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 THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS: A Pop-Up
Clement C. Moore
illustrated by Robert Sabuda
Little Simon
ISBN: 0689838999
All Ages
Award-winning author Robert Sabuda brings Clement Clarke Moore's classic tale of THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS to life in this festive pop-up edition. Readers will be fascinated as Santa pops in and out of the chimney, beds fold out and a window shade rises and falls. And surprisingly, it's a family of mice who are receiving Santa's nighttime visit! A pull-out tab even lets readers interact when Santa's sleigh glides out on the clouds and over an intricately realized village. This magical book is sure to become a perennial family favorite.
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 THE BEST CHRISTMAS
Jane B. Mason and Sarah Hines Stephens
Scholastic
ISBN: 0439320704
Ages 9-12
144 pages
Hattie is going through a very tough time right now. Her mother has died and her father is traveling across America looking for work during the Depression. She has to live with her two fussy aunts and her pipsqueak brother, as well as the stuck-up girl on the farm next door. Christmas is coming and Hattie isn't in the spirit. But then she decides she will make enough money to bring her father home and make this Christmas the most wonderful ever!
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 CHRISTMAS IN CANAAN
Kenny Rogers and Donald Davenport
HarperCollins
ISBN: 006000746X
Ages 9-12
325 pages
In the quiet, rural town of Canaan, Texas, a clash between two classmates -- one, a tough farm boy, and the other, a bright, black, aspiring writer -- spins into an unlikely friendship. When the clever arrangement their families devise to teach DJ and Rodney a lesson seems hopeless, their cooperative effort to heal a wounded puppy helps them move past an unsettled battle. Not surprisingly, the truce that follows becomes an amiable kinship. But can life in Canaan that is living under the shadow of racism ever really deliver the milk and honey of the Promised Land? It is amidst the magic of an unforgettable Christmas that the boys learn a lesson about family, hope and love. And they will know for the rest of their lives that when times are hard, there will always be Christmas in Canaan.
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 THE MISTLETOE MYSTERY
Nancy Drew, #169
Carolyn Keene
Aladdin
ISBN: 0743437659
Ages 9-12
160 pages
Nancy's friend Bess helps out at a local department store during the holidays, working for a company that provides special festive displays. The problem is that expensive merchandise is leaving the store without being paid for. Whoever is dressing up the store may also be stripping it down --- in a very creative way.
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 MRS. CLAUS DOESN'T CLIMB TELEPHONE POLES (Adventures of the Bailey School Kids Special Edition, 3)
Debbie Dadey and Marcia T. Jones
illustrated by John Steven Gurney
Scholastic Paperbacks
ISBN: 0439408326
Ages 9-12
112 pages
There are some pretty weird adults living in Bailey City. But why would Mrs. Claus leave the North Pole for Bailey City? And why is she climbing telephone poles? Where is her holiday spirit?
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 THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Clement C. Moore
illustrated by Mary Engelbreit
HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060081600
Ages 8-12
32 pages
Readers young and old are invited into the enchanting world of Mary Engelbreit in this sparkling edition of Clement C. Moore's classic poem. It is the night before Christmas, in a house so cozy and colorful, so filled with expectation and so dusted with Christmas magic that only this beloved illustrator could have created it. For this merry celebration of Christmas, Mary Engelbreit has filled every page with bewitching details, rich color and memorable characters. They include mischievous elves, an adorable mouse and a lovable, bespectacled Santa.
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 AUNTIE CLAUS AND THE KEY TO CHRISTMAS
Elise Primavera
Silver Whistle
ISBN: 0152024417
Ages 4-8
40 pages
Christmas is approaching at the Bing Cherry Hotel and Auntie Claus is preparing for her annual "business trip." Just before she is ready to leave, her favorite nephew, Christopher Kringle, begins to have doubts about the family business. To settle the matter, Auntie Claus summons Chris for tea, but Chris decides to take matters into his own hands. He plans to get on the Bad-Boys-and-Girls List on purpose! Even after his older sister Sophie reveals that their great-aunt, Auntie Claus, is really Santa's sister, Chris needs to see for himself in order to believe.
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 CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY
Loretta Krupinski
Hyperion
ISBN: 0786808349
Ages 4-8
40 pages
When Mr. And Mrs. Mouse's tree is chosen to be the very special Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, the two little country mice find themselves in the huge world of New York City. There they experience all of the wonder of their lively new home, go ice-skating at Rockefeller Center, window-shopping at FAO Schwarz, eat pretzels and chestnuts and take a ride on a horse drawn carriage in Central Park. But then they receive the most precious gift of all --- a family.
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 CHRISTMAS IN THE COUNTRY
Cynthia Rylant
illustrated by Diane Goode
Blue Sky Press
ISBN: 0439073340
Ages 4-8
32 pages
Cynthia Rylant returns to her Appalachian roots in this story of a young girl who lives with her grandparents in the country. As in her very first book, WHEN I WAS YOUNG IN THE MOUNTAINS, Rylant evokes the warmth of a joyful Christmas season and celebrates the greatest gift of all --- the love of a family.
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 THE CHRISTMAS THINGAMAJIG
Lynn Manuel
illustrated by Carol Benioff
Dutton
ISBN: 0525461205
Ages 4-8
32 pages
In this heartfelt, beautifully told story, a young girl begins to see the comfort of traditions after a loved one has died. Chloe doesn't want to go to Grandpa's for Christmas now that Grandma won't be there to share her warm hugs, delicious cocoa and handmade thingamajigs, the ornaments she crafted for Chloe each year. Christmas will not be the same, so Chloe would rather not have it at all. Her grandfather's gentle encouragement and a last gift from Grandma show Chloe the bittersweetness of memories and traditions and how they help you "face the new things," the things you have to make up as you go along.
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 GASPARD AND LISA'S CHRISTMAS SURPRISE
by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben
Knopf
ISBN: 0375822291
Ages 4-8
32 pages
It's almost Christmas and Gaspard and Lisa need to find a present for their teacher, fast. Gaspard is full of ideas, but none of them seems quite right. Luckily, Lisa comes up with a clever idea just in time. With the help of some glue and a plastic shower curtain, Gaspard and Lisa manage to surprise their teacher with the perfect Christmas gift.
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 A NEW IMPROVED SANTA
Patricia Rae Wolff
illustrated by Lynne Cravath
Orchard Books
ISBN: 0439352495
Ages 4-8
32 pages
Santa Claus has a New Year's resolution: to improve his appearance and attitude. But do kids really want a slimmer, hipper, cyber Santa? He seems to think so and gets to work on his resolution to slim down, pump up and become more fashion conscious. Mrs. Claus patiently watches Santa go through his mid-life crisis while preparing the North Pole for a traditional holiday. His new look isn't exactly a hit and on Christmas Eve, when he climbs into his old-fashioned sleigh, dressed his old fashioned way, he has learned a valuable lesson: a new and improved Santa is one who is true to himself and to the spirit of Christmas.
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 PETER CLAUS AND THE NAUGHTY LIST
by Lawrence David
Illustrated by Delphine Durand
Bantam Doubleday Dell Pub Juv
ISBN: 0385326548
Ages 4-8
32 pages
Naughty or nice? Peter Claus thinks this yearly question is most unfair. As Santa's son, he should know. For the second year in a row his name appears on the dreaded Naughty List. That means no presents for Christmas! But Peter doesn't remember misbehaving --- at least not enough to deserve such a harsh punishment. Taking the reins to Santa's sleigh, Peter rounds up all the naughty children the world over. He wants Santa to hear their side. Maybe then Santa will see that not receiving gifts at Christmas isn't the fairest way to deal with kids who do bad deeds. Peter's not sure if his plans will work, but he does know a lot of boys and girls need his help if they have any chance of waking up to a merry Christmas.
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 TEDDY'S SNOWY DAY
Ian Beck
Scholastic
ISBN: 0439175208
Ages 4-8
32 pages
Teddy is catapulted into a winter adventure when he's accidentally bumped off the window ledge he'd been sitting on, guarding the house for Lily and Mum while they are out Christmas shopping. Teddy experiences it all --- snowboarding, skating and making a snowman. But soon, Teddy starts to feel wet, cold and very far from Lily. Just when he's feeling most glum, a kind hand wearing a bright red glove bundles Teddy into a present-filled sled and delivers him back to Lily with a twinkle and a glow. It's been a very special Christmas Eve for Teddy!
--- Written by Tom Donadio
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