Hanukkah comes early this year and stores throughout Brookline have been busy restocking shelves with a few hot gifts that keep selling out. This year's trendy buys range from hi-tech dreidels and wacky menorahs to a Sesame Street DVD and local music.

"I've seen many families come and go through here each year and I've seen many holidays, but Hanukkah is the busiest," said Miriam Natan, an associate who has been working at the Israel Book Shop for 25 years.

Natan said some items—like plastic dreidels and wooden Chanukah sets—are popular every year. But this year, there are some new twists to traditional favorites, including a Techno Draydel that lights up and plays sound as it spins.

Kolbo, just up the street, reports that the store's decorative dreidels have been popular this year.

"Some people like to collect them because they're different every year," Dana Sobel, a Kolbo buyer, said.

Even more popular are the kinetic and portable menorahs. Colorful and compact, they move like different puzzles and come in many forms.

Although Kolbo customers tend to gravitate toward the store's traditional gifts, Sobel said there were definitely some hot items particular to this year. Jewelry is always popular for women, but customers are especially interested in Ayala Bar pieces this winter.

"People come in here looking for her name," Sobel said.

The hot gifts this year are not just limited to novelty items. The Israel Book Shop has shelves full of the year's most popular music, DVDs and books. "Shalom Sesame," a recently released Sesame Street special that follows Grover to Israel, sells out regularly.

"Kids go crazy for this one," Natan said.

Natan said several CDs have been popular this year, including Debbie Friedman's "Light These Lights" and Safam's "Chanukah Collection."

"People love them because they are a local band," Natan said.

Several books, including "Chanukah Bugs" and "Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins" have been also popular for children's gifts this year. But even gifts not specifically related to the holiday have been selling well with parents shopping for Hanukkah.

"Parents love the prices on a lot of these toys," said David Leschinsky, owner of Eureka Puzzles.

This holiday season, Leschinsky has sold many toys and the most popular ones range from $8 to $20. Bananagrams, disentaglement toys, story cubes and personalized card games have all been popular in recent weeks.

Though Hanukkah starts today, several stores will be open late in anticipation of last-minute shoppers. Call stores for individual hours.