Building your Jewish library at home or in the classroom
In the field of Judaic literature for children, there are many options, and it can be overwhelming. Many parents and teachers may find it difficult to select and purchase a core collection for the home or classroom library.
The following list, arranged by broad subject areas was developed by a librarian with the hope of making your task (and pleasure) of selecting Jewish literature for your children less overwhelming.
Ms. Ellen Cole is the Chair of the Sydney Taylor Awards Committee of the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL). She is also a librarian at Temple Isaiah in Los Angeles, CA.
Key
Means a picture book for children in grades K-3
Marks winners of the Sydney Taylor Award
Marks honor books (runners-up) for the Sydney Taylor Award
| BIBLE STORIES |
| | | Prenslau | Jewish Children's Bible (Vol 1-5) |
| | Bogot | Becky and Benny Thank G-d |
| | Singer | Why Noah Chose the Dove |
| | Wildsmith | Joseph |
| | Gerstein | Jonah and the Two Great Fish |
| | Renberg | King Solomon and the Bee |
| | Gelman | Queen Esther Saves Her People |
| | Wolkstein | Esther's Story (also a Purim story) |
| FOLKTALES |
| | Jaffe | The Mysterious Visitor |
|
| | Patterson | Angels, Prophets, Rabbis and Kings...Stories of the Jewish People |
|
| | Schwartz /Rush | The Diamond Tree |
|
| | Davis | Bone Button Borscht |
|
| | Hirsh | Could Anything Be Worse? |
|
| | Prose | Dybbuk: A Story Made In Heaven |
|
| | | Prose | Angel's Mistake: Stories of Chelm |
|
| | | Sanfield | Feather Merchants & Other Tales of the Fools of Chelm |
|
| | | Singer | Fools of Chelm and Their History |
|
| | | Podwal | Golem: Giant Made of Mud |
|
| | | Rogasky | The Golem |
|
| IDENTITY/YIDDISH TAM/HUMOR |
| | | Blume | Are You There G-d? It's Me, Margaret |
|
| | Gilman | Something from Nothing |
|
| | | Meyer | Gideon's People |
|
| | Oberman | Always Prayer Shawl |
|
| | | Newman | Fat Chance |
|
| | Polacco | Keeping Quilt |
|
| | Rael | What Zeesie Saw on Delancey Street |
|
| | Greene | What His Father Did |
|
| | | Kimmel | Adventures of Hershel of Ostropol |
|
| | | Levitin | The Singing Mountain |
|
| | Sofer | Shalom Haver |
|
| IMMIGRATION & ASSIMILATION/JEWISH LIFE IN AMERICA |
| | | Batterman | Two Cents and a Milk Bottle |
|
| | | Bierman | Journey to Ellis Island: How My Father Came to America |
|
| | Cohen | Molly's Pilgrim |
|
| | | Ducharme | The Treasure in the Tiny Blue Tin |
|
| | Hesse | Letter from Rivka |
|
| | Hest | When Jessie Came Across the Sea |
|
| | | Krantz | Look to the Hills (Colorado) |
|
| | Lasky | Marven of the Great North Woods (Logging Camps) |
|
| | Ross | Buba Leah and Her Paper Children |
|
| | | Schnur | Koufax Dilemma (sports) |
|
| | | Taylor | All-of-a-Kind-Family (series of 5 books) (New York) |
|
| | | Wiseman | A Place Not Home |
|
| HISTORY |
| | | Greene | One Foot Ashore |
|
| | Matas | Sworn Enemies |
|
| | | Miklowitz | Masada: The Last Fortress |
|
| | | Roseman | Cardinal's Snuff Box/choose your own adventure active reading |
|
| | Schrier | On Wings of Eagles: An Ethiopian Boy's Story |
|
| | | Schur | Day of Delight (also a Sabbath story) |
|
| | | Schur | Sacred Shadows |
|
| | Schur | When I Left My Village |
|
| ANTI-SEMITISM |
| | | Cohn | The Christmas Menorahs |
| | | Irwin | Sarah with an H |
| | | Meyer | Drummers of Jericho |
| HOLOCAUST |
| | | Douglas | The Broken Mirror |
| | | Drucker | Jacob's Rescue |
| | | Frank | Diary of Anne Frank |
| | | Gold | Memories of Anne Frank |
| | Hoestlandt | Star of Fear, Star of Hope |
| | | Jules | Grey Striped Shirt |
| | | Levitin | Journey to America (sequels set in LA) |
| | Lowry | Number the Stars |
| | Orlev | Island on Bird Street |
| | | Orlev | Lydia, Queen of Palestine (also Israel) |
| | Schnur | The Shadow Children |
| | | Silton | Of Heroes, Hooks and Heirlooms |
| | | Vos | Anna is Still Here |
| | Vos | Dancing on the Bridge of Avignon |
| | Yolen | Devil's Arithmetic |
| ISRAEL |
| | | Banks | One More River
|
| | Edwards | Chicken Man |
| | | Matas | After the War |
| | | Matas | The Garden |
| | | Semel | Flying Lessons (also Holocaust) |
| | Steiner | On Eagles Wings and Other Things |
| | | Waldman | The Golden City |
| | Waldman | Two Brothers |
| | Waldman | The Never-Ending Greenness |
| MIDRASH |
| | | Waldman Gellman | Does G-d Have a Big Toe? |
| HOLIDAYS |
| | Fishman/Hall | Holiday Series (ex. On Passover) |
| | Topek | Noah Stories (ex. A Turn for Noah) |
| | Zalben | Holiday Series of Benni |
| | Jaffe | Uninvited Guest |
| | Goldin | World's Birthday |
| | Cohen | Yussel's Prayer |
| | Fishman | On Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur |
| | Siegel | The Magic of Kol Nidre |
| | Goldin | Night Lights |
| | Lepon | Hillel Builds a House |
| | Polacco | Tikvah Means Hope (Calif. setting & news story) |
| | Rael | When Zayde Danced on Eldridge Street |
| | Feder | Judah Who Always Said No |
| | Hoyt-Goldsmith | Celebrating Hanukkah |
| | Jaffe | Month of Kislev |
| | Kimmel | Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins |
| | Kimmel | When Mindy Saved Hanukkah |
| | Oberman | By the Hanukkah Light (also Holocaust) |
| | Schotter | Purim Play |
| | Cohen | Carp in the Bathtub |
| | | Goldin | The Passover Journey: A Seder Companion |
| | | Rose | Rose Horse (also immigration & assimilation) |
| | Schwartz | Mrs. Moskowitz and the Sabbath Candlesticks |
| | Schwartz/Rush | The Sabbath Lion |
