Tuesday, October 16, 2012

{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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12 comments:

  1. I love books, so I give them as presents a lot. One that I love to give so much that I think I've bought 10 copies already is "Little Pea." It's a short story, but it's too cute! :)

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  2. Let me know what you think of Percy J. We're reading D'Aulaire's Greek Myths for school this year, and I'd like to find something "fun" (not that D'Aulaire is anything but fun) to go with. - Karis

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  3. We do give books for Christmas, that and some art supplies are all that is bought, everything else is handmade. Still not sure what book or two it will be, I have to look at the list and make some decisions soon.

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  4. We give each child "something to wear, something to read, something you want and something you need"

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  5. We always add a Christmas book to the collection - this year I have an eye on a Mary board book in honor of our daughter's birth. Since our son is still rough on books, I imagine there will be a board book of some kind that he can pull out on his initiative (maybe Little Blue Truck) as well as a picture book that will be kept on an adult shelf for the time being.

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  6. Our Peter Spier Noah's Ark has been literally read to death! Lois Lenski is so wonderful too...

    When I was growing up my parents used to give a joint gift of a read aloud book every year. For many years it was whatever N.C. Wyeth illustrated classic Scribners was issuing that year. Treasure Island, Kidnapped, Howard Pyle's Robin Hood, Robinson Crusoe, and others. Those books were always first read aloud and then later could be read to oneself and we have many fond memories of Dad reading to us each evening.

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  7. i LOVED saint george and the dragon. and i was thrilled to find out when i got older that it was the story of spenser's faerie queen.
    my siblings read the percy jackson book and they liked it. my students, too.

    good book list! :)

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  8. My boys LOVE Percy Jackson. They read them nonstop!

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  9. My boys LOVE Percy Jackson. They read them nonstop!

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  10. My boys LOVE Percy Jackson. They read them nonstop!

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  11. My boys LOVE Percy Jackson. They read them nonstop!

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  12. Sorry! Mobile device acting up and I don't know why or how so many comments published.

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