In the month of Kislev : a story for Hanukkah, by Jina Jaffe.
Without money for even a single latke, the Mendel children
stand under the window of the wealthy merchant, Feive. They just want to savor the rich scent
of his golden latkes. But Feivel doesn't share anything, and when he discovers the children on the eighth night
he insists they face Rabbi Yonah's judgment.
Bubbie and Zadie come to my house : a story for Hanukkah, by Daniel Halevi Bloom.
Bubbie and Zadie are magical grandparents who arrive on the first night of Hanukkah. They arrive in time to share potato
latkes, sing along while the boy and his sister spin the dreidel, and recall stories about the Maccabees and the small bit of
oil that lighted the lamps for eight days. Before soaring off to visit other
children around the world, the grandparents promise to return for the holiday
each year.
Shooting at the stars : the Christmas truce of 1914, by John
Hendrix.
In 1914 France, a British soldier writes to his mother about
the strange events of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Despite fierce fighting
earlier from both sides, Allied and German soldiers ceased firing and came
together on the battlefield to celebrate the holiday. They sang carols, exchanged
gifts, and even lit Christmas trees. But as the holiday came to a close, they
returned to their separate trenches to await orders for the war to begin again.
The story is based on fact, with additional information about World War I
and the Christmas Truce and its aftermath, and an archival photograph taken
during the Truce.
Holidays are a great time to read your old favorites, like How the Grinch stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss.
And don't forget a certain infamous demanding mouse...
If you take a mouse to the movies, by Laura Numeroff
When a boy takes a mouse to the movies, the mouse wants
popcorn, which he strings together and wants to hang on the Christmas tree that
the boy buys for him. On the way home, the mouse wants to play in the snow but
then needs to warm up at home, where he sings Christmas carols and wants to
decorate the tree. His popcorn string is missing, so he wants to make another,
which reminds him of the movies . . .
The story of Kwanzaa, by Donna L. Washington
This is an introduction to Kwanzaa that provides a brief sketch of
African-American history and the origins of the festival. It explains the
structure and customs of the seven days of Kwanzaa, and includes a craft and cooking
project.