Jodie's Hanukkah Dig. This item is unavailable.Jodie's Hanukkah Dig

Jodie dreams of one day becoming a famous archaeologist and when her father takes her to visit a dig in Modiin, Israel, home of the Maccabees, she is uniquely able to help.

"A wonderful combination of great story and unique perspective, this tale of young Jodie's visit with her father to an archaeological dig in Modi'in, where Judah Maccabee fought the Syrians, helps children place the Chanukah story in context by linking the historical with the modern."--Noodlenuts

"Jodie wants to be an archaeologist; she's eager to uncover treasure of ancient lands, just like her dad. Fortunately, she lives in Israel and is thrilled when her father agrees to take her on a dig to Modi'in, the site where Judah Maccabee fought the Syrians. Excited to help, Jodie convinces her father and the site's head professor to let her scout down a small hole. Carefully lowered within a bucket, she announces a passageway of caves and grabs a possible arrowhead before being lifted back up. Topaz's watercolors delineate a freckle-faced little girl whose agility and curiosity parallel the Maccabeean stamina in the struggle. Jodie's find could possibly be from the time of the Maccabees, as she explains, who 'must have been nimble enough to crawl through the tiny passageways, brave enough not to be afraid of the dark, and strong enough to fight off all the people who thought they were too little to win.' Levine provides an intriguing alternative to conventional retellings of the Hanukkah tale, juxtaposing archeology's importance against the tiny size of the small but steadfast drummer boy." --Kirkus Reviews

"Jodie, who dreams of becoming a famous archaeologist, begs her father to take her on a dig. Dad finally relents, allowing her to accompany him on a visit to Professor Hoffer's site at Modi'in, Israel, home of the ancient Maccabees, a Jewish group whose story is remembered each year during Hanukkah. Later, when a small cave is exposed, Jodie (who is small enough to fit into a bucket) is lowered into the cavern and allowed to share her observations with the professional crew. Levine, author of the middle-grade novel Running on Eggs (1999), writes knowledgeably about the details of archaeological work, including the thrill of discovery, the backbreaking work of digging in the hot sun, and its importance to the historical record. Topaz's impressionistic artwork will give readers a good sense of the Israeli countryside and the activities at a dig. A good choice for classes studying history or countries; pair with Allison Ofanansky's Harvest of Light (2008), another mostly secular Hanukkah offering set in contemporary Israel." --Booklist

An Israeli girl wants to become an archaeologist like her father and has the opportunity to assist at a dig where Judah Maccabee fought against the Syrians. Braving darkness, spiders, and her own fear, Jodie volunteers to be lowered into a small underground cave where she discovers a literal piece of the past. However, aside from a brief reference to the brave leader featured in the Hanukkah story, there is nothing in this book to suggest that it belongs on the holiday shelf. It presupposes knowledge of Israel's archaeological significance and the origins of Hanukkah by focusing solely on the facts of the dig. Watercolor illustrations give a good sense of the Israeli land-scape both above and below ground. A reasonable choice for career day, but not for general holiday collections.