I retired in May, and I loved being a school librarian. There are lots of things I miss.
One of the things I miss most about being a school librarian is this time of the year when I shared my favorite Christmas stories with children. I'm a researcher by nature, and I carefully polled people and researched books other librarians and teachers loved to read aloud to children. Then I found out for myself what works best: I read aloud stories.
I won't be singing Christmas songs, or dressing up for Polar Express Day, or sharing my favorite Christmas read-alouds with children this year, but I can share some of my favorite read-aloud stories with you.
FUNNY STORIES ABOUT SANTA AND REINDEER AND CHRISTMAS TREES AND OTHER CHRISTMAS-Y THINGS
Mrs. Claus Takes a Vacation
Auntie Claus
Santa's Crash-Bang Christmas
How Santa Really Works
I See Santa Everywhere
Santa's Book of Names
Olive, the Other Reindeer
Mr. Willoughby's Christmas Tree
STORIES WITH BELOVED BOOK CHARACTERS
Just about every beloved children's book character has his or her own Christmas book. Clifford. Arthur. Froggy. Fancy Nancy. Bear. Minerva Louise. They all have their own books. Take a look.
Clifford's Christmas
Bear Stays Up
Merry Christmas, Big Hungry Bear
A Christmas for Bear
The Peterkins' Christmas
Minerva Louise on Christmas Eve
NEW VERSIONS OF OLD STORIES
The Teachers' Night Before Christmas
A Pirate's Night Before Christmas
The Soldiers' Night Before Christmas
Texas Night Before Christmas
A Cajun Night Before Christmas
The Twelve Days of Christmas Dogs
Pete the Cat's Twelve Groovy Days of Christmas
Twelve Days of Christmas in Texas
CHRISTMAS MUST-READS
The All-I'll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll
Mr. Willoughby's Christmas Tree
Yoon and the Christmas Mitten
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree
The Polar Express
The Little Match Girl
The Steadfast Tin Soldier
A Christmas Carol
A Child's Christmas in Wales
A Christmas Memory
The Night Before Christmas
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
What have I forgotten?
I've created a Best Read-Aloud Christmas Stories for Children list at Goodreads. I'd love to have you add your favorites to the list and vote.
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each Tuesday That Artsy Reader Girl assigns a topic and then post her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.
I love your lists!! Thanks for sharing them with us!!
ReplyDeleteHere's a link to my Top Ten Tuesday post for this week: https://captivatedreader.blogspot.com/2018/12/top-ten-tuesday-top-ten-free-little.html
Our family listens to A Child's Christmas in Wales each year and we read the British version of Twas the Night Before Christmas.
ReplyDeleteTwo of my favorites!
DeleteI remember the story my mom would read to us "Christmas Every Day" where it was Christmas for an entire year and people got sick of it.
ReplyDeleteThese are all so cute! My favorite to read out loud with my daughter is The Polar Express.
ReplyDeleteHere are some holiday reads I would like to read: My Top Ten Tuesday.
I love The Polar Express. I'll take a look at your recommendations next. Thank you!
DeleteI really ought to read Olive, the Other Reindeer sometime. Fun!
ReplyDeleteMy TTT.
It's quite clever.
DeleteWhat a thorough list of holiday books. You must love children and books very much. https://pmprescottenterprises.wordpress.com/2019/12/03/top-ten-tuesday-winter-movies/
ReplyDeleteI'm a little obsessed with them.
DeleteThis is such a fun list. I wish my kids would still let me read them a holiday book every night in December like we used to.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad when those traditions slip away. Maybe you can work in one good story?
Delete