How I Saved Hanukkah [Hardcover]

Amy Goldman Koss (Author), Diane DeGroat (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up

A Hanukkah to rememberfinally! Marla Feinstein, the only Jewish kid in her fourth-grade class, knows what this holiday season will be like. While everyone else is decorating trees and hanging stockings, she'll be forgetting to light the candles and staring at a big plastic dreidel. But when Marla decides to learn what the Hanukkah traditions are really about, things change fast. Soon she's got her family turning latkes into Hanukkah Performance Art and doing a wild hora. And by the end of this funny and heartwarming novel, the Festival of Lights is the biggest party in town!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-4?Hanukkah is fast approaching, but to fourth-grader Marla Feinstein, it doesn't seem like a very big deal. While all of her neighbors are festooning their houses with Christmas lights and decorations, Marla has to make do with a plain menorah, a plastic dreidel that won't spin, a mom who doesn't even wrap her Hanukkah presents, and a dad who is out of town on a business trip. With her friend Lucy, Maria embarks on a mission to make Hanukkah fun, and soon has her mother making latkes, her little brother winning at dreidel, and the whole neighborhood dancing the hora. The fun and breezy tone and affectionately drawn characters will appeal to readers who will find themselves learning a bit about the meaning of Hanukkah in the bargain. DeGroat's pen-and-ink illustrations complement this warm and funny story.?EM
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

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

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Dial; 1st edition (October 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803722419
• ISBN-13: 978-0803722415
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,578,005 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

www.AmyGoldmanKoss.net

Born in Michigan. Now living in California with husband, kids, pets, cars, furniture, vegetable garden...
Over-eating, over-sleeping, over-reading, and typing like mad.

I write to, for, and about people between the ages of 11 and 15 because that is the trickiest, stickiest, and most bizarre age I've lived through --so far.
What I want my readers to remember about my books is that they LOVED them!

And YES I do school and library visits!
Cheers! xoxox Amy

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good book for third graders, November 15, 1998

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How I Saved Hanukkah (Hardcover)

I liked this book because it was exciting and I learned al lot about Hanukkah. The book is not about eight nights of presents but the other things about Hanukkah, like why we play with driedels. I am in third grade and this book was just at my level.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Writing Witty Enough For An Adult, November 25, 2003

By 

Heather Deitchman (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How I Saved Hanukkah (Hardcover)

I found this story to be witty and full of humor. The story of Marla practically mimicked my life in a small town with no other Jews. The unknown holiday I celebrated and the massive overly merchandised holiday of my neighbors and friends was exactly what I felt. Marla's character was me, seventeen years ago.

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful author with a great voice, April 9, 2011

By 

Susan J. Berger-corbin "Susan J Berger" (Van Nuys, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How I Saved Hanukkah (Paperback)

I love How I saved Hanukkah. The family and the girls were so well drawn. I can't wait to share the book with my granddaughter. I am recommending this book everywhere. It's funny and a good story.