3 stars

A fun adventure featuring demons, riddles, magic, new friends, and a few lessons. Sara has a hard time finding her place at the family Chanukah party. She’s too old for the little kids, ignored by the teens, and doesn’t get along with her brother and the cousins her age. After an unfortunate mishap, she find a portal to another world, taking her ever more out of her element. In this new magical world, she sets out on a rescue mission with an unexpected companion.

Loved the interworking of different elements from Jewish culture. We get a visit from the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, learn the significance of Hebrew letters, and meet a few demons. There are also plenty of riddles to solve as Sara travels through the magical land to outsmart the demons and rescue the golden dreidel.

At the end is a short glossary including holiday greetings in Ladino, Yiddish, and Hebrew, and terms related to Jewish culture, which also give a little history.

A fun Chanukah story filled with adventure, riddles, and magic.

Goodreads