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Christmas

Although Christmas is a religious holiday for Christians celebrating the birth of Jesus, there is the other Christmas as well with Santa, sleighs, reindeer, trees, and presents. This American tradition of popular Christmas as we know it today started around the 1850’s and has continued to evolve.  We’ve added Christmas trees, ornaments, wrapped presents, and a fat red-suited Santa (whose current look was settled on around 1900).  What started as a simple time—where gifts actually did fit on the tree—has evolved into something more complicated with many presents that barely fit under the tree. 

But through it all there is still the “feeling” of Christmas—generosity of heart and spirit.  While this list does have some titles that address the religious side of Christmas, many more reflect the other side of tradition and generosity of spirit.   (We know that many people do not celebrate Christmas, but as we have read stories over the years about other holidays from other faiths we also wanted to represent Christmas).

1. Christmas Day in the Morning*  by Pearl S. Buck
2. Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree*  by Robert Barry
3. Great Wolf and the Good Woodsman*  by Helen Hoover
4. My Penguin Osbert*  by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
5. Christmas Farm*  by Mary Lyn Ray
6. The Night Before Chrsitmas  by Clement C. Moore
7. The Black Snowman  by Phil Mendez
8. Carl’s Christmas  by Alexandra Day
9. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey  by Susan Wojciechowski
10. Nutcracker  by E.T.A. Hoffmann
11. Night Tree^  by Eve Bunting
12. Welcome Comfort  by Patricia Polacco
13. Christmas in the Country  by Cynthia Rylant
14. Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer  by Robert L. May
15. The Little Drummer Boy  by Ezra Jack Keats
16. The Nativity illustrated by Julie Vivas
17. The Twelve Days of Christmas  illustrated by Jan Brett
18. How the Grinch Stole Christmas!  by Dr. Seuss
19. The Polar Express  by Chris Van Allsburg
20. A Christmas Carol  by Charles Dickens (chptr book)
21. Silver Packages: An Appalachian Christmas Story  by Cynthia Rylant
22. Christmas Tapestry  by Patricia Polacco
23. Willy and May: A Christmas Story  by Judy Schachner
24. A Family Chirstmas selected by Caroline Kennedy (collection of Christmas stories, songs, etc.)
25. Bear Stays Up for Christmas  by Karma Wilson
26. Drummer Boy  by Loren Long
27. Harriet and George’s Christmas Treat  by Nancy Carlson
28. Gift of the Magi  by O. Henry
29. The Worst Best Christmas Pageant Ever  by Barbara Robinson (chptr book)
30. Snow Speaks  by Eve Bunting
31. Humphrey’s First Christmas  by Carol Heyer
32. Pussy Cat’s Christmas  by Margaret Wise Brown
33. Madeline’s Christmas   by Ludwig Bemelmans
34. Melrose and Crock: A Christmas to Remember by Emma Clark
35. Hurry! Hurry! Have You Heard?  by Laura Kraus Melmed
36. A Pirate’s Night Before Christmas  by Philip Yates
37. When Cows Come Home for Christmas  by Dori Chaconas
38. A Small Christmas   by Wong Herbert Yee
39. Christmas in the Trenches^  by John McCutcheon
40. Lump of Coal   by Lemony Snicket
    
    * also listed on the monthly flyer
    ^ previously read on StoryLine

Click here for a pdf version of the monthly flyer.