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Jewish-Centered Books for Kids

By Skokie Staff Youth Services

Enjoy these books with Jewish characters, stories, and themes, focusing on books by Jewish authors and illustrators.

  • My Mushy Matzah Ball

    2022 by Brooks, Arianna

    A fun board book celebration of babies, families, and traditional Jewish foods. Recommended for babies and toddlers.

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  • Bedtime for Maziks

    2022 by Levy, Yael

    Mazik is Yiddish for "mischief-maker," and these cute little ones are definitely mischief-makers! With rhyming text and colorful, funny drawings, this book is perfect for sharing with your own little maziks! Recommended for PreK-grade 1.

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  • Gitty and Kvetch

    2021 by Pritchard, Caroline Kusin

    Gitty is an optimist while her friend Kvetch is a grumpy bird. When Gitty makes a special piece of art for their treehouse and it's ruined by the rain, Kvetch helps to comfort her. The illustrations are delightful and the story's friendship and resilience themes ring true. Yiddish words are used throughout the book, with a glossary at the end. Recommended for PreK-grade 1.

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  • Two New Years

    2023 by Ho, Richard

    A Chinese Jewish family celebrates Rosh Hashanah in the fall and Lunar New Year in the early spring. Based on the author's multicultural family, it's twice as nice to celebrate both holidays, celebrating the values of family and tradition. Recommended for PreK-grade 2.

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  • Lilah Tov, Good Night

    2020 by G

    A poetic, gorgeously illustrated immigration story of a family saying goodnight and goodbye before setting off on a long journey. The immigration theme is subtle but there, and grown-ups can share the message if they wish. Recommended for grade K-2.

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  • Aviva vs. the Dybbuk

    2022 by Lowe, Mari

    This is a gripping and spooky book about a girl who is the only person in the community who sees a ghostly dybbuk causing mayhem and mischief, while everyone thinks it's her. As the mischief escalates, she herself might be in danger. Recommended for grade 3-7.

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  • What Jewish Looks Like

    2024 by Kleinrock, Liz

    There are so many different ways to be Jewish, including people of different races, countries, languages spoken, and more. In addition to general information about what it means to be Jewish, this book profiles 36 people in 6 categories that reflect core Jewish values like "Tikkun Olam: To Repair a Broken World" and "Pikuach Nefesh: To Save a Life." Recommended for grade 3-7.

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  • The Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman

    2023 by Lowe, Mari

    When a popular girl befriends 12-year-old Shaindy at the Orthodox Jewish school she attends, Shaindy doesn't expect to be caught up in pranks that could cause real harm. Recommended for grade 3-7.

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  • Tree. Table. Book

    2024 by Lowry, Lois

    This unusual and touching book features an intergenerational friendship between an 11-year-old girl and her best friend. who is 77 years older than she is (you can do the math) and is experiencing changes in her memory. Recommended for grade 3-7.

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  • Lucky Broken Girl

    2017 by Behar, Ruth

    A beautifully written story based on the author's childhood experience of growing up Cuban Jewish in New York City in the 1960s. Recommended for grade 4-8.

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  • When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank, Before the Diary

    2024 by Hoffman, Alice

    This fictionalized account of Anne Frank's life starting when she was 10 in 1940 (before the time of the diary) was thoroughly researched in collaboration with the Anne Frank House. Recommended for grade 4-8.

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  • Summer of Stolen Secrets

    2021 by Sternberg, Julie

    Catarina's best friends dump her at the end of seventh grade, so she is happy to skip summer camp and leave Manhattan, NY, to visit her Aunt Miriam's family and the Jewish grandmother she has never met in Baton Rouge, LA. The visit seems to go all wrong, until she learns secrets about her grandmother's past in Germany and things start to fall into place. Recommended for grade 4-8.

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