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Do you know what this weekend is?

If your family is Jewish, you do. This weekend marks the start of Hanukkah, which means a big celebration.

But do you know why? In "Celebrate Hanukkah with Light, Latkes, and Dreidels" by Deborah Heiligman, you'll learn lots about this joyous and ancient holiday.

More than 2,000 years ago, Judah Maccabee and a small group of Jewish soldiers went to battle against King Antiochus' army because the king wouldn't allow the Jews to practice their faith. After a miraculous victory, the Jews reclaimed the Temple in Jerusalem, where they had worshipped. To mark this happy event, they celebrated for eight days and nights.

But the miracle of victory was not the only reason you celebrate Hanukkah.

Legend has it that on the first Hanukkah, when the Jews went to light an oil lamp, they found that they had just a tiny bit of sacred oil, not nearly enough for an eight-day celebration. There was no way they could get enough oil in time for their Hanukkah. But the tiny bit of oil lasted for eight complete nights. When you light the menorah and celebrate Hanukkah, you remember that miracle, too.

Like all Jewish holidays, Hanukkah begins at sundown. On the first night, you take a light from the Shamash, or helper candle, and light one candle while saying a special prayer. On the second night, you light two lights. Hanukkah, as you might guess by now, is also called the Festival of Lights.

Lights aren't the only wonderful thing about Hanukkah, though. You know that because of the yummy smell of potato latkes coming from your kitchen. You might also share sufganiyot with your friends, because who doesn't like jelly-filled doughnuts?

After you've eaten your Hanukkah meal, the fun begins. That's when you get to play with a dreidel and pennies or candy. You might win everything, half, or nothing, depending on the special symbols on the sides. You might also put on plays or sing songs for your family. Some kids get Hanukkah gifts or gelt. Every Hanukkah is different, but in the end, they're all the same: your life is filled with light.

In a world where relatives are far-flung and your neighbors might be from different cultures, it's nice for your kids to know where their own heritage began. "Celebrate Hanukkah with Light, Latkes, and Dreidels" is a good start, even if they've have heard the legend several times. In addition to the traditional story of Hanukkah, this book includes pictures of Hanukkah celebrations from around the world — including Ghana, Uganda, Peru, Poland, and India — as well as a recipe for latkes, a glossary, and handy dreidel rules.

This is an easy-to-understand book suitable for ages 9 to 14, but would also be read-aloud appropriate children as young as four years old.

If your kids (or you!) have questions about Hanukkah, pick up a copy of this book soon. "Celebrate Hanukkah with Light, Latkes, and Dreidels" will answer lots of questions during your celebration this week.

Terri Schlichenmeyer has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives in LaCrosse, Wis., with her two dogs and 9,800 books.