22 Nov 2010

Christmas read-alouds

Hello.

I'm after your help. Yet again.

I'm searching for a Living book read-aloud for Jemimah. A chapter book for older kids, not a picture book. A Christmassy book of some type. Preferably available in Australia. The ones we've read already have been excellently great, but I'm struggling to find something of the same calibre for this year. Like Dickens A Christmas Carol, but not that because we have that on the AO5 Booklist and we're saving it for then.

If you have any ideas, please let me know. Thank you. I will be forever in your debt.

In exchange, I'm offering you our list of past reads. In case you're stumped as well.

I have Natalie Carlson's The Family Under the Bridge, Julia Sauer's The Light at Tern Rock, Patricia Polacco's Christmas Tapestry, and The Birds' Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggin on my list - are any of these any good?

Any others, Girls?

Our Basket of Delights will be open this week!! I've posted it up on my sidebar already. Yippee!!!

Ho Ho Ho

Getting excited here. Can you tell?
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13 comments:

  1. Richele23 November 2010 at 09:24

    Okay, I may have missed it but I didn't see E.T.A. Hoffman's "The Nutcracker." The version with Maurice Sendak's illustrations make for a great chapter book.

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  2. christinethecurious23 November 2010 at 11:20

    I saw Three Ships by Elizabeth Goudge

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  3. Sarah23 November 2010 at 12:13

    We read The Light at Tern Rock last year and I thought it was very good. I liked how it addressed selfishness and forgiveness and all of those wonderful things that work in our lives, even when we're small.

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  4. Erin23 November 2010 at 13:23

    Jeanne

    Only have a moment, so apologies for linking,
    https://sites.google.com/site/aussiebookthreadssite/advent-christmas
    scroll to the bottom for chapter books, I'm hoping to post more soon (once I get my Advent box out of storage)
    http://4real.thenetsmith.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=16634
    lots of great ideas here too.

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  5. Rebecca23 November 2010 at 14:25

    I can't help with your question, but I love your "Basket of Delights"! There are so many good Christmas stories out there. I just wanted to mention two of our favourites (both picture books): "The Nativity" by Julie Vivas (captures so well the *wonder* of the story) and "Little Benjamin and the First Christmas" by Betty Forell and Betty Wind which is the Luke story told from the perspective of the (hypothetical) Innkeeper's child.

    :)

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  6. J's mom23 November 2010 at 16:50

    We have done "The Light at Tern Rock" and it is a very good book, although somber.

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  7. J's mom23 November 2010 at 18:14

    I checked kindle for the availability of "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." It is not available until January 4, 2011! I am not sure what the thinking is behind this decision.....???

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  8. Mama Squirrel24 November 2010 at 00:24

    I'll vote for The Light at Tern Rock...also The Family Under the Bridge. One of our girls has The Birds' Christmas Carol, but it's a bit too Kate Douglas Wiggin for my taste...kwim?

    Or Rumer Godden's The Story of Holly and Ivy, if you don't mind her small incursions into the weird-things-that-might-happen.

    Some of Jean Little's books don't start off with Christmas but end with a Christmas storyline. Look Through My Window and From Anna are two...

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  9. Dove's Rest24 November 2010 at 01:14

    Thankyou again Jeanne for sharing your knowledge. I am yet but a fledgling at the soaring for living books but if I find anything I'll be sure to check in with you.
    I also nominated you for a Versatile Blogger Award if you'd like it!
    Blessings, Renelle

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  10. Hopewell24 November 2010 at 03:37

    Some may call these books "twaddle," but we loved them! "Santa Paws" and yes, there is a new movie of it--ignore the movie [for now!].
    Also, The Cat Who Came to Christmas by Cleveland Amory. It's been a while so I would say preview it. We also have enjoyed The Christmas Treasury. Link is below. Most of our favorites, though are story books--we used to have a basket and read one each night finishing with the Christmas Carol and the the birth of Jesus from the Bible. The others had a number and we drew the number out of the hat to see what we read each night. I miss that.

    http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Treasury-scott-gustafson/dp/B000BWSJEQ/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1290530107&sr=1-4

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  11. Ellen24 November 2010 at 08:50

    Hi Jeanne! We didn't care much for The Family Under the Bridge around here, but that's just our humble opinion. I recall reading The Birds' Christmas Carol as a child, but we haven't read it as a family. I recommend The Christmas Mouse by Miss Read. It's not a children's book per se, but the story is wonderful.

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  12. J's mom24 November 2010 at 19:09

    Yes, thank you for the list. I was not aware "The Family Under the Bridge" was a Christmas story.

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  13. Louise24 November 2010 at 19:28

    The Story of Holly and Ivy - Rumer Godden

    I Saw Three Ships - Elizabeth Goudge

    I would like to read about your studies of the Reformation.

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I'd love you to leave me a message. Tell me what you like - and what you don't. Just remember that this is what we do in our family - it doesn't have to be what you do in yours...

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