How I Saved Hanukkah

by Amy Goldman Koss, Diane deGroat (Illustrations)

"Will appeal to young readers who will also find themselves learning a bit about the meaning of Hanukkah...Warm and funny."
— School Library Journal

Marla Feinstein, the only Jewish kid in her fourth-grade class, hates December. While everyone else is decorating trees, she'll be forgetting to light the candles and staring at a big plastic dreidel. The holidays couldn't get much worse. So Marla decides to find out what Hanukkah's really about—and soon she and her family have made the Festival of Lights the biggest party in town!

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Fiction

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marla is the only Jewish girl in her class. When she begins the Hanukkah celebrations, she finds that some of the customs are foreign to her, too. So she begins to explore the different traditions: the hora, the dreidel, even the song itself. Soon, she has restored the joy and meaning of the holiday to her family and even their friends.

[David Rough · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed in this book. I know it is a children's story, but I did not like the main character, Marla. She was selfish and disrespectful. The book reflected some of the customs of Hanukkah but failed to capture the basic significance of holiday: the powerful, transforming meaning behind each candle of the menorah and the faithful provision of God.

I am not Jewish but I have learned enough about the Jewish feast and festivals to appreciate their historical and spiritual significance. I am not sure that Marla saved Hanukkah and I wonder if the truth Hanukkah was able to save Marla.

[Jan Z · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked how the book told the Hanukkah story through Marla's experience as the only Kewish child in school and in a non-observant family.

[Blue · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Actually the Scholastic version

This book did a pretty good job of explaining the feeling of both and in a bad way feeling left out and standing out. It handled the feeling of being in a family where Hanukah was just a different Christmas that means you cannot do Christmas stuff and have to stand out as different for no apparent reason as it is with families that only follow the traditions minimally. I wouldn't blame a child for wanting to dssassocaite with a religion when one's parents know little to nothing and everything you do hear mangled versions of stories and WW2) involve the religion getting people killed.

What was a bit off was how the main character jumped into the holiday so quickly, and that they descided no Christmas lights FOR THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS.

PS There are totally Chaunukahahahkdsjfs decorations - the small blue and white 'happy holiday' decoractions and most of the snowman/snowflake ones.

[Ollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a touching story of a young Jewish girl who really doesnt know the meaning of Hanukkah. She decides to find out how what a dreidel is really for and how to play the game. This book celebrates the miracle of family, and friendships.