In honor of Jewish American Heritage Month, we’ve gathered a selection of this year’s books for young readers that pay tribute to the diversity of Jewish religious practices, history, identity, and culture across the diaspora.


Picture Books and Early Readers

Amazing Abe: How Abraham Cahan’s Newspaper Gave a Voice to Jewish Immigrants by Norman H. Finkelstein, illus. by Vesper Stamper (Holiday House, $18.99, Feb., ISBN 978-0-8234-5164-7). Ages 4–8. This picture book spotlights the founder and longtime editor of the Yiddish newspaper the Forverts (the Forward), which, in its heyday, was a major newspaper in the U.S.

The Blue Butterfly of Cochin by Ariana Mizrahi, illus. by Siona Benjamin (Kalaniot, $19.99, Mar., ISBN 979-8-9863965-6-9). Ages 5–10. In this account of the Jewish Indian community’s mass immigration in the 1950s, Leah and her family leave Cochin, India, for their new home in Israel.

The Hedgehog Who Said, Who Cares? by Neri Aluma, illus. by Amit Trainin (Kalaniot, $19.99, Mar., ISBN 979-8-9863965-7-6). Ages 4–10. In a tale inspired by ancient Jewish teachings, a narcissistic hedgehog learns to care about his his environment.

Jewish Mindfulness for Kids by Blanca Sissa, illus. by Camila Carrossine (Kar-Ben, $18.99, Apr., ISBN 978-1-72848-644-4). Ages 3–8. The exercises in this book aim to teach kids about mindfulness from a Jewish perspective.

Joyful Song: A Naming Story by Lesléa Newman, illus. by Susan Gal (Levin Querido, $18.99, May, ISBN 978-1-64614-370-2). Ages 4–8. A Jewish boy and his two mothers form a parade through their diverse neighborhood to his younger sister’s naming ceremony at their synagogue. The book received a starred review from PW.

My Mezuzah by Ann Koffsky (Behrman/Apples & Honey, $10.95 board book, June, ISBN 978-1-68115-575-3). Ages up to 1. A young rabbit jumps to try to touch the mezuzah on the doorpost in this book revealing concepts of up and down.

On Friday Afternoon by Michal Babay, illus. by Menahem Halberstadt (Charlesbridge, $17.99, Apr., ISBN 978-1-62354-357-0). Ages 5–8. The book shares a glimpse into everyday Jewish life, as a family tries to get everything done in time for Shabbat.

P Is for Pastrami: The ABCs of Jewish Food by Alan Silberberg (Viking, $7.99 board book, Feb., ISBN 978-0-593-62319-0). Ages up to 3. The author of Meet the Latkes serves up an alphabetical roundup of Jewish foods in this board book. See our q&a with Silberberg.

Rachel Friedman Breaks the Rules by Sarah Kapit, illus. by Genevieve Kote (Holt, $17.99, June 18, ISBN 978-1-250-88093-2; $7.99 paper, ISBN 978-1-250-88092-5). Ages 5–9. Weaving religious and cultural customs throughout this high-energy tale, Kapit launches a chapter book series starring a Jewish girl renowned for her peanut butter challah-baking skills and big personality.

Rising by Sidura Ludwig, illus. by Sophia Vincent Guy (Candlewick, $18.99, May, ISBN 978-1-5362-2549-5). Ages 4–8. This picture book honors a Jewish mother’s tradition of making challah with her child—and includes Ludwig’s favorite recipe. The book earned a starred review from PW.

Saliman and the Memory Stone by Erica Lyons, illus. by Yinon Ptahia (Behrman/Apples & Honey, $18.95, May, ISBN 978-1-68115-631-6). Ages 4–8. Inspired by a true story, this book tells of a Jewish boy who leaves Yemen for Jerusalem in 1881, carrying a stone from his house to remind him of his homeland.


Novels and Nonfiction

Across So Many Seas by Ruth Behar (Penguin/Paulsen, $17.99, Feb., ISBN 978-0-593-32340-3). Ages 10–14. This middle-grade novel spanning 500 years focuses on four girls from different generations of one Jewish family, many forced to leave their country. See our q&a with Behar on the family history the novel. The book received a starred review from PW.

The Color of Sound by Emily Barth Isler (Lerner/Carolrhoda, $19.99, Mar., ISBN 978-1-7284-8777-9). Ages 11–14. A talented tween with synesthesia probes her Jewish family’s history in this tale by Isler, who contemplates the generational trauma caused by the Holocaust. See our q&a with the author. The book received a starred review from PW.

The Girl Who Fought Back: Vladka Meed and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising by Joshua M. Greene (Scholastic Focus, $18.99, Apr. 16, ISBN 978-1-338-88051-9). Ages 9–12. This nonfiction book spotlights young Jewish resistance fighter Meed, who played a crucial role in the planning of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto uprising.

The Girl Who Sang: A Holocaust Memoir of Hope and Survival by Estelle Nadel and Sammy Savos, illus. by Bethany Strout (Roaring Brook, $25.99, Jan., ISBN 9781250247766). Ages 10–14. A graphic memoir about Nadel’s fight for survival as a Jewish girl in Nazi-occupied Poland.

Max in the House of Spies (Operation Kinderspion #1) by Adam Gidwitz (Dutton, $18.99, Feb, ISBN 978-0-593-11208-3). Ages 8–12. In this suspenseful duology starter, a Jewish Kindertransport refugee during WWII vows to find a way back home, accompanied by two invisible companions: a dybbuk, or Jewish evil spirit, and a kobold, or German folk spirit, on the other. See our q&a with Gidwitz. The book received a starred review from PW.

The Night War by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (Roaring Brook, $18.99, Apr., ISBN 978-0-7352-2856-6). Ages 9–12. In WWII France, a Jewish girl who has lost everything but her life decides whether to risk even that to bring others to freedom.

On All Other Nights: A Passover Celebration in 14 Stories, edited by Chris Baron, Joshua S. Levy, and Naomi Milliner (Abrams, $18.99, Mar., ISBN 978-1-4197-6729-6). Among the contributors to this Jewish holiday-themed anthology are the editors and Ruth Behar, Adam Gidwitz, Veera Hiranandani, R.M. Romero, and Laurel Snyder. Ages 8–12.

Time and Time Again by Chatham Greenfield (Bloomsbury, $19.99, July 23, ISBN 978-1-5476-1390-8). Ages 12 and up. In this speculative romance, two queer, disabled Jewish teens find themselves stuck in a time loop—and falling in love. The book received a starred review from PW.