No comments about The Birth of Christ (Jubilee Year Books Bible Story Series).

No comments about Christmas Traditions for Children.

No comments about Wee Willie Winkie.

No comments about Christmas Stories: The First Christmas and the Glittering Cathedral.

No comments about Christmas Star Boxed: Portables (Portable Holidays).

No comments about Christmas Wishes with Plush Toys.

No comments about The Nutcracker.

2 comments about The Magic in the Gift: A Christmas Story.

1. It should violate some literary law to ever have "magic," "gift" and "Christmas" on a book's cover, but this tale transcends seasonal clichés when, in chapter two, Santa hits the fan. Production of toys has become highly automated at the North Pole and the once ma-and-pa business become a worldwide enterprise. Just when all seems to be going the way of the rest of the world, on the critical night of Christmas Eve something happens: "The reins slipped through Santa's gloved hands. He held on helplessly as the reindeer climbed and the sleigh began to fall." Right through the roof of a barn where he meets a brazen little girl whose name is NOT on his list.
   
   This tale (with both English and Spanish texts, bound together, back-to-back) is fresh and fun. Not a word or an image is out of place. The girl's home, sparsely furnished, reminds Santa of an apartment he once had, and the man who helps fix his sleigh has been doing some roof repairs on a nearby bed and breakfast. But there's a deeper meaning than just a twist on the traditional delivery of toys to girls and boys. One that is genuinely moving, while being surprising and yet seems, oh, so right. A message that remains long after the story is over.
   
   When my kids and step-kids were young I would read them and our guests a Christmas story between dinner and our opening of presents. I wanted us to share some special feeling besides the commercialism and (too often) half-hearted religious ritual of the season. How I wish I had this book then. For it does just that. Buy it, read it and love this book. Share it with those you love. OK I'll say it: It is a magic gift for Christmas.



2. In James Miller's simple, yet powerful story, The Magic in the Gift, the author teaches an important lesson by showing that even Santa Claus can forget the true meaning of Christmas. On one unusual Christmas Eve, Santa takes a turn from his normal itinerary and finds that he has been lost for a long time.
   
   The story begins at the North Pole where the final preparations for the big night have been completed. As he dresses and then walks to his factory, Santa reminisces about how he began giving toys to the children in his hometown. On that first night, Santa experienced the "Christmas magic" as he began his offering with only a small number of toys that multiplied throughout the night. Santa gained an immediate appreciation for the magic, but as his gift giving expanded to the world, Santa became a bit consumed with his own importance. A young girl named Noemi helps him find his way back to the magic.
   
   This book is a wonderful medium for sharing the true meaning and purpose of Christmas with school-aged children. The plot provides fantasy that will draw kids in (what child isn't curious about what Santa is really like?) and gives them an opportunity to pretend to be Santa's guide via the six-year-old Noemi. As the tale progresses and Santa begins to understand that he has lost the Christmas magic because of his conceit, the lesson of the book is slipped in easily like peppermint flavored cough medicine: "My mom told me that because of Jesus we have all been forgiven, and that He is the greatest of all Christmas gifts."
   
   The Magic in the Gift is a lovely tale presented in both English and Spanish in the same book, allowing for accessibility to children of different backgrounds.

1 comments about The Winter Witch.

1. I've read this title several times to my granddaughter and we have loved pouring over the pictures. We marvel at Robert Bender's artistic technique that makes Mattie's cloak and Stephen's coat look like fleece..soft enough to touch. One of our favorite illustrations is the cover. The lights hung on the trees, the snow falling, the animals of the woods nearby, the "witch's'" small, rather inviting, brick house. How beautiful! The illustrations blend perfectly with the story of a little boy who visits a neighbors home, rather out of sorts, and returns to his own with the Christmas/Hanukkah spirit. What a treasure to have as part of our home library.

No comments about A Churchmouse Christmas (Christopher Churmouse Classics Series).