Dreidels on the Brain

One lousy miracle. Is that too much to ask?
Evidently so for Joel, as he tries to survive Hannukah, 1971 in the suburbs of the suburbs of Los Angeles. That’s no small task for a seriously funny-looking 12-year-old magician and the only Jew at Bixby School, who dreams of being his own superhero: Normalman. Home is no better, with a family that’s not just mortifyingly embarrassing but flat-out broke.
That’s why Joel bets everything on these eight nights, to see whether it’s worth believing in God or miracles—or anything at all. Armed with his favorite jokes, some choice Yiddish words, and a suitcase full of magic tricks, Joel scrambles to come to terms with the world he lives in—from hospitals to Houdini to the show more Holocaust—before the last of the candles burns out.

Little does he know that what’s actually about to happen to him and his family this Hanukkah will be worse than he feared and yet better than he could have imagined. show less

A great Hanukkah story for Middle Grade readers. This very funny, very touching novel of growing up Jewish has the makings of a holiday classic. Joel tries to survive Hanukkah in 1971, in the suburbs of Los Angeles, but he needs “one lousy miracle”.

Joel (won’t reveal his last name) is Jewish and it’s Christmas time; he wants a few wishes, but life doesn’t offer any miracles. Most of the people at Joel’s school at Christians, so they are celebrating Christmas. Joel tells the reader all about Hanukkah, which is apparently spelled many different way--he explores all of them! Joel is also a magician--a good magician. This year he just wants life to work out and be nice. His father has an illness that is almost disabling; the family has no money; his brothers are different from him; and, his mother pretends all is well.

Most of the novel is Joel telling about the Jewish faith, making jokes, and talking about magic. As he attends school daily, you meet a few of his teachers who show more don’t know what to say about Christmas. The school is trying to be understanding, so they ask Joel if he and his family will explain Hanukkah at a special assembly. Joel is mortified. In addition, his father is always looking for new inventions, which you’ll recognize because someone made money on these ideas, as we live in the future and know what these things are. As the novel gets closer to the assembly, more and more falls apart until the end pulls it all together.

This novel will appeal to many readers, but I think a lot of boys will especially be pulled by it. Even though there’s a lot of information about the Jewish faith, the novel is ultimately about Joel, who is a typical teen. I liked the novel but had a hard time really getting into it because I’ve never been a teenage boy. He’s very sweet and rather amusing. One of our students read this novel, so I read it. He loved it. show less

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