Book Basket

I have collected a few Christmas books every year, which I keep packed away to pull out with the Christmas decorations.  Pulling them out has become one of my favorite traditions of the season.  Here are the titles that now (mostly) reside in a box by the fireplace.

The Night Before Christmas by Clement Moore

We have two versions of this.  The Robert Sabuda pop-up version, which I usually keep put up out of harm's way

and the 'everyday' version illustrated by Mary Engelbreit, a visual feast.  I'd like to memorize this poem this year.

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

This book and the movie have become something of a tradition around here.  My four-year old started clamoring for the movie as soon as we got back from Florida.

The Christmas Candle by Richard Paul Evans

A story of transformation in the tradition of A Christmas Carol just without the ghosts.  This was a gift from a friend, and a very nice story.

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

This is a sentimental favorite of mine.  It was my best childhood friend's very favorite book.  I always think of her as I read it.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Suess

This is one of our new additions for 2010.  The kids grab this from the library all through the year.

The Light at Tern Rock by Julie L. Sauer

This is one we checked out from the library.  It's on the Sonlight Kindergarten read-aloud list.  It is not a secular read, but whatever your beliefs concerning Christ and his birth, it is a terrific book about contentment and forgiveness.  Some good conversations have sprung from this book, which we've read more than once.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens adapted by Stephen Krensky

The second of our new additions to the box.  I chose to read this book this year for several reasons.  First, I want to introduce my children to classic literature early so that they develop a taste for it.  This is an ideal choice because it is not a long, complex story but the language is still rich.  Second, it coincides with our study of Europe and was written toward the end of the Middle Ages, which we are also learning about.  Third, two of our good friends are in a local production of a musical based on the book.  I wanted my son to be familiar with the story before we went to see the play.

The Family Under the Bridge  by Natalie Savage Carlson

This is another Sonlight read-aloud, which takes place in France, a country we've 'visited' this year in school.