Books Make Great Presents

With nine shopping days left until Christmas, I thought I’d share some of best Christmas books of all time and some sillier Christmas books that kids will like even if they’re not literature.  Jan Brett has written a number of beautifully illustrated books and many are perfect for the season.  Aside from her version of The Night Before Christmas, she also has The Wild Christmas Reindeer and The Gingerbread Baby.  However, she’s most famous for The Mitten and The Hat, which are beautiful winter books.  If you find your kids are fans of Jan Brett, her website is full of interactive games, plays, and activities.  I have always loved The Night Before Christmas, and Robert Sabuda’s pop-up book is one of the most unique versions I’ve ever seen.  It is absolutely gorgeous.  He also has a Christmas Alphabet book and The 12 Days of Christmas.  The ABC book doesn’t exactly fit my criteria for letter sounds, but it’s too pretty to pass up.  I hesitate to recommend the next two books, because although they are beautiful stories, they are tear-jerkers (for adults).  They are The Littlest Angel by Charles Tazewell and The Year of Perfect Christmas Tree.  The first time I read the latter, it was to my class (back when we were allowed to read Christmas books in school), and I was not at all prepared when the mother cut up her wedding dress to make an angel costume for her daughter.  My students couldn’t figure out why I was crying.  If you’re looking for something a little lighter, pick up Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner or Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson.  My all time favorite Christmas books are probably Nicholas: The Boy Who Wanted to be Santa Claus (unfortunately, out of print) and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson.  It’s about the year the Herdmans, the worst kids in school, crash the annual church Christmas pageant.  Hilarity ensues. 

I’ve listed the classics above, but sometimes kids prefer something a little more modern.  In that case, all of our favorite characters have Christmas books.  Arthur, Franklin, Amelia Bedelia and Biscuit all celebrate Christmas.  As do Junie B, Horrible Harry and The Polk Street School Kids.  This year all of my students are getting Geronimo Stilton: A Christmas Tale (shh, don’t tell), but he has at least three other Christmas titles.  Geronimo Stilton is a mouse who frequently and somewhat reluctantly solves mysteries.  The books are published with brightly colored pictures and fun fonts.  They’re full of “cheesy” puns and are just generally enjoyable reads for 7-11 year olds.  Hopefully, I’ve given you plenty of ideas for stuffing stockings, and I wish everyone a very, merry Christmas!

 

Winter’s Tale by Robert Sabuda

The Night Before Christmas by Robert Sabuda

The 12 Days of Christmas by Robert Sabuda

Christmas Alphabet by Robert Sabuda

The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett

The Night Before Christmas by Jan Brett

The Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett

The Mitten by Jan Brett

The Hat by Jan Brett

The 12 Days of Christmas by Jan Brett

Home for Christmas by Jan Brett

The Littlest Angel by Charles Tazewell

The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston

Snowmen at Christmas by Caralyn Buehner

Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson

Nicholas: The Boy Who Wanted to be Santa Claus by James Crimmins

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

The Polar Express by Chris VanAllsburg

A Wish for Wings that Work by Berkeley Breathed

Arthur’s Christmas by Mark Brown

Franklin’s Christmas Gift by Paulette Bourgeois

Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish

Biscuit’s Christmas Eve by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

Clifford’s Christmas by Norman Bridwell

Junie B,. First Grader: Jingle Bells, Batman Smells (P.S. So Does May) by Barbara Park

December Secrets (Kids of the Polk Street School) by Patricia Reilly Giff

Horrible Harry and the Christmas Surprise by Suzy Kline

Magic Tree House: Christmas in Camelot by Mary Pope Osbourne

Geronimo Stilton: A Christmas Tale by Geronimo Stilton