Hanukkah In Alaska- Barbara Brown

Hanukkah in Alaska, is a wonderful online picture book written by Barbara Brown. This book is a great book to use in the classroom becasue it talks about a holiday celebration some of our students will participate in: Hanukkah. This book talk about a young girl and her family who live in Alaska. The story is written from the little girls point of view. She gives readers alot of information and facts about Alaska, such as terms Alaskans use (the outside). Also, how the daylight is like, and the weather they have. This book also reveals Hanukkah traditions.

Is this a good book?
I really enjoy this book becasue of the knowledge it gives students about Hanukkah. This would be a great book to read when talking about the holidays. The teacher could use this book when talking about Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah together.

Is the story something that could really happen?
Yes, this story is something that could happen. It gives important information about Alaska and Hanukkah by doing it in a very casual way. The setting focuses on a girl and her family who live in Alaska.

Are the factual details accurate?
Yes, this book provides real true facts about Alaska and Hanukkah.

Is the culture accurately portrayed?
Yes, I believe the culture is accurately portrayed.  It gives real facts, and does it in a non stereotypical way.

Lexile: Not shown

 Metaphor:When talking about the northern lights, she said "ribbons of wax lighting up the sky."
Onomatopoeia: The story uses words like "CRUNCH! CLASH!" when describing the moose chewing on the swing.
Simile:The author uses a simile in the book when she says "We were spinning in the snow as if we were dreidels."

Mini Lesson: I would use this book with a reading response. I would ask students to reflect on what they learned about Hanukkah and compare and contrast it to traditions they celebrate. This would be a personal response. I would check off on it based on completeness, and not read students work if they are not comfortable with sharing it.

Brown, Barbara. Schuett, Stacey. (Illustrated) (2013) Henry Holt and Co.