How to get in the Christmas spirit? Some listen to Christmas music, others bake cookies, and of course, there's shopping! As with adult fiction, many of the best children's authors have written something specifically for Christmas, usually a short read, sometimes drawing upon their own childhood or memories. Offer one to your child, or read it yourself if you find yourself feeling "Scrooge-y." Some will leave you with a tear in your eye, but all provide an emotionally satisfying reading experience. A few are highlighted below; we have compiled a larger list in our
Staff Picks.
A Newbery Christmas Collection of Christimas themed stories by Newbery Medal winning authors such as
Beverly Cleary (Beezus and Ramona), Madeleine L’Engle (A Wrinkle in Time), and
Hugh Lofting (Dr. Dolittle).
The Lump of Coal A snippet of
Snicket for the holidays. More of a short read aloud,
this fable about a lump of coal looking for the chance to be artist’s charcoal
instead of fuel of the barbeque, is breezy but still reminds of the miracles at
Christmas and in our lives. Brett
Helquist, who also illustrated Snicket's
Series of Unfortunate Events, renders an appropriately black visaged yet lovable lump of coal who encounters mostly unsympathetic humans.
Flicka, Ricka & Dicka and Their New Skates The Swedish triplets receive ice skates for Christmas. While enjoying them out on the pond, they
befriend and then save a little boy when he falls through the ice. If you enjoy these easy to read classic children's stories, try their boy counterparts: Snipp, Snapp & Snurr.
Young Claus: Legend of the Boy Who Became Santa Sleigh bells, which played such a symbolic part in
The Polar Express, are an
important part of this adventure story. Claus, alone in the world, gets separated from the other children at his orphanage
during a snow storm. He is saved by a
gentle giant who gives him magical bells to aid him in his journeys. In gratitude for saving them from a ferocious bear, two elves take Claus to their work shop in a mountain. As you
might expect, these elves make toys, but do not know why or what to do
with them. Claus learns his Purpose and
the joy of giving in this simple, heartwarming story. Great for a family read-aloud.
The True Gift: a Christmas Story MacLachlan crafts another tiny gem, this time drawing upon the stable
animals who are part of the Christmas Nativity.
Two children visiting their grandparents for Christmas decide that the
lone cow left out in the pasture needs company, and sacrifice their present
money to buy a calf. The children’s
empathy with the animal reflect the love and care we strive for with all God’s creatures. With poignant pencil drawings by Brian Floca
(
Avi’s Poppy series).
On
Christmas Eve The prolific author of
The Babysitter Club books and award winning
A Corner of the Universe writes with tenderness and humor of a girl's belief in the magic of Santa Claus, as she awaits him on Christmas Eve in order to ask him to make her friend's father get well.
Christmas Spirit Two stories, both set in the author’s industrialized Northumberland. In
The Christmas Ghost, a literal Christmas spirit helps a young boy
save his father. In
The Christmas Cat, a
vicar’s niece brings warmth and hope to a bleak town. Westall's novels for children won him
Britain's top literary awards. His
stories are simple and blunt, with children wise beyond their years.
Dream Soul A Chinese immigrant family in the 1920’s approaches
Christmas in conflicting ways: the
children want to celebrate the holiday like their Western friends do, but their
parents resist becoming “too American.” Yep gives us an insightful look into the difficulties of assimilating into a foreign culture while retaining one’s
native heritage and values. Ultimately, the universal values
of family and love shine through..
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