Nathan Blows Out the Hanukkah Candles

By Nicole Katzman, Tami Lehman-Wilzig and Jeremy Tugeau

Jacob loves his autistic brother, Nathan, but when Hanukkah comes, Jacob worries that Nathan might embarrass him in front of his new friend. What if Nathan blows out the Hanukkah candles?!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lerner Publishing
• Release date: Jan 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781512491845

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Reviews for Nathan Blows Out the Hanukkah Candles

[elizabethnickell · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Summary: Nathan Blows Out the Hanukkah Candles is the story of Jacob and his brother Nathan, who is autistic. Jacob is annoyed by his brother different behavior, but his mom tries to help him to be more understanding. He and his family are starting their celebration of Hanukkah by lighting the menorah. Nathan blows out the candles and Jacob is very upset. The family gets new neighbors who join Jacobs’s family for the lighting of the menorah the next night. Nathan displays the behavior that irritates Jacob, blows out the candles again and Jacob is embarrassed. Later, the new neighbor boy makes fun of Nathan’s autism. Jacob gets upset and defends his brother. The neighbors com over again, and this time they light the menorah, and then serve jelly donuts, a traditional Hanukkah dessert, with candles so that Nathan can blow them out instead of the ones on the menorah. Personal Reaction: I liked this book. It displayed the everyday struggles families with children with autism face that other people might not even think about. It wasn’t all that detailed, but it does give a little insight on the traditions and celebration of Hanukkah. Extension Ideas: This book would be great to use when teaching about holidays and different religions or traditions. Student could great their own menorahs, and have a jelly donut for a snack! It would also be great when teaching about differences some students face. Other students may never have experienced what it is like to have a sibling or classmate with autism, and Jacob’s mother might help them to be understanding. Students could write about a challenge that their family had to overcome, and share with their classmates.