Want to curl up in front of the fireplace with a good book this
holiday? Take a look at these recommendations
Before there were ever blockbuster holiday movies raking in millions of dollars, there were beloved holiday stories read aloud to family and friends in front of a roaring fire place. This year, instead of spending two
quiet hours in a dark movie theater with your loved ones, bring back traditions of yore by gathering in front of the Christmas tree, menorah or kinara and reading a ’tis-the-season tale. Local book lovers gave us their two cents to help you find a story that’s right for your family.
Christmas
n “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Clement Clarke Moore
n “Polar Express” by Chris Van Allsburg
n “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens
“The Dickens story is for children who are a little older, but it’s wonderful,” said Sandy Eklund, library assistant at San Benito County Library. “It’s the original that set the standard for pretty much all the other Christmas stories.”
n “Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote
“This is one of Truman Capote’s memories as a boy,” said Linda Glawatz, children’s program librarian at Gilroy Public Library. “He’s a young boy who’s with an elderly woman during Christmas. It’s a wonderful story.”
n “The Soldiers’ Night Before Christmas” by Christine Ford and Trish Holland
“Given what’s going on in the world, I think this story is nice for military families or any family that wants to think about the people who are overseas fighting in the war,” said Cinda Meister, owner of BookSmart in Morgan Hill.
n “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott
Hanukkah
n “The Chanukkah Guest” by Eric A. Kimmel and Giora Carmi
“This one’s a great story about an old woman who doesn’t see very well making her famous potato latkes for a grumpy old bear she’s mistaken for the rabbi,” Glawatz said. “It’s very cute and very funny. She keeps thinking that the rabbi is awfully hungry and the bear keeps thinking how nice it is to be treated so well.”
n “The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate” by Janice Cohn and Bill Farnsworth
“This is a wonderful book about tolerance,” Meister said. “It’s about a Jewish family in Montana who had a menorah in their widow. Someone threw a rock threw their window, so the rest of the neighbors put menorah’s up in their windows, too. It’s a story about even though people can be hateful, it can be counteracted in a peaceful manner.”
n “One Candle” by Eve Bunting and K. Wendy Popp
n “Festival of Lights: The Story of Hanukkah” by Maida Silverman and Carolyn Ewing
Kwanzaa
n “A Kwanzaa Celebration Pop-Up Book : Celebrating the Holiday with New Traditions and Feasts” by Nancy Williams and Robert Sabuda
“This is one of my favorite Kwanzaa books,” Glawatz said. “We don’t carry it at the library because it’s pop-up, but children love it and I highly recommend it.”
n “Imani’s Gift At Kwanzaa” by Denise Burden-Patmon and Floyd Cooper
n “My First Kwanzaa Book” by Deborah M. Newton Chocolate and Cal Massey
n “It’s Kwanzaa Time!” by Linda Goss and Clay Goss
n “Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story” by Angela Shelf Medearis and Daniel Minter
Not celebrating any holidays? Take advantage of the colder weather and curl up on the couch with your kids and read a book anyway! These novels have no overt holiday affiliations:
n “James and the Giant Peach” by Roald Dahl
n The “Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling
n The “Ramona” books by Beverly Cleary
n “Nancy Drew” books by Carolyn Keene
n “Hardy Boys” books by Franklin W. Dixon
List compiled from recommendations by Melissa McGrath, English teacher at San Benito High School; Linda Glawatz, children’s program librarian at Gilroy Public Library; Sandy Eklund, library assistant at San Benito County Library; Cinda Meister, owner of BookSmart in Morgan Hill.
Kelly Savio is the Lifestyles reporter for South Valley Newspapers. Reach her at (408) 842-2205 or ks****@**********rs.com.
