Advent Reading List

Some photos of the children's Christmas tags attached to bags of cookies they made for their teachers, and, for those who asked a Christmas reading list..

Advent Reading List

Christmas Stories Together by Estelle Bryer and Janni Nicol *I Love This!

The Christmas Story Book Collected by Ineke Verschuren

The Light in the Lantern by Georg Dreibig (can by accompanying Advent Calender)

The Emperor's Vision and other Christ Legends by Selma Lagerlof

Christmas Roses Legends for Advent Collected by Mimmi Zoitterman

Seasonal and Traditional Short Stories for Christmas Family Reading

The Way to the Stable A Christmas Story by Max Bolliger Illustrated by Arcadio Lobato *I Love This!

The Mitten by Jan Brett - A Ukranian Folktale

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett

The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore illustrated by Ruth Sanderson - A Classic

Come and See by Monica Mayper Illustrated by Stacey Schuett *I Love This!

Little One, We Knew You'd Come by Sally Lloyd-Jones illustrated by Jackie Morris *I Love This!

The Christmas Rose illustrated by Heather Jarman

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas illustrated by Schart Hyman

The Nutcracker adapted by Daniel Walden from the story by E.T.A. Hoffman illustrated by Don Daily - A Classic

Chapter Books - Read Alouds for Christmas
of course these books can be read silently by children and at any time of year but these are perfect at Christmas and make great family reads!

Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley -*I Love this!

Any of the Narnia series by CS Lewis - particularily The Magician's Nephew and Lion Witch and the Wardrobe

Fall Short Story List

I am always getting requests for reading lists of great stories!

Something I really cherish is reading to my children. Even as they get older we still make time for that. We have two simple story spaces - the fireplace in my bedroom and our cozy living room, both equip with rockers, quilts and pillows. The children's quilts are from when they were just wee so they love that, and we leave them out to use any time the notion takes us, usually evening, but not always. I usually sit in a rocker to read (seasonal stories that have become tradition in our family, or chapter books or tell stories I just make up on the spot) and I usually start with the same words (my personal preamble is about a lady rocking by the sea in the Mediterranean because that has personal meaning for me and feels old and timeless) but you can create your own lines to set the tone, or chime a little bell or sing or speak a one liner. Here's a simple one I like, "Once upon a time, but not so long ago..".

Read Aloud list for Fall - Short Seasonal Stories

Scarecrow by Cynthia Rylant Illustrated by Lauren Stringer *Love this!

The Oak Inside the Acorn by Max Lucado Illustrated by George Angelini *Love this !

Pelle's New Suit by Elsa Beskow

Pumpkin Pumpkin by Jeanne Tihington

Hegedt Peg by Audrey Wood Illustrated by Don Wood

Mrs. McMurphy's Pumpkin by Rick Walton Illustrated by Delana Bettoli *One of my Childrens' favorites since very young!

Cold Feet by Cynthia DeFelice by Illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker ( traditional British ghost story - preview first for developmental appropriateness for your child)

Halloween Circus by Charise Neugebauer Illustrated by Robert Ingpen

A Poppy is to Remember by Heather Patterson and Ron Lightburn

In Flanders Fields by John McCrae

Feathers and Fools by Mem Fox Illustrated by Nicholas Wilton *Love this!

Something From Nothing by Phoebe Gilman

For Story Telling resources I recommend and Story Telling Society or Festival or How Too books by the fabulous Nancy Mellon!