I LOVE CHRISTMAS. I love everything about it: the decorations, the baking, the wrapping of presents, and, of course, the stories. Regardless of students' personal beliefs my favorite stories connect with kids because of the characters and the real-life situations they are in.
Silver Packages by Cynthia Rylant - An Appalachian story of a boy who every Christmas waits for the Christmas train hoping for a specific present, and eventually this gift teaches him what Christmas is about.
Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck - This story was originally published in 1955 but it is one that students love. On Christmas Eve a boy is looking for the perfect gift for his father, a gift that will show how much he loves him, but he has very little money. What he decides on ends up being even a greater gift that he thought.
Welcome Comfort by Patricia Polacco - a custodian at a school sees a boy who's being bullied so he takes him under his wing. He finds out this boys is a foster child and he starts spending time with him outside of school and through the years he becomes part of his family, so much so that when he retires he wants the boy to continue in his footsteps, some of which Comfort never expected.
Bah! Humbug? by Lorna Balian - a brother and a sister on Christmas Eve prepare for Santa. The big brother decides to set a trap for Santa so he can prove to his little sister that Santa is not real. This is one of my very favorite books and I often have my students draw their own trap and tie it into Science with them labeling the simple machine parts they would use.
Santa's Book of Names by David McPhail - when the story begins, a young boy is having trouble learning to read. On Christmas Eve, he ends up having to help Santa as he delivers presents and the practice and repeated effort he's put in to read pays off.
December by Eve Bunting - a homeless young boy and his mom only have a cardboard box house, a tiny tree (more like a branch), and a picture of an angel. On Christmas Eve, they run into a frail old woman who needs a warm place for the night and they take her in.
Great Joy by Kate DiCamillo - a few days before Christmas a young girl sees an organ grinder and his monkey playing outside her window. One night she sees them sleeping on the street at midnight and she can't get them out of her mind.
Going Home by Eve Bunting - Carlos and his family are going to Mexico for Christmas. Carlos and his sisters have been in the U.S. since they were little and don't remember Mexico. They don't understand how their parents think it's a good idea to "go home" when they're already "home."
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston - and Appalachian story set at the end of WWI. Ruthie and her mom have been waiting for Ruthie's father and brother to return home but they're not home yet. To continue her father's tradition of donating a Christmas tree to the town, Ruthie and her mom go to find the tree her father marked a year before.
The Mighty Santa Fe by William H. Hooks - what little boy doesn't love trains? William is not happy to have to go to his Great Granny's house and leave his train behind until Granny takes him on a marvelous ride on the Mighty Santa Fe.
Auntie Claus by Elise Primavera - Sophie and her brother are all about "getting" when it comes to presents. Sophie is tired of hearing her Auntie Claus tell her "it is far better to give than to receive," and she's wondering about her aunt's secretive and odd ways. She hides in one of her aunt's boxes and learns more than she expected.
I didn't add 2 of my favorites because I know they're widely used:
Twas the Night Before Christmas and The Polar Express
I'd love to hear about some of your favorites. Happy Reading and Merry Christmas!!!
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