Elijah's Angel: A Story for Chanukah and Christmas

I have taught this book for more than ten years. My students are always moved and inspired by it. This book won the "Living the Dream Award," for the book that embodies the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King. It was a starred Horn Book Magazine and an American Booksellers "Pick of the Lists." It was one of Essence Magazine's favorite books that celebrate African-American life, a CBC-NCSS "Notable 1992 Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies," a Hungry Mind Review Children's Book of Distinction: "...this book creates a line of footprints between the two holidays as it does between two households." It's a Parents Magazine Best Books of 1992 and the winner of the National Jewish Book Award. All those awards mean one thing, but the story is approachable, tender, full of feeling, and broadly appealing to readers of all ages.

This is a wonderful story that I read aloud to my children every year on Chanukkah. They love it and so do I.

This book has so many pluses! First, it is written in understandable language(my son first fell in love with it when he was only four years old). Second, it teaches important life lessons, like the give and take nature of friendship, tolerance through understanding, acceptance of others' belief's while still valuing your own traditions, and the need to question in order to reach a greater place. Briefly, this story is about a young Jewish boy, Michael, who is drawn to the barber shop of Elijah, a Christian, because it is filled with the intriguing wooden figures he has carved. Elijah explains that these figures mostly derive from the Bible. Elijah gives him an angel figure as a Christmas gift. Michael feels privately afraid of his parents' possible reaction to this gift, not in line with the Jewish faith. He feels even God may disapprove. Ultimately, all works out for the best, and on Channukah, too! All the adults act like healthy human beings, and the young Michael is a character most children will be able to relate to, especially those who live in very religious families. This book inspires us all to go beyond our own spirituality into the real world, in order to make friends, thereby spreading love, understanding, and tolerance.