Holiday Favorites

With the holidays rapidly approaching, my thoughts always turn to good books to share or give as gifts.  So, here are a few of my current favorites.

1. Mr. Willoughby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry -- a wonderful little read-aloud fantasy about one tree and the many, many homes it graces.
2. The Little Fir Tree  by Margaret Wise Brown -- a lonely little tree and a lonely little boy come together in this heart-warming story.
3. Wombat Divine by Mem Fox -- there's room for everyone in the Christmas play.
4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss -- you can't go wrong with a classic!
5. The Polar Express by Chris VanAllsburg -- the magic  of Christmas sings through every page.
6. The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomy by Susan Wojciechowski -- a little boy helps a lonely widower rediscover the joy of living.
7. When Santa Fell to Earth by Cornelia Funke -- an entirely different, and completely irreverent, take on Santa and elves that is highly entertaining.
8. Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian Menotti -- just who were the Magi, anyway?
9. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson -- the worst kids in the school take over the seasonal pageant.

10. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett -- Another classic tale of a seemingly abandoned child and her search for her father.

Those are a few of my favorites, many of which I read every year at this time.  They have become part of my holiday tradition.  Here's hoping you find a few to make your holidays brighter.