The Last Straw by Frederick H. Thury is a wonderful story that delights us every year.
Father and Son: A Nativity Story by Geraldine McCaughrean considers Joseph's thoughts and feelings on the night Jesus was born. It's a new one for us. I'm not sure the children will find it engaging enough, but I thought it lovely.
Mary, Did You Know? by Mark Lowry. Apparently, this is a song, but I don't think I've heard it. The book is beautiful. I found a copy on sale sometime during the year so the children haven't seen it yet.
A Christmas Like Helen's by Natalie Kinsey-Warnock is another book I just love - a simple look at Christmas generations ago.
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston, illustrated by Barbara Cooney (one of my absolute favorite illustrators) is one of my favorite books of all time. It makes me cry every time I read it, this beautiful story of love and sacrifice and a family's joy. Please find a copy! Mine is a perfect hardcover copy from PaperBackSwap. (God bless the crazy person who passed this on to me.)
Bear Stays Up for Christmas by Karma Wilson, because we must have some silly books.
The Night of Las Posadas by Tomie dePaola
The Little Drummer Boy, illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats, is one of the stories I remember from my youth. I inherited my grandmother's paperback copy which I trembled to read to the children. A friend told me last year that there was a board book release of the same book and I found it on sale during the year! Hooray! I love it. I love the illustrations.
The Christmas Story, illustrated by Gennady Spirin, a delight for the eyes.
I've noticed the children have far less interest in the Christmas books I've set out in our library pile than in the ones we are unwrapping, a bit of encouragement to wrap more next year. They certainly don't mind the days we unwrap and read two books this year.
Our 2011 Advent Books
Week 1
Week 2
