RACHEL FRIEDMAN AND EIGHT NOT-PERFECT NIGHTS OF HANUKKAH

Spirited young Rachel is back for her second outing, and she’s determined to have “the best Hanukkah ever.”

After a new classmate dismisses her Hanukkah traditions in favor of Christmas, Rachel and her best friend, Maya, create a list of “eight super-fun things to do” for the Jewish holiday. But her plans for her favorite holiday immediately go awry. Maya gets sick, Rachel’s brother, Aaron, acts too grown up for fun Hanukkah activities such as building a LEGO menorah, and her dad forgets the potatoes for latkes! As this low-stakes farce unfolds, Rachel confronts increasingly aggravating obstacles to the Hanukkah of her dreams. But after several mishaps culminate in Aaron breaking his leg, her previously aloof brother articulates what’s really behind Rachel’s whirlwind of activity: She feels left out by society’s focus on Christmas. Kote’s sprightly black-and-white illustrations depict Rachel as pale-skinned with curly dark hair; her appealingly expressive face conveys her big emotions. As in the first book, the show belongs to Rachel, who remains the most fully developed character; Aaron receives more depth in this outing, while Rachel’s father and Maya recede into the background. In the artwork, Maya is dark-skinned.

A pleasant follow-up for fans of this spunky heroine, and one that may resonate with readers who don’t celebrate Christmas.