simon Greenbaum, flat broke, has taken the job at the Winter Castle to earn a few dollars between jobs. And after all, with his long white beard, he looks just like Santa already. "Don’t breathe a word to your Zaideh that you saw me here," he says. "If you don’t tell him that I’m a Santa Claus, I …

Charlotte and her family have just moved to France. Charlotte is Jewish, but longs to join in the Christmas celebrations as the holidays approach - can she find a way to celebrate both Christmas and Chanukah?

Celebrating Hanukkah is bittersweet this year for twelve-year-old Sarah Goldman and her parents, who are mourning the recent death of Sarah's little brother. But when Sarah lights the candles on the menorah, she finds herself transported magically back to the times of her ancestors. For eight nights, mesmerized by the candle flames, she is drawn into the past: a ship crowded with immigrants, an old synagogue in Eastern Europe, a store in the Kensington Market of old Toronto. When Sarah realizes …

Ideal for young readers who are outgrowing the typical Hanukkah picture books, this short, illustrated chapter book tells the story of Jacob Stern and his family, who are visited by a mysterious stranger on the first night of Hanukkah. The stranger leaves behind a golden dreidl as a gift, and late that night, with a magical spin, a girl named Sarah appears to take Jacob on an extraordinary adventure in Latkaland. The two must draw on their wits, courage, and history lessons as they embark on a h …

The people of Kugel Valley are proud of their klezmer band. Ten-year-old Shira knows the band well. Her father Yossie plays the clarinet, while his friends Benny and Isaac play the bass and fiddle. All her life, Shira has watched Isaac play the fiddle, dreaming of playing the fiddle in the band some day Then, on the night of the village Hanukkah party, Isaac gets a nasty cold, and Shira gets her chance. Everybody is doubtful, but Shira boldly takes Isaac's place on the stage, and lives her dream …

A Holocaust survivor shares Hanukkah with a loving family that gives him the courage to remember.