The Very Best Hanukkah Gift [Paperback]

Joanne Rocklin (Author), Catharine O'Neill (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 25, 2001 | Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

Hanukkah is here at last, and Daniel Bloom couldn’t be more excited. It’s time for candle lighting and storytelling and presents. Time for chocolate gelt and dreidel games and . . . green latkes? Uh-oh. Maybe this year’s Hanukkah won’t be quite what Daniel expects.

And his mom’s zucchini latke experiment isn’t Daniel’s only holiday challenge. There’s that dog who just moved in down the hall. That huge dog with the fierce bark. Ever since being bitten last summer, Daniel has been afraid of dogs. Whenever he hears barking, he feels younger than his little sister, Amy. She loves dogs. Daniel knows that Amy wishes he weren’t afraid. Maybe then, one of her gifts could be a dog. But that would take a miracle, Daniel figures.
A Hanukkah miracle.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The high color of Rocklin's Strudel Stories is all washed out in this hokey middle-grade novel. Eight-year-old Daniel's family celebrates Hanukkah with a zest that comes off as cornball: he and his older brother labor mightily to write a Hanukkah poem to recite at the family party; Daniel communes with a Maccabee in his dreams. The boy's fear of dogsAwhich he overcomes, in order to let his little sister get a puppyAdoesn't make him seem so much vulnerable as namby-pamby. See Amy Goldman Koss's 1998 How I Saved Hanukkah for a middle-grade novel that treats holiday observance with wit and backbone. Ages 7-11. (Oct.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Daniel may be the middle child in the Bloom family, but he feels like the baby; his younger sister isn't afraid of the new dog, Rusty, next door, but Daniel is. To make matters worse, the dog's owner has invited the Blooms for Christmas cookies and hot chocolate. Daniel occupies himself before the dreaded visit by making Hanukkah presents for his family. The Blooms retell the ancient holiday story, light the candles, and cook traditional foods. On the night of the visit, Daniel accidentally drops the lucky dreidel he received as a gift. The dog scoops it up and places it at Daniel's feet, an overture of friendship that Daniel tentatively accepts. On the last night of the celebration, an ice storm knocks out the power and the Blooms' invited guests can't come, so they ask the other building residents, including Rusty, to share their Hanukkah meal. With refreshing, believable characters, this engaging story of a boy's fears, a supportive family, and a celebration that reflects traditional values is a great Hanukkah gift in itself. Ellen Mandel --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Yearling (September 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440415543
• ISBN-13: 978-0440415541
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,375,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

JOANNE ROCKLIN is the critically acclaimed author of several books, including ONE DAY AND ONE AMAZING MORNING ON ORANGE STREET, an Indie Bound book; STRUDEL STORIES, which was a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year and an American Library Association Notable Book, and FOR YOUR EYES ONLY!, which was a School Library Journal Best Book and a Bank Street Best Book. Her early readers THREE SMART PALS and THIS BOOK IS HAUNTED will soon be e-books, the latter also to be released as an App.

Her latest middle grade novel is ONE DAY AND ONE AMAZING MORNING ON ORANGE STREET, also published as an audiobook. "Fully realized characters and setting definitely make this one morning on Orange Street amazing." KIRKUS, starred.

She has a doctorate in psychology and is a former elementary school teacher, presently writing children's books full-time. For several years she taught a popular class in writing children's books at UCLA Extension. She gives presentations in schools, libraries and bookstores and has been a speaker for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, the California Reading Association, and other organizations.

Originally from Montreal, Canada, Joanne lived in Los Angeles for many decades. She now lives in Oakland, California.

Her website is www.joannerocklin.com and she welcomes comments.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Charming story and great gift for the holiday!, November 30, 2007

By 

Judy Bart Kancigor (Fullerton, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Very Best Hanukkah Gift (Paperback)

by Judy Bart Kancigor, author of Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family Hanukkah shopping for my grandchildren, I stumble on "The Very Best Hanukkah Gift" by Joanne Rocklin. In the story, eight-year-old Daniel eagerly awaits Hanukkah - eight nights of candle lighting, games and gifts, not to mention the wonderful food. But while Daniel revels in the story of the brave Maccabees, he has to face his own dog phobia before his sister's dream of a puppy for Hanukkah can come true. To top it off, his mom is making green latkes! GROSS! Daniel faces both challenges, and I've got another recipe. Made with zucchini - the holiday is not about the potato, but the oil, remember - Rocklin calls them "Miracle Latkes," as they use hardly any oil at all. Healthy and delicious, and I don't have to wear them. Now, that's a miracle!