From the desk of Mary Ellen Loebl, PJ Library Coordinator
Every February, the Tucson J’s Early Childhood Education program celebrates Love of Reading Month— a time to celebrate stories, reflect on the joy they bring, and unite over a shared love of reading all while fostering important literacy skills that set a strong foundation for our preschoolers. (Bonus: the book character parade is extra adorable!).
PJ Library of Southern Arizona is all about community, books, and the people—especially kids—who love reading PJ Library stories together. PJ Library provides joyful, meaningful, and educational entertainment for children from birth through age 12, helping families build Jewish life through stories.
And the books are just the beginning. The national PJ Library website is filled with free, ever-growing resources for families everywhere, much like a physical library. You’ll find holiday guides, activity ideas, recipes, music, podcasts, and so much more, making Jewish family experiences accessible, creative, and fun.
In addition to books about Jewish holidays, values, and traditions, PJ Library offers stories for everyone. PJ books explore arts and culture, biographies, folktales, food, Hebrew, historical fiction, humor, Israel, life cycle moments, Sephardic stories, summer camp, and more.
One of the most beautiful parts of PJ Library is seeing yourself, your family, and your community in the pages. In honor of Love of Reading, we’re sharing some of our favorite PJ reads that reflect our families, honor our differences, and bring Jewish values to life—one book at a time:
Books with characters that look like my family
Queen of the Hanukkah Dosas
Written by Pamela Ehrenberg
Illustrated by Anjan Sarkar
Sadie’s family has both Jewish and Indian background, so at Hanukkah they eat dosas, traditional Indian pancakes. But they get locked out just before their Hanukkah party! Who will save the day?
Rebecca’s Journey Home
Written by Brynn Olenberg Sugarman
Illustrated by Michelle Shapiro
Mr. and Mrs. Stein and their two sons eagerly adopt a baby girl from Vietnam into their Jewish home.
Antlers with Candles
Written by Chris Barash
Illustrated by Melissa Iwai
Everything looks new when seen from a child’s perspective, including menorahs, dreidels, and latkes. But family togetherness is something everyone understands.
Fridays Are Special
Written by Chris Barash
Illustrated by Melissa Iwai
For this child’s family, Fridays aren’t like other days. On Fridays, the hustle and bustle is a little different. Everyone seems to be getting ready for something special — something cozy and wonderful. What could it be?
Books that remind me of my grandparents
Chicken Soup, Chicken Soup
Written by Pamela Mayer
Illustrated by Deborah Melmon
Lucky Sophie has two grandmas, Bubbe and Nai Nai, and they both love to cook. Each grandma has her own family recipe for chicken soup — and each soup is yummy! As Sophie learns more about these soups, she soon realizes they’re actually very similar, even though they’ve each got their own delicious flavor.
A Different Kind of Passover
Written by Linda Leopold Strauss
Illustrated by Jeremy Tugeau
Every year, Jessica looks forward to spending Passover with her Grandma and Grandpa — but this year, Grandpa is sick. Jessica is worried. How will the family make sure the holiday still feels special?
Until the Blueberries Grow
Written by Jennifer Wolf Kam
Illustrated by Sally Walker
Until the blueberries grow . . . until the grapes are ripe . . . until the snow falls . . . until the flowers bloom . . . Ben tries to convince his great-grandfather to stay in his house just a little longer as the two celebrate a yearly cycle of Jewish holidays together.
Tia Fortuna’s New Home
Written by Ruth Behar
Illustrated by Devon Holzwarth
Estrella’s Tía Fortuna loves her home in Miami, but it’s time for her to move to an assisted living community. Packing up her belongings is bittersweet, but it gives Tía Fortuna the opportunity to show her niece some of the various belongings from her Cuban Jewish background. This poetic story is a sweet representation of Sephardic culture – and of loving family bonds.
Books that explore the diverse people and world around me
Cakes and Miracles
Written by Barbara Diamond Goldin
Illustrated by Jaime Zollars
Hershel’s blindness doesn’t keep him from living life. He helps his mother by doing chores, but wishes he could do even more for her. When an angel appears in Hershel’s dream and encourages him to make what he sees when he closes his eyes, the boy sneaks into the kitchen, transforming his mother’s cookie dough into beautiful hamantaschen (three-cornered fruit-filled cookies) that can be sold to raise money for the family at Purim.
Pavel and the Tree Army
Written by Heidi Smith Hyde
Illustrated by Elisa Vavouri
Pavel is a new American, and he’s excited to take part in making his adopted country beautiful — so he joins an army corps that’s dedicated to planting trees! Some of the people he works with are less welcoming than others, but Pavel learns that becoming a true American is a little like planting your roots in a new land.
Sign Language Shabbat
Written by Alisa Greenbacher & Jennifer Rosner
Illustrated by Shelley Rotner & David Hyde Costello
The children in this book sign words for things people do on Shabbat, such as eat challah, drink wine or grape juice, sing Shabbat songs, and (of course!) read books. Shabbat Shalom!
The Mitten String
Written by Jennifer Rosner
Illustrated by Kristina Swarner
Ruthie loves to knit — and to help people. When her family gives shelter to a deaf woman and her baby, Ruthie realizes there’s a way for her to do both at once!
Find additional resources, activities, and book information at pjlibrary.org.
Interested in getting involved with PJ Library? Learn more about how children aged birth to twelve can get free, award-winning books that celebrate Jewish values and culture here. Connect with Mary Ellen with questions, concerns, and recommendations.
Happy reading!
*all book synopses from pjlibrary.org