Holiday Togetherness!

Celebrate Reading with a Holiday Book Selection

by Jennifer Galvin

I love the holidays because our family celebrates traditions that bring us closer together. Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa are all December holidays that have fabulous traditions that bring families closer together. As you celebrate this holiday season, make sure to bring books into your celebration. There's nothing better than a family reading together, especially if there is hot chocolate involved! So, grab some of these wonderful holiday books, make some hot chocolate, and enjoy a night reading together as you celebrate the holidays this year!

Hanukkah: A Counting Book
(Scholastic, $6.99; ages baby-preschool) by Emily Sper. A Hanukkah book for the youngest! This bright, colorful board book includes all eight nights of Hanukkah and uses English, Yiddish, and Hebrew numbers to count different Hanukkah traditions. At the end, Hanukkah is briefly explained and readers are wished a "Happy Hanukkah!" An excellent introduction to Hanukkah for young readers.

  

Christmas Is Here
(Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $12.99; ages 3-7) by Lauren Castillo. Join a family as they visit a Live Nativity and remember the night of Jesus' birth. Luminous illustrations paired with words from the King James version of the Bible work together to make this a beautiful Christmas story. The nativity shines out of these pages as the family and neighbors look on. Splendid!

 

 

Celebrate Kwanzaa
(National Geographic, $15.95; ages 4-8) by Carolyn Otto. Stunning photographs and interesting, engaging text fills this informative book about Kwanzaa. Learn the seven principles of Kwanzaa and its history. Quick facts, a project, a recipe, and a page featuring other Kwanzaa books and web sites are included as well. This year, "Celebrate Kwanzaa" is new in paperback for only $6.95.

 

 

A Night in Santa's Great Big Bag
(Viking, $16.99; ages 4-8) by Kristin Kladstrup. When Louis tells Lamb about Santa and his big bag of toys, Lamb just can't resist sneaking down to get a peak on Christmas Eve. He even sneaks into Santa's bag, but uh-oh, Lamb gets so excited by all the toys, he doesn't notice when Santa leaves Louis' house. Lamb helps other toys in Santa's bag get ready for Christmas, but when he is the only toy left in Santa's bag, he is ready to go home to Louis. Will Santa take him back? Find out in this delightful Christmas treasure!

 

 

The Nutcracker
(Dial Books for Young Readers, $16.99; ages 4-8) by Alison Jay. An absolutely gorgeous version of the nutcracker story! Readers young and old will be delighted by the exquisite illustrations and masterful re-telling of the Nutcracker's story. Join Clara on a magical journey after she receives a nutcracker from her Uncle Fritz. After Clara defeats the Mouse King, the Nutcracker turns into a Prince and takes her to his castle in the Land of Sweets. A magical Christmas treat full of vivid, captivating illustrations!

 

 

The Wild Christmas Reindeer
(G.P. Putnam's Sons, $17.99; ages 5-8) by Jan Brett. It is the Twentieth Anniversary of this wonderful book! Join Teva for a fabulous journey to get the reindeer ready for Christmas. Jan Brett's bright, colorful, and incredibly detailed illustrations will have children paging through this fabulous Christmas story–time and again! As the main story goes along, each two-page spread also features two side panels full of richly illustrated details that tell little stories of their own. Join Teva and see if she can have these wild reindeer ready for Santa by Christmas night. Charming!

 

Jennifer Galvin is never far from her children, a paintbrush, or a good book. Find her on the Web at www.jennifergalvin.com.