Amber in SJ Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 The thread about the song Christmas Shoes made me think.... What are the best and worst Christmas books you have ever read? I'll go first: The worst Christmas book I have ever read (and the reason you should always pre-read before reading to your children) is With Love, At Christmas by Mem Fox. Normally this is one of my favorite authors, but this book is awful. It is the story of an elderly woman who slowly fills a trunk with gifts for her family. She hears of disasters and tragedies and without thinking about what she is doing she sends the gifts off to those in need. When the trunk is empty she is terribly sad that she has nothing for her family and the next day (Christmas Day) her family finds her dead, slumped over the empty trunk. My children were horrified and watched Grandma like little hawks that year. My favorite Christmas books are: Donkey's Dream by Barbra Helen Berger where a donkey daydreams as he carries the pregnant Mary. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsberg; so much better than the movie. Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson; laugh out loud funny, but touching, too. Who is Coming to Our House by Ashley Wolff; A sweet rendition of the Nativity story for the littlest ones What are your votes for the best & worst Christmas books? Amber in SJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 I'd be terribly grateful if people would provide an annotated list. (Pretty please with cherry on top!) Being a secular type who doesn't do Santa and is obliged to buy all books online, I have a bit of trouble picking Christmas books. So much trouble that I haven't dared to buy any, and I really want one for each day of advent for next year! I'd have expected better from Mem Fox too! Rosie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 Didn't like Rotten Ralph's Rotten Christmas--a "funny" book about a little talking animal that opens the visiting animal's Christmas gifts and doesn't like any of them. Did have a good message that he was loved regardless of his behavior, tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 I love "The Fourth Wiseman". (for Rosy, it's a story about a Zorastoran priest who intended to go find Jesus with the other 3 wiseman. He sells all he has to finance the trip and purchases 3 precious stones as gifts. He is late to meet the caravan because he stopped to tend a dying old man, thus he arrives at Bethlehem just as Herod's soldiers do. He uses a ruby to bribe a captain not to look in the house where he had just inquired of a young mother. etc. He continues to try to find Jesus and arrives in Jerusalem to hear that Jesus is going to be crucified. Anyway, he never meets Jesus in person, but as he is dying, hears his voice, "Inasmuch as you've done it to the least of these, you've done it to me. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 My favorite is The Light at Tern Rock. It's part of the SL K list and it is a gem. Lots of great themes - forgiveness, bitterness, etc. It's a must read every year at our house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 I love The Lion in the Box by Marguerite de Angeli. It's a lovely story of several young sisters (and their baby brother) living in NYC with their hardworking, kind, widowed young mother. It's mostly just about how they love and support each other and are joyful despite challenging circumstances -- and how neighbors and acquaintances show them kindness too. When I put it like that, it doesn't sound very exciting, but it's a delightful story. For a picture book, we love, Too Many Tamales about a young Latina-American girl who helps her parents prepare the tamales for their family Christmas get-together. But when she tries on her mother's diamond ring and loses it, she ends up coercing all of her cousins into helping her eat through the tamales in search of the ring. We enjoy The Best Christmas Pageant Ever each year. :) The Story of Holly and Ivy makes me cry every year. A little girl with no family of her own, a doll with no girl of her own, a woman with no child of her own, and wishing... Rosie, I don't think any of these would be problematic for you. The one with the most "Christian" message is actually The Best Christmas Pageant Ever... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirty ethel rackham Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Patricia Polacco. She is one of my favorite authors/illustrators. Even though my kids have mostly outgrown picture books, I read these ones every Christmas. An Orange for Frankie The Christmas Tapestry Although not just about Christmas, I really love the Glorious Impossible by Madeleine L'Engle. The Giotto frescos are gorgeous! How the Grinch Stole Christmas - actually, I do like the animated cartoon better than the book:). Nothing can beat Dickens' A Christmas Carole! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendi Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 These are the Christmas books I read to ds that really stand out in my memory: The Last Straw by Frederick Thury (about one of the Wise Men's camels) The Father Christmas Letters by J.R.R. Tolkien (he wrote and illustrated these letters from Father Christmas to his children over the years) Mousekin's Christmas Eve by Edna Miller (sweet and beautifully illustrated book about a mouse looking for a new home on Christmas Eve) Wendi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joaly Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 Here are some of our favorites. Our list has grown over the years: Santa's Favorite Story by Hisako Aoki The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski/P.J. Lynch An Orange for Frankie by Patricia Polacco The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry/Lisbeth Zwerger A Christmas Tapestry by Patricia Polacco Saint Francis and the Christmas Donkey by Robert Byrd The Miracle of Saint Nicholas by Gloria Whelan/Judith Brown Saint Nicholas by Ann Tompert/Michael Garland The Legend of Saint Nicholas by Demi The Real Santa Claus by Marianna Mayer The Lady of Guadalupe by Tomie dePaola The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola The Night of Las Posadas by Tomie dePaola The Very First Christmas by Paul Maier/Francisco Ordaz A Small Miracle by Peter Collington The Donkey’s Dream by Barbara Helen Berger The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado Good King Wenceslas by John M. Neale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joaly Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 Our favorite is The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree. Thank-you! We read this book a couple of years ago, but I didn't add it to our list and although we could recall most of the story, we couldn't remember the name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 The Grinch Who Stole Christmas :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski. Here's a blurb from Amazon: From Booklist Ages 4-9. "Christmas is pish-posh," grumbles Jonathan Toomey, the best wood carver in the valley. He's a Scroogelike recluse; but he's a gentle grouch, it turns out, and he hides a sad secret. He's transformed, not by Dickensian ghosts, but by an eager seven-year-old boy and his widowed mother who ask him to make them a Christmas creche. The story verges on the sentimental, but it's told with feeling and lyricism (he "traveled till his tears stopped" ). Lynch's sweeping illustrations, in shades of wood grain, are both realistic and gloriously romantic, focusing on faces and hands at work before the fire and in the lamplight. In a beautiful, elemental scene, the angry wood carver stands on the threshold of his home, disturbed by the gentle widow and her son who want his help and will transform his life. Hazel Rochman The review above says ages 4 through 9. I'd say ages 4 through adult. It really is a wonderful story. Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BikeBookBread Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 Not high art, but Skipping Christmas by John Grisham is one of my every-year reads. The first time I read this book was on a 3-plane cross-country flight from Utah to Alabama to meet my husband after a 3 month separation thanks to Uncle Sam. People thought probably thought I was crazy...I was laughing out loud. Some parts are just so funny the first time you read it. Skip the movie "Christmas with the Kranks" which is loosely based on the book by the way...awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi @ Mt Hope Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 Our favorite is The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree. It is a true story of a young girl who is picked to be the Christmas angel but her dad is off at the war. Her mom uses her wedding dress to made her her angel costume. And of course, dad gets home just in time. The illustrations are by Barbara Cooney--my favorite. That's my favorite Christmas picture book, as well. My favorite chapter book (warning: broken record ahead) is Maggie Rose: Her Birthday Christmas by Ruth Sawyer. It is OOP, but well worth buying used on Amazon. I adore the illustrations by Maurice Sendak. Here's a link to a review on my blog. I'm not sure I've read a Christmas book that I didn't like, but maybe that's because I pick the right ones. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted November 30, 2009 Share Posted November 30, 2009 The Autobiography of Santa Claus is a favorite here. It's so fun to read about all the historical characters is such a fun light. I read it aloud each year starting on the 1st of December. Author is Jeff Guinn, or rather Santa Claus as told to Jeff Guinn. Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory is a lovely book. Sad, but sweet. Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect, by Richard H. Schneider is good. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and the Grinch are perennial favorites around here, as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsMe Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Glenn Beck's "Christmas Sweater" Truly a great read! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 (edited) A couple more favorites I haven't seen listed yet: Silver Packages by Cynthia Rylant--a man gets into a car accident in a remote part of Appalachia and is helped by some local people. He later repays their kindness by bringing Christmas gifts in silver packages. The Christmas Coat by Clyde Robert Bulla--mom is raising two young boys after dad died in the war. The boys are always fighting and their selfishness brings mom to exasperation. They learn that the love of family and friends is more important than things. Night Tree by Eve Bunting--details a family's Christmas tradition of going out into the woods to decorate a tree for the animals. A Christmas Star by Linda Oatman High--A young girl looks forward to receiving mittens and oranges and candy at church on a Christmas Eve during the Depression, and when these special treats are stolen, her spirit sinks. One Christmas Dawn by Candice Ransom--When her father has to leave their mountain home to go to work in the city one cold winter, a ten-year-old girl sees a special sign as she waits for his return on Christmas. The Christmas story : according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke from the King James Bible by Gennadii Spirin--In a triumph of glorious art, this is the wondrous story of the birth of Christ, excerpted from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke from the King James Bible. Spirin has been described in the "Boston Globe" as an artist who "truly represents the picture book as an object of art". In this volume, his paintings are luminous and reverent. Cinder Edited December 1, 2009 by Cinder Added a couple titles I had forgotten earlier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 (edited) Truman Capote's A Christmas Memory is a lovely book. Sad, but sweet. :iagree: That's what I was just going to post as my personal favorite. I love A Christmas Memory! I'm a Truman Capote fan anyway, and this is a delightful, touching story of a boy & his elderly (but mentally child-like) cousin as they go through their regular Christmas routine (making fruitcakes). For picture books, I love: The Little Boy's Christmas Gift by John Speirs (absolutely gorgeous illustrations that are modeled on illuminated texts & alter-pieces from 15th & 16th century European art; the story is for younger kids & is about a boy who follows the wise men on their trip, then presents his own, unique present to baby Jesus). The Christmas Cobwebs by Odds Bodkin The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve by Jan Brett Rosie, I've provided links so you can check them out. Also, I'll list them in order (imo) of most 'secular' to most 'religious'.... The first 3 would definitely be fine for secular use, imo, though I think all of them are lovely stories (and we're a pretty much secular family). Also, I don't remember any references to Santa in any of these stories. Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve A Christmas Memory The Christmas Cobwebs The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey The Little Boy's Christmas Gift Can't really think of any bad Christmas books, though if there is a Rugrats version of a Christmas book, I'd probably put it in the bad category, lol. Also, has anyone read/can recommend/review Truce or Christmas in the Trenches? Thanks! Edited December 1, 2009 by Stacia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosie_0801 Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Thanks to those who've provided details for me. I feel special :D It's not that I'm against religion books as a whole, but some have the right flavour of religion and some don't. Obviously that is something we can only judge for ourselves. Not at all into Santa though! Rosie- making a shopping list for next year ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggieamy Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Also, has anyone read/can recommend/review Truce or Christmas in the Trenches? Thanks! We just bought Truce from the school's scholastic book order. It looked really interesting. I'll let you know what we think of it after it comes in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 We just bought Truce from the school's scholastic book order. It looked really interesting. I'll let you know what we think of it after it comes in. Oh, thank you! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wyndie Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 My absolute favorite is The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado. It's about a lamb who's different from the rest of the flock and gets left behind, only to be there in the stable when Jesus is born. Definately a religious tone but we got it b/c it was about how even people with special needs (as my children are) fit somewhere in this world and have a plan and purpose. I cry every single time I read it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Patricia Polacco. She is one of my favorite authors/illustrators. Even though my kids have mostly outgrown picture books, I read these ones every Christmas. Me too!! Have you read Tree of the Dancing Goats? Wonderful!! Our favorite is The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree. It is a true story of a young girl who is picked to be the Christmas angel but her dad is off at the war. Her mom uses her wedding dress to made her her angel costume. And of course, dad gets home just in time. The illustrations are by Barbara Cooney--my favorite. That's another of our favorites!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valkett Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Similar to Skipping Christmas (which I love)... is On Strike for Christmas. The women go "On Strike" for Christmas so the guys can see what it's like to do EVERYTHING involved in all of those special holiday traditions. Both sides learn a bit. Not an earth shattering, life changing book, but a quick read. A Christmas Carol by Dickens is a favorite. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever How the Grinch Stole Christmas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 What Child is This: A Christmas Story We found this book in the library one year and loved it. It's a small, little chapter book with a teary ending. From Amazon: A heart-tugging story with an upbeat ending, told in alternating chapters by the young people involved. Eight-year-old Katie, an emotionally starved foster child, writes a wish on a paper bell that will be hung on a Christmas tree in a local restaurant. There, members of the community can choose a request and give a gift to a needy child. However, Katie doesn't ask for toys or clothing?she wishes for a family. Although the social worker says her request is inappropriate, Matt, a high school student who lives in the same foster home and works in the restaurant, hangs the bell on the tree. Liz, Matt's classmate, is upset when her uncaring father reads the wish, calls it ridiculous, and tears up the bell. Meanwhile, Liz's older sister struggles with her grief over the recent death of her baby. When Matt tells Katie on Christmas Eve that her wish will not come true, the devastated girl runs out into a blizzard, setting off a chain of events that brings about a resolution befitting a holiday tale. Showing her flair for adolescent angst, Cooney allows the characters to speak for themselves, eventually weaving their lives together into a fitting climax. A moving, fast paced novel, sure to appeal to Cooney's fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tricia Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 My kids LOVE The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. They watch it over and over and do the same with the book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HRAAB Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Patricia Polacco. She is one of my favorite authors/illustrators. Even though my kids have mostly outgrown picture books, I read these ones every Christmas. An Orange for Frankie The Christmas Tapestry Although not just about Christmas, I really love the Glorious Impossible by Madeleine L'Engle. The Giotto frescos are gorgeous! How the Grinch Stole Christmas - actually, I do like the animated cartoon better than the book:). Nothing can beat Dickens' A Christmas Carole! This about sums up my list. I admit I have a very difficult time reading either The Christmas Tapestry or An Orange for Frankie. My voice starts to crack, and then the tears start. The Glorious Impossible is absolutely gorgeous. Another one I really like is The Trees Kneel at Christmas by Maud Hart Lovelace (Betsy & Tacy author). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melhouse Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 That's my favorite Christmas picture book, as well. My favorite chapter book (warning: broken record ahead) is Maggie Rose: Her Birthday Christmas by Ruth Sawyer. It is OOP, but well worth buying used on Amazon. I adore the illustrations by Maurice Sendak. Here's a link to a review on my blog. I'm not sure I've read a Christmas book that I didn't like, but maybe that's because I pick the right ones. :) We read Maggie Rose last year due to your recommendation, and we loved it! I'm glad you said it again this year so I could thank you!! Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirch Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Olive, the Other Reindeer by Vivian Walsh is one of my favorites. Love the illustrations too. I also love Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilly Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 My absolute favorite Christmas book is Emmet Otter's Jug-band Christmas by Russell and Lillian Hoban. The illustrations are wonderful, and the story is very sweet. The movie is great too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmilyK Posted December 6, 2009 Share Posted December 6, 2009 We got Christmas in the Trenches and really liked it (boys 7 and 11). We read it this fall actually, not at Christmas time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in the NH Woods Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 The worst Christmas book I have ever read (and the reason you should always pre-read before reading to your children) is With Love, At Christmas by Mem Fox. Normally this is one of my favorite authors, but this book is awful. It is the story of an elderly woman who slowly fills a trunk with gifts for her family. She hears of disasters and tragedies and without thinking about what she is doing she sends the gifts off to those in need. When the trunk is empty she is terribly sad that she has nothing for her family and the next day (Christmas Day) her family finds her dead, slumped over the empty trunk. My children were horrified and watched Grandma like little hawks that year. Your description made me laugh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in the NH Woods Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 (edited) The Tale of Barney and the Wee Red Cap, or something to that effect. (Barney, as in an Irishman and not the dinosaur.) This is a cute story about showing charity and not being selfish. Here's a link: http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=sawyer&book=thisway&story=cap I haven't read the short story, but we had a video of Tolstoy's "The Cobbler" written in a similar vein about how when we show love to the "least of these" we are also loving Jesus. Found a link to the story here: http://www.holytrinitynewrochelle.org/tolstoychristmas.html I love the beauty and simplicity of the Gospel accounts in Matthew and Luke. Thanks for this thread~ I need to slow down, and pull out our Christmas stories. ETA: Oh, I forgot to add The Christmas Box. I was determined not to like this book, and ended up crying like a baby as I finished it. Go figure! Edited December 7, 2009 by Cindy in the NH Woods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Friederike in Persia Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 The worst Christmas book I have ever read (and the reason you should always pre-read before reading to your children) is With Love, At Christmas by Mem Fox. Normally this is one of my favorite authors, but this book is awful. It is the story of an elderly woman who slowly fills a trunk with gifts for her family. She hears of disasters and tragedies and without thinking about what she is doing she sends the gifts off to those in need. When the trunk is empty she is terribly sad that she has nothing for her family and the next day (Christmas Day) her family finds her dead, slumped over the empty trunk. My children were horrified and watched Grandma like little hawks that year. :lol: I realize it wasn't funny for you at the time, but still reading it makes me laugh so much!!!:lol::lol::lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted December 7, 2009 Share Posted December 7, 2009 The Tale of Barney and the Wee Red Cap, or something to that effect. (Barney, as in an Irishman and not the dinosaur.)Ooooh. We saw an adaptation of this at the Christmas Revels yesterday. Definitely one of the high points of the show. For anyone looking for a fun, off-the-beaten-track Christmas read (at least in North America), we recently finished Christmas with the Savages, a semi-autobiographical work by Lady Mary Clive. Both my girls (5 and almost 8) thought it was a hoot. The story takes place in a country manor in Edwardian England. and centres on a little girl, an only child with adult pretensions, going to spend the holidays with a family acquaintance and her rather boisterous grandchildren. One of the families is named Savage, hence the title of the book. I think Lady Mary Clive is still alive, at 102. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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