Illustration of a menorah

These books highlight many special Hanukkah traditions celebrated in different times and places, as well as across generations. They also highlight acts of generosity and kindness, big and small. For additional titles, see: 

A Hero's Guide to Summer Vacation

The following books were recognized by a variety of book/media awards in 2026 as award winners and honorees.

The Festival of Lights: 16 Hanukkah Stories

Celebrate Hanukkah with a diverse collection of poems and stories filled with history, humor, and hope. Cheer on a young baker as he tries to make sufganiyot from a family recipe. Learn about code breakers in England during World War II.

Little Red Ruthie
By: Gloria Koster
Illustrated by:

It was a chilly winter in the northern woods, but Ruthie did not mind. Dressed in her favorite puffy red coat, she was going to spend Hanukkah with her grandmother, who lived on the other side of the forest.

Young Louis Armstrong with his horn
By: Eric Kimmel

To help his mother pay the rent, Louis Armstrong rode a junk wagon through the streets of New Orleans, playing a tin horn and collecting stuff people didn't want.

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