{Simple Christmas} Booklist

Yes, I know it is only mid-October, but I've begun planning Christmas.  These Autumn days, jam packed with school and life and, yes, a few celebrations along the way, well, they can just fly by.  For the Mama of any family, large or small, a bit of pre-planning for the Holiday season can go a long way in avoiding some last minute mania.  I am not particularly fond of going out in the dark, blustery evenings in late December, searching for gifts, so I try to get a head start when I have a spare moment here and there.

A few years back, we began the tradition of giving each child a book.  There are so many excellent books out there for children!  Some of my favorite places to find them are library book sales, garage sales, or www.half.com.  If you find yourself in more of a bind requiring, for example, 2 day shipping, Amazon does the trick.  I usually add books to my cart throughout the Fall and take them out if I find them elsewhere.

So what books do I recommend this year?

For the younger set requiring picture books, we're going with Noah's Ark by Peter Spier and
St. George and the Dragon by Margaret Hodges, two Caldecott awarded books.  Peter Spier does some truly beautiful illustrations to an old poem about Noah's Ark, sure to keep any little one engrossed for hours.

For my two middle ladies, we are delving into some Lois Lenski classics that I loved as a girl, "Strawberry Girl," a Newberry award winner about a family and their work on a Florida farm and "Houseboat Girl" about a girl and her family traveling up and down the Mississippi in a houseboat.  Both are truly living books that teach children much about history and geography while entertaining them with delightful stories about wonderful families.

For my oldest, we are giving the first Percy Jackson book a shot.  I cannot truly recommend this book as I have not yet read it myself, but I have heard many good things from friends.  Benjamin has always been intrigued by Greek mythology and these books are said to bring new life to those legends.

Hopefully my little ones will enjoy these books just as much as I enjoyed picking them out for them! 

 Do you give books for Christmas?  What's on your book list this year?

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