Books to Celebrate Chanukah

 As part of our continuing series on Celebrating the Holidays through Literature, this month we are bringing you a collection of Chanukah stories to share with your children!  

Pop over to the Books for Christmas post to download your freebie, includes cross-stitch patterns for the holiday, easy peasy gift guides, a couple of fun holiday homeschool unit studies, a decorating guide to bring your personal flair, holiday self-care tips, and a cookie recipe collection!

What's the deal with all the different spellings?

There are over 15 possible correct ways to spell Chanukah in English...but why?  "Hanukkah" is the traditional Hebrew spelling, while "Chanukah" is the Yiddish spelling.  Yiddish is based on Hebrew, but also includes influences from German, Slavic, and Aramaic.

In Hebrew, Hanukkah is spelled Het-Nun-Kaph-Hay.  That's four letters, but when they translate into English, especially with the accent marks, it leads to several possibilities.  So Hanukah is right, and Hannukah, and Hannukkah, and Hanukkah.  And so is Chanuukah, Chanukah, Chanukkah, etc...

Hanukkah Books for Kids

The booklist is alphabetical and includes books for everyone from preschoolers to middle schoolers.  

• All of a Kind Family Hanukkah (and unit study!)
• Barnyard Bubbe's Hanukkah
• The Best Hanukkah Ever
• Celebrating Hannukah
• The Chanukah Guest
• Chanukah in Chelm
• Chanukah Lights Everywhere
• The Clever Dreidel's Hanukkah Wish
• D is for Dreidel
• Daddy Christmas & Hanukkah Mama
• The Dreidel that Wouldn't Spin
• Eight Wild Nights
• Elmo's Little Dreidel
• Gnome for Hanukkah
• Gracie's Night
• Grover's Hanukkah Party
• Hanukkah Bear
• Hanukkah in Little Havana
• Hanukkah: Festival of Lights
• Hanukkah Upside Down
• Happy Hannukah, Curious George
• Hershel and the Chanukah Goblins
• How do Dinosaurs Say Happy Chanukah?
• I Spy Hanukkah
• Latkes & Applesauce
• Latke & Dreidel
• Latke's First Hanukkah
• Latkes, Latkes, Good to Eat
• Latke, the Lucky Dog
• 
  Lots of Latkes
• Maccabee: The Story of Hanukkah
• The Magic of the 9 Candles
• The Miracle Jar
• Miracle of the Potato Latkes
• The Mexican Dreidel
• My First Hanukkah
• The Night Before Hanukkah
• Nine Candles of Hanukkah Tell the Tale
• The Ninth Night of Hanukkah
• Peril the Dragon Saves Chanukah
• Queen of the Hanukkah Dosas
• Shield of the Maccabees
• Smelf, the Hanukkah Elf
• The Story of Chanukah
• Way Too Many Latkes
• What is Hanukkah?
• Zoe Discovers Hanukkah at Christmas

Chanukah Movies for Kids

• Shalom Sesame: The Missing Menorah
• Eight Crazy Nights (teens)
• PBS Kids Celebrate Chanukah

Download the entire holiday bundle of book lists for free.  Can't get enough of the holidays?  Incorporate the Bricks Through the Year and History of Our Holidays bundles into your homeschool year, too!

  

Pick up the Jewish Holidays in Literature Bundle!

Each of the ten unit studies in this year-long bundle centers around a book for middle school level and includes videos, cooking projects, hands-on activities, writing assignments, and more.  There are also resources for younger children in eight of the ten units (not in *).

• Introduction to Judaism
• Solomon and the Trees + Tu B’Shevat unit
• The Queen of Persia + Purim unit study (sample)
• Devil’s Arithmetic + Passover unit study
• The Secret Shofar of Barcelona + Rosh Hashana unit study
• The Yom Kippur Shortstop + Yom Kippur unit study
• The Mysterious Guests + Sukkot unit study
• All-of-a-Kind Family Hannukah + Chanukah unit study
• Broken Strings + Fiddler on the Roof + Persecution unit study*
• The Golem & the Jinni + Kabbalah unit*