Hanukkah at Valley Forge by Stephan Krensky is a great book for early elementary school students. In the book, a Jewish man explains Hanukkah to George Washington. I think that students could learn a lot about history from reading this book. They could also learn about Hanukkah. Although many students in the United States celebrate Hanukkah, from my experience it seems that Christmas is discussed more often in schools. This would be a great book for teachers to share with their students during the winter holidays. ( )

I think this story was an amazing read. I loved the writing, the plot, and the illustrations. The story was historical fiction so the writing had a serious tone to it that matched really well with the plot. The writing was professional but kept the reader interested. Since the story was based in revolutionary war times, the writing was a little bit dated which I really thought added to the story. For example on one page it says "We too have a cruel enemy who leaves us only with the choice of brave resistance or abject submission." This line was perfect because it was professional and informational but kept the reader interested. I also enjoyed the plot. It focused on George Washington learning about Hanukkah from one of the soldiers in his camp during the revolutionary war. I thought it was really cool the way this book took a spin on the history and added some fiction to engage readers. I loved that the soldier who told about Hanukkah taught so much to the reader while keeping them interested through the use of fiction. Lastly, I loved the illustrations. They were extremely realistic and the people drawn on the page looked almost real. By adding realistic illustrations to the historical fiction story, the text was really enhanced. Being able to see an image of soldiers marching down a field towards the British really helped me be able to imagine it. The main idea of this story was to tell a fictionalized version of an event that happened during the revolutionary war. I really enjoyed reading this and learning about the revolutionary war and Hanukkah. ( )

This book was amazing. I am Jewish, so the story really hits close to home. One reason why I liked it is because of the pages. The pages switched the background color based on whether the Hannukah story was being told or Washington was thinking about his men. I thought that was a really creative device for the book. It helps to organize everything clearly.
Another reason I enjoyed the book is because of the illustrations. One page in particular caught my eye. The page where the Jews are standing by the Menorah with all the still lit candles. I love the detail in each person's face, even though they aren't meant to be the focus of the page. In the back right corner, a woman is biting her nail. I love the attention to detail.
The main idea of this story is to never give up, even when the odds are against you. ( )

A fictionalized account of true events, Hanukkah at Valley Forge is the story of a meeting between General George Washington, surveying his troops at their camp in Valley Forge, in December of 1777, and a solitary Jewish soldier, observing Hanukkah in his hut one bitterly cold night. Curious about this ritual he had interrupted, Washington asks the soldier - an unnamed Jewish immigrant from Poland, and a passionate believer in the American cause - its meaning. The story which the soldier unfolds, about the ancient struggle of the Maccabees to liberate Israel from the rule of a far-off king, and the miracle which followed, strike a chord with the general, giving him faith that America too will triumph...

Although it is impossible to know whether the events chronicled here actually unfolded as described, or what effect they had on George Washington, we do know that he encountered a Jewish soldier at Valley Forge, and heard an explanation of Hanukkah from him. He said as much, a year later, when a guest at a dinner given by Michael Hart, a Jewish merchant then living in Eaton, Pennsylvania. This interpretation of that statement, by Stephen Krensky, while perhaps not factual, in the strictest sense of the word, strikes me as being true, highlighting the similarities between two very different struggles for freedom. The accompanying watercolor illustrations, by Greg Harlin, have a lovely, luminous quality to them, and are well suited to both stories unfolded here - the one from ancient times, and the one in 1777.

All in all, Hanukkah at Valley Forge is a lovely little book, which I would wholeheartedly recommend, not just to young readers celebrating Hanukkah, but to those with an interest in American history. ( )

A wonderful read-aloud during the holidays for fourth through sixth graders who are studying American history-- Krensky does a beautiful job tying together the struggles that Washington was facing in December 1777 with the struggles of the Israelites as they faced down their bigger opponent thousands of years ago. Krensky's note at the end also lends itself to a good discussion of history versus historical fiction, since he's clear about the fact that this is a fictionalized account of something with a historical kernal. ( )