The Stockings Were Hung :: Must Read Christmas Books

I feel like the last person to be giving my list of favorite Christmas books, but in my defence I'm just following the order of the list I set up back in November. At any rate, we've arrived at the day when I share some of my favorite books - mostly from my childhood - that you might enjoy reading for yourself, to your kiddos, or even a niece, nephew, or grandchild. So pull up a chair and check out my "Must Read Christmas Books" of 2011!

1. Christmas Classics for Children (including The City That Forgot About Christmas) - You can read my full review of all five stories HERE.

2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss - An obvious Christmas classic, but no list would be complete without it. The copy on my bookshelf is almost as old as me and is well worn from use. Again, for my full review, you can read it by clicking HERE.

3. Apple Tree Christmas by Trinka Hakes Noble - This was always one of my favorites as a child. The idea of a desk and a swing inside was magical, as well as the fact that something she did as a child turned into a career. What a dream indeed!

4. The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Holidays - If you ever need to know how to re-purpose a fruitcake, this book will explain it to you. Quite funny, and now available for Kindle! I wrote a review of this fun little book a couple of years ago, so check that out if you want more details.

        

5. The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg - I stumbled upon this little bit of fun after I was an adult, but it immediately took me back to my childhood when The Jolly Postman was one of my favorite books (and a gift from my oldest sister). I've already given copies of this to my nephews, though it might be more girl-friendly.

6. The Littlest Angel by Charles Tazewell - I have a much older version of this book, but it was always one of the ones that made the "reading stack" with my mom at Christmas. The paperback version is only $3.99 on Amazon, but they are currently out of stock.

7. The Most Important Christmas by James Nelesen - I never wanted to be in a Christmas play as I've always hated getting up in front of people, but I understood the feelings of jealousy that are displayed throughout this book. In fact, I still understand them - just now it's blogging related. Guess it's time to pull this "kids" book out again...

     

8. Christmas Around the World by Emily Kelley (illustrated by Priscilla Kiedrowki) - The copy that I have was written in 1986, and it included sections on Christmas in Iran, Iraq, Spain, and Norway. While browsing for a link on Amazon, I discovered that the book was re-written in 2004 and those countries were replaced. So while I loved this book as a child, I don't know anything about the newer version, but you might want to check it out.

9. Cajun Night Before Christmas by "Trosclair" - My parents moved to this area after a four-year stint in New Orleans where my dad was doing a medical residency. Perhaps it was that influence that caused me to grow up loving this book. It was certainly fun to read it out loud and try to get the accent right!

10. Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon - Always a fan of Mitford, I really enjoyed the 8th book in the series which puts the focus on Christmas. Although a bit longer than the other books I've mentioned, I think it's a great way to spend a few hours, curled up in a blanket in front of the Christmas tree.

BONUS: As a younger girl, I was a huge fan of the American Girl dolls and books - back when there were only three dolls (Kirsten, Samantha, and Molly). If you have a little girl in your life, you might want to pick up a copy of one of the Christmas books. My favorites were Kirsten's Surprise and Samantha's Surprise (and on all accounts, try to find the original books rather than the newer versions).

           

And there you have it, some of my favorite Christmas books for all ages. If you missed the previous posts, you can find them all by clicking HERE. Make sure you come back next week for my eighth and final The Stockings Were Hung post: Non-Traditional Gifts!