Rachel Friedman and Eight Not-Perfect Nights of Hanukkah

July 15, 2024
Spirited young Rachel is back for her second outing, and she's determined to have "the best Hanukkah ever." After a new classmate dismisses her Hanukkah traditions in favor of Christmas, Rachel and her best friend, Maya, create a list of "eight super-fun things to do" for the Jewish holiday. But her plans for her favorite holiday immediately go awry. Maya gets sick, Rachel's brother, Aaron, acts too grown up for fun Hanukkah activities such as building a LEGO menorah, and her dad forgets the potatoes for latkes! As this low-stakes farce unfolds, Rachel confronts increasingly aggravating obstacles to the Hanukkah of her dreams. But after several mishaps culminate in Aaron breaking his leg, her previously aloof brother articulates what's really behind Rachel's whirlwind of activity: She feels left out by society's focus on Christmas. Kote's sprightly black-and-white illustrations depict Rachel as pale-skinned with curly dark hair; her appealingly expressive face conveys her big emotions. As in the first book, the show belongs to Rachel, who remains the most fully developed character; Aaron receives more depth in this outing, while Rachel's father and Maya recede into the background. In the artwork, Maya is dark-skinned. A pleasant follow-up for fans of this spunky heroine, and one that may resonate with readers who don't celebrate Christmas.(Fiction. 6-9)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2024

Gr 1-3-Rachel Friedman is convinced that this year will be the perfect Hanukkah. She and her friend, Maya, even make a list of all of the eight perfect things that they will do during the holiday break. However, Rachel can't get the Lego menorah to come together, she gets snowed in without potatoes to make latkes, she doesn't have the right materials to build her snow Maccabee, and her brother is too old and too cool to have any fun with Hanukkah activities. Rachel tries to remain optimistic. But when she causes her brother to fall and break his leg while ice-skating, then makes a comic book as a kind of get-well card, things start looking up. In characteristic Rachel Friedman style, she makes the best of the situation and ends up with an almost-perfect Hanukkah, after all. Rachel shows readers that a positive attitude and kindness towards oneself and others can go a long way. With simple illustrations and a first-person narrative, the book will engage young readers who celebrate Hanukkah or are interested in learning more about the holiday. VERDICT This second book in the "Rachel Friedman" series would be a good addition to collections where readers enjoyed the first installment, or for those seeking early chapter books with diverse characters.-Lindsay Persohn

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2024
Grades 2-4 Eight-year-old Rachel (Rachel Friedman Breaks the Rules, 2024) returns, this time contemplating her discomfort over how the yule season is a big deal, while no one acknowledges Hanukkah. After a new classmate expresses his shock that Rachel does not celebrate Christmas, she vows to make this Hanukkah the best ever. She constructs a list of "musts" to make her holiday perfect (making potato latkes, a dreidel-spinning contest, building a LEGO menorah, going ice-skating). Disappointingly, Dad forgets to buy potatoes (so no latkes), older brother Aaron feels he is now too old for the holiday (no LEGO menorah), and BFF Maya gets sick, leaving Rachel to celebrate all on her own. As with the earlier title, this book offers short chapters, a large typeface, frequent cartoon illustrations, and believable characters, making for an appealing first chapter book. More important, Kapit successfully articulates for young readers the December dilemma faced by those who don't celebrate Christmas: what is all the fuss about, and why do I feel excluded? A thoughtful message delivered with a light touch.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.