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| My husband and daughters in 1992 reading Jingle Bugs by David Carter. It was a favorite when they were young. |
Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Christmas Books and Stories, along with first line(s).
(Originally published Dec. 5, 2011)
(Originally published Dec. 5, 2011)
1. The Bible, Luke 2:1-20
"In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world...And everyone went to his own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem..."
2. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
"The Herdmans were absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world."
3. The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog by Dave Barry
"My name's Doug Barnes, and this stuff happened on Christmas Eve in my town, which is Asquont, New York. According to Mr. Purcell, who's my Social Studies teacher, Asquont is an Indian name that means some Indian thing like 'Hunting Place in the Green Forest,' but sometimes I think it was just a joke by the Indians to get white people to say 'Asquont'."
4. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
"Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot...But the Grinch, Who lived just north of Whoville, did not."
5. A Christmas Story by Jean Shepherd
"Duel in the Snow, or Red Ryder Nails the Cleveland Street Kid"
DISARM THE TOY INDUSTRY
Printed in angry block letter the slogan gleamed out from the large white button like a neon sign. I carefully reread it to make sure that I had not made a mistake
"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.
"Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
"Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.'
"Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?
7. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
"On Christmas Eve, many years ago, I lay quietly in my bed. I did not rustle the sheets. I breathed slowly and silently. I was listening for a sound- a sound a friend told me I'd never hear- the ringing bells of Santa's sleigh."
8. Let it Snow: Three Holiday Romances by John Green, Maureen Johnson, Lauren Myacle
"It was the night before Christmas. Well, to be more precise, it was the afternoon before Christmas."
9. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
"Imagine this: You are in your favorite bookstore, scanning the shelves. You get to the section where a favorite author's books reside, and there, nestled in comfortably between the incredibly familiar spines, sits a red notebook."
10. The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore
"'Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."
11. A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
"Imagine a morning in late November. A coming of winter morning more than twenty years ago."
12. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
"Marley was dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that."
13. Seven Stories of Christmas Love by Leo Buscalia
"Christmas is the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus, the Holy Child of Bethlehem, nearly two thousand years ago. But whatever your religious belief, the spirit of Christmas is love, and love is universal."
14. The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
"One dollar and eighty-seven cents. That was all. And sixty cents of it was in pennies."
15. Lousia May Alcott's Christmas Treasury...The Complete Christmas Collection
"A Merry Christmas" found within Little Woman
"Jo was the first to wake in the grey dawn of Christmas morning."
Christmas House, North Pole
22nd December 1920
Dear John,
I heard you ask daddy what I was like and where I lived. I have drawn me and my house for you...Your loving Father Christmas
What are/were your favorite holiday books/stories?
This was originally posted on Nov. 23, 2010 for Top Ten Tuesday at Broke and Bookish
Love that you included the Bible! I can't believe I forgot that. I love reading about the birth of Jesus!
ReplyDeleteAlso..about your question.So sorry! I had put it there last night and then the blogger had a malfunction and I had to do it over again and forgot next week's topic! Here's the list through January.
http://brokeandbookish.blogspot.com/p/features.html
Yes, I see that we have three in common. I don't know some of the books you chose... I'll check it out!
ReplyDelete(PS: My english is far from perfect, I hope you'll forgive it!)
This is an excellent list. I like the addition of first lines. It sets the tone for the book.
ReplyDeleteInfinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
I completely forgot about Yes, Virginia! I have a newspaper clipping of it. It's a classic, especially for children beginning to ask hard questions. Here's my top 10.
ReplyDeleteJingle Bugs would be far higher on my list...But that's just my post-mullet opinion ;)
ReplyDeleteAfter hearing the first lines I want to grab all the books and finish them right now. Especially the Best Christmas Pageant Ever..."HEY! Unto you, a child is born!" Love it!
I don't remember reading very many Christmas books to the kids. I'll have to ask them!
ReplyDeleteI love your list! It's similar to my own. "Yes, Virginia" and The Little Match Girl" - they get me every time.
ReplyDelete-Linds, bibliophile brouhaha
I tried to answer on your blog but it says that I am not invited. Sorry that I didn't reply on your spot.
DeleteI didn't even think of The Night Before Christmas. I have read that, but I've always read it in paper form not book form. You'd think that I would have read How the Grinch Stole Christmas, but I can only say that I watched the cartoon movie. It is one of my favorites, so I think I'll go buy it this year and read it for the first time.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your list and first lines. I'm going to add a lot of these my to read list and hopefully, I can get to some of them this year. :)
Those opening lines in "A Christmas Carol" about Marley being dead as a doornail -- and the off-topic musing that it seemed coffin nails were the deadest bit of ironmongery -- always amuse me.
ReplyDeleteLoved The Gift of the Magi. Thanks for the suggestion!
ReplyDeleteThe opening of A Christmas Carol might be my favorite part of the book. It certainly sets the tone, and not the tone I was expecting after seeing hundreds of adaptations.
ReplyDeleteGreat list! I really like that you included photos and first lines. I definitely need to check out the Dave Barry and the Truman Capote you have listed.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is pretty awesome, no denying it. And the Gift of the Magi is classic!
ReplyDeleteLovely list! I feel kinda bad that I didn't add the Bible to my list, it's the reason for all the other books:D
ReplyDeleteGreat list! There are a couple of books on it that will be going on my "To Check Out" list.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post, Anne! Of course, I am familiar with the classics but there are some here I hadn't heard of before.
ReplyDeleteA couple of years ago, I posted my own Top Ten holiday book list:
http://greatbooksforkidsandteens.blogspot.com/2009/12/top-ten-childrens-christmas-books.html
You've reminded me that it's time to bring our holiday books and movies up from the basement! We're a bit behind this year because of so much else going on. Thanks for the inspiration!
Sue
I really need to read Dash and Lily - it looks so fabulous.
ReplyDeleteWe share several of these! I like how you included the first lines.
ReplyDeleteOoh The Grinch. Dash and Lily's is one I wanted to read. And yay for the Bible!
ReplyDeleteMy dad used to read The Grinch to us every year. Now that he is gone, it will be bittersweet to hear it again.
DeleteThe Grinch also has a special place in my heart this time of year. So glad to see him on another list.
ReplyDeleteHe is so much a part of our Christmas. I haven't watched the video for years.
DeleteI love The Night Before Christmas! We used to listen to it read by Louis Armstrong on the radio each year. I've read Dash and Lily - it's okay, but didn't make my yearly re-read list. I've had Let It Snow on my TBR for at least five years now, and somehow never get to it! I love A Christmas Carol. It's got such an interesting balance between Christmas vibes and the gothic. Definitely worth giving it a go!
ReplyDeleteI am going to look around for that recording.
DeleteAmazing list. I love many of those. I need to read a few on the list.
ReplyDeletehttps://thereadingrebel.wordpress.com/2019/12/03/top-ten-tuesday-10-books-i-want-to-read-before-christmas/
The Gift of the Magi was on my list this week as well.
ReplyDeleteMy TTT.
I haven't read it for years, perhaps I should reread it this year.
DeleteSome great books here. What a lovely post!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I often make decisions about what I want for myself on my blog. Opening lines are a fascination of mine.
DeleteThe Polar Express is one of my favorites, too. I adored that book growing up. It's been fun sharing it with my daughter.
ReplyDeleteHere are some holiday reads I would like to read: My Top Ten Tuesday.
I don't have a copy of the Polar Express for myself. Time to get my own copy?
DeleteThe Grinch and The Gift of the Magi are classics for this time of year.
ReplyDeleteHere is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
I always enjoy watching and reading The Grinch during the holiday season.
ReplyDeleteEven though we're all grown ups in our house, we still read the Night Before Christmas each year. I love it.
ReplyDeleteWe never out grow the delight of Christmas traditions do we?
DeleteThe Best Christmas Pageant Ever is one of those books that I loved in elementary school (our teacher read it to us, instant hit), and then abruptly forgot for years before rediscovering, with all the same amount of joy. What a fun choice to include.
ReplyDeleteI am glad you found your way back to it.
DeleteI love #s 6, 7 and 14 on your list. They're three of my favorite Christmas reads, too. :D
ReplyDeleteChristmas tradtional reads make the time of year special.
Deletei haven't read any of these (except the Bible), but I'm looking forward to! Let it Snow and Dash and Lily's Book of Dares are already in my TBR, so I hope to read those soon.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic list! I went to a parochial school and had to memorize Luke 2 in fourth grade. :) It is THE christmas story. Several of yours are on my TTT list too as I geared mine toward what we are reading to our three year old. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteMarley was dead to bein with- what a great opening line! And we loved reading in Luke every year.
ReplyDeleteHere's my list: https://speedyreadercom.wordpress.com/2019/12/03/ttt-books-i-read-during-christmas/
What an excellent list!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe I never knew The Christmas Story was a book, too! I've only ever seen the movie. :) Great list!
ReplyDeleteGreat list! I can't believe that I didn't think of some of these myself. You listed some of my absolute favs!
ReplyDeleteGreat picks and such a lovely variety as per usual! Love that you included The Grinch. Makes me sad that I didn't think to add it, even though it's one of my all time favourite cozy and nostalgic reads!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a great list! I had no idea that Dave Barry wrote a Christmas book...or that A Christmas Story (movie) was adapted from a book! You have many here that are new to me.
ReplyDeleteWe used to listen to a different audio production of A Christmas Carol EVERY year on our way home from visiting family for Thanksgiving (it's a 7-hour ride!), so it holds a special place in our hearts. We have a big stack of Christmas picture books from when our kids were little. These days, we usually only read 3 of them - the same 3 we have been reading to them every year on Christmas Eve since they were little :) Twas the Night Before Christmas, The Christmas Star by Marcus Pfister (author of Rainbow Fish), and Santa Mouse, a favorite from my own childhood!
I miss making our way through the whole stack during the season.
For grown-ups, I liked Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb and Holidays on ice by David Sedaris (not your typical holiday book!).
Thanks for sharing your list!
Sue
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