Did you know that May is designated as both Jewish American Heritage Month and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month? If you're interested in exploring books and stories that celebrate both of these identities, browse our list below. We will continue to update this annually.
Picture Books
Written by Ariana Mizrahi
Illustrated by Siona Benjamin
The Blue Butterfly of Cochin is the story of the ancient Jewish Indian community's mass immigration to Israel in the 1950s.
Written by Pamela Mayer
Illustrated by Deborah Melmon
Sophie has two Grandmas from two different cultures, and they each make their own kind of chicken soup -- and each soup is delicious! The more Sophie learns about those soups, the more she realizes how similar they actually are -- on many levels.
Written by Freda Lewkowicz
Illustrated by Siona Benjamin
Hava Nagila is a beloved song of celebration. In this creative tale, Hava tells the story of her life as a song, bringing joy to Jews all around the world.
Written by Pamela Ehrenberg
Illustrated by Anjan Sarkar
Instead of latkes, this family celebrates Hanukkah with tasty Indian dosas. To her brother's chagrin, little Sadie won't stop climbing on everything both at home and at the Indian grocery store, even while preparing the dosas. As the family puts the finishing touches on their holiday preparations, they accidentally get locked out of the house. Sadie and her climbing skills just may be exactly what is needed to save the day.
Written by Richard Ho
Illustrated by Lynn Scurfield
Lanterns, round challah, sweeping up, listening to the shofar — all are ways to welcome a new year! In this vibrantly illustrated book, a Chinese-Jewish family celebrates the joyful traditions of Rosh Hashanah and Lunar New Year.
Middle Grade Novels
by Denis Markell
Ted loves escape room video games, but this is real life! Can Ted and his friends solve the puzzle and stay one step ahead of the bad guys?
by Veera Hiranandani
Ari would do anything for her big sister, Leah, including keeping her boyfriend, Raj, a secret from their parents. How could she have known it would change everything?
by Paula J. Freedman
Tara Feinstein’s decision to celebrate her bat mitzvah is making her life really complicated. What would her beloved Nanaji say? Does she really believe in God? And why is her best friend Ben-o acting so weird around her?
by Wendy Wan-Long Shang and Madelyn Rosenberg
Recommended for ages 10 and up
Lauren is a talented singer who dreams of being on Star Search. She does a great audition for the school musical, All-American Town, and everyone thinks she should get the lead. But the teacher says Chinese-Jewish Lauren doesn’t look “American” enough for the role and gives it to Lauren’s best friend, Tara, relegating Lauren to the ensemble. Tension grows between the friends, and Lauren finds it difficult to continue in the play, but she finds solace in the music of Patsy Cline, plus a new button-making business. Eventually, the girls work together to make things right both on and off the stage.
by Laura Shovan and Saadia Faruqi
Recommended for ages 10 to 12
Elizabeth and Sara are both in 6th grade, and they’re both worried about their mothers — but the similarities end there. Can the two girls overcome their differences and agree on an award-winning recipe for their school’s International Food Festival?
by Madelyn Rosenberg and Wendy Wan-Long Shang
These are just a few of the things David is worried about:
- Nuclear War
- Forgetting to wear pants to school
- Getting his leg chomped by a shark
- Sneezing on Kelli Ann
- His bar mitzvah speech
by Kate McGovern
Maple Mehta-Cohen has kept her big secret hidden from everyone for years. Now she’s been found out — and her whole life is about to change.
by Veera Hiranandani
"I am half Indian, half Jewish, and now I’m half a cheerleader!" When Sonia’s father loses his job, she must leave her beloved private community school and attend the local public school. Will she ever feel like she belongs?
More
A Brief History of the Jewish Communities of India
How PJ Library Chooses Books
When is a Children’s Book a Good Book for Children?
May 2, 2025