Comments on: The Stories of Christmas http://segullah.org/daily-special/thestoryofchristmas/ Mormon women blogging about the peculiar and the treasured Thu, 24 May 2012 03:31:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Johanna http://segullah.org/daily-special/thestoryofchristmas/#comment-120626 Johanna Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:12:43 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=1621#comment-120626 Most Christmases my dad would read aloud The Homecoming, by Earl Hamner Jr. It's both a coming of age story about a teenage boy and the coming together of a family at Christmas during the Depression. I love it. Actually got him to read it on cd a couple years ago so I can always listen to him read it. When I listened to it the first time, I knew I had joined the ranks of grownups by the fact that he hadn't edited out the part about mating deer like he always had growing up. :) Another of my dad's picks was The Melodeon, by Glendon Swarthout. Another wonderful read-aloud book. Amazon's synopsis: "A youngster relates how his grandparents donated a valuable family heirloom, their melodeon, to the church in an unselfish act of giving one Christmas during the Depression when they had nothing to give each other." Otherwise, the only other Christmas books I can remember are the Christmas chapters of Little House/Farmer Boy books. And "The Night Before Christmas" books, of which my grandmother had a collection; she liked to look at the different artists interpretations of the text. My 2 y o and I have enjoyed that too. The Christmas books I've never liked: Scrooge and How the Grinch. What a Scrooge that makes me, eh? What a Grinch! Most Christmases my dad would read aloud The Homecoming, by Earl Hamner Jr. It’s both a coming of age story about a teenage boy and the coming together of a family at Christmas during the Depression. I love it. Actually got him to read it on cd a couple years ago so I can always listen to him read it. When I listened to it the first time, I knew I had joined the ranks of grownups by the fact that he hadn’t edited out the part about mating deer like he always had growing up. :)

Another of my dad’s picks was The Melodeon, by Glendon Swarthout. Another wonderful read-aloud book. Amazon’s synopsis: “A youngster relates how his grandparents donated a valuable family heirloom, their melodeon, to the church in an unselfish act of giving one Christmas during the Depression when they had nothing to give each other.”

Otherwise, the only other Christmas books I can remember are the Christmas chapters of Little House/Farmer Boy books. And “The Night Before Christmas” books, of which my grandmother had a collection; she liked to look at the different artists interpretations of the text. My 2 y o and I have enjoyed that too.

The Christmas books I’ve never liked: Scrooge and How the Grinch. What a Scrooge that makes me, eh? What a Grinch!

]]> By: m&m http://segullah.org/daily-special/thestoryofchristmas/#comment-120545 m&m Wed, 17 Dec 2008 06:47:05 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=1621#comment-120545 I totally missed this post! I can tell I need to expand my collection. We like Mr. Willoughby's Christmas Tree (Oh, Brooke already mentioned that) and The Forgotten Carols. I also love The Tale of Three Trees. I totally missed this post!

I can tell I need to expand my collection. We like Mr. Willoughby’s Christmas Tree (Oh, Brooke already mentioned that) and The Forgotten Carols.

I also love The Tale of Three Trees.

]]> By: Brooke http://segullah.org/daily-special/thestoryofchristmas/#comment-119009 Brooke Sat, 06 Dec 2008 15:11:34 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=1621#comment-119009 one of my very favorites is "A Christmas Memory" by Truman Capote. it's a story written in that funny, wistful, sweet sort of tone that i love. my mom would make us read stories aloud as a family on Christmas eve (after reading from Luke in the bible) and the one i seem to remember most is "The Modern Magi" by Carol Lynn Pearson. i also remember that it always made us cry. also, "Christmas Day in the Morning" by Pearl S. Buck; and of course "The Polar Express" for Luke, and "Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree" to my girls is loved in the Eloise/Madeleine vein. love this post, michelle. we just took our holiday books out yesterday and had the most lovely story time ever! one of my very favorites is “A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote. it’s a story written in that funny, wistful, sweet sort of tone that i love.

my mom would make us read stories aloud as a family on Christmas eve (after reading from Luke in the bible) and the one i seem to remember most is “The Modern Magi” by Carol Lynn Pearson. i also remember that it always made us cry.

also, “Christmas Day in the Morning” by Pearl S. Buck; and of course “The Polar Express” for Luke, and “Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree” to my girls is loved in the Eloise/Madeleine vein.

love this post, michelle. we just took our holiday books out yesterday and had the most lovely story time ever!

]]> By: Michelle L. http://segullah.org/daily-special/thestoryofchristmas/#comment-118954 Michelle L. Sat, 06 Dec 2008 01:48:20 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=1621#comment-118954 Carrie-- rest assured that I am reading your recommendations and just added “The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree” “The Angel with The Mouth Organ” to my wish list. Ok, I've never heard of "Don’t Bite Me, I’m Santa Claus". Jendoop, I feel your pain. Linn-- the story of your dad made me all teary! Carrie– rest assured that I am reading your recommendations and just added “The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree” “The Angel with The Mouth Organ” to my wish list. Ok, I’ve never heard of “Don’t Bite Me, I’m Santa Claus”. Jendoop, I feel your pain. Linn– the story of your dad made me all teary!

]]> By: eljee http://segullah.org/daily-special/thestoryofchristmas/#comment-118931 eljee Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:25:17 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=1621#comment-118931 I love "I Believe in Santa Claus"! I love “I Believe in Santa Claus”!

]]> By: Carrie http://segullah.org/daily-special/thestoryofchristmas/#comment-118926 Carrie Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:53:24 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=1621#comment-118926 Oh I wish I would've commented sooner... no one is going to read my recommendations even though MY MOM WAS A CHILDREN'S LIBRARIAN!!! We read "The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree" by Gloria Houston every year. And I read "The Angel with The Mouth Organ" by Mattingley, I believe. I had to buy it from someone in Australia, as it is out of print. I will never forget the countless years I heard my mother cry as she read us that heart breaking, gratitude making story of war torn Europe. Classics in our house. And have you read "I Believe in Santa Claus"? Perfect for this Santa lovin, Jesus' birth celebratin home of ours. Oh I wish I would’ve commented sooner… no one is going to read my recommendations even though MY MOM WAS A CHILDREN’S LIBRARIAN!!! We read “The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree” by Gloria Houston every year. And I read “The Angel with The Mouth Organ” by Mattingley, I believe. I had to buy it from someone in Australia, as it is out of print. I will never forget the countless years I heard my mother cry as she read us that heart breaking, gratitude making story of war torn Europe. Classics in our house.

And have you read “I Believe in Santa Claus”? Perfect for this Santa lovin, Jesus’ birth celebratin home of ours.

]]> By: jendoop http://segullah.org/daily-special/thestoryofchristmas/#comment-118897 jendoop Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:34:55 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=1621#comment-118897 You guys are killing me! Is it fair to spend my whole budget on Christmas books?! Thank you so much for all of these suggestions and it reminds me I need to start reading The Best Christmas Pagent Ever aloud to my children :) You guys are killing me! Is it fair to spend my whole budget on Christmas books?! Thank you so much for all of these suggestions and it reminds me I need to start reading The Best Christmas Pagent Ever aloud to my children :)

]]> By: dalene http://segullah.org/daily-special/thestoryofchristmas/#comment-118860 dalene Fri, 05 Dec 2008 06:14:09 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=1621#comment-118860 Every year I have to read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Bite-Me-Santa-Claus/dp/1573455385" rel="nofollow">Don't Bite Me, I'm Santa Claus</a> by Tom Plummer and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Skipping-Christmas-John-Grisham/dp/0385505833" rel="nofollow"> Skipping Christmas</a> by John Grisham. They both make me laugh out loud. Every year I have to read Don’t Bite Me, I’m Santa Claus by Tom Plummer and Skipping Christmas by John Grisham. They both make me laugh out loud.

]]> By: Linn http://segullah.org/daily-special/thestoryofchristmas/#comment-118853 Linn Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:58:07 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=1621#comment-118853 You have to know my dad to appreciate this comment. Every year he would read us several Christmas stories. They were always the same ones. My two favorites were "The Gift of the Magi" and "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." My dad was not an emotional person, but he would cry at the end of both of these books. Every single time. Oh man, I love my dad. You are the best Michelle! Great post. You have to know my dad to appreciate this comment. Every year he would read us several Christmas stories. They were always the same ones. My two favorites were “The Gift of the Magi” and “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.” My dad was not an emotional person, but he would cry at the end of both of these books. Every single time. Oh man, I love my dad.

You are the best Michelle! Great post.

]]> By: Lee Ann http://segullah.org/daily-special/thestoryofchristmas/#comment-118851 Lee Ann Fri, 05 Dec 2008 03:21:03 +0000 http://segullah.org/?p=1621#comment-118851 My husband reads to the kids every night in December from "Letters from Father Christmas," by JRR Tolkien, complete with illustrations he drew for his children. My kids love the polar bear. We also love "The story of Holly and Ivy" by Rumer Godden as a medium-size-kid Christmas story. My husband reads to the kids every night in December from “Letters from Father Christmas,” by JRR Tolkien, complete with illustrations he drew for his children. My kids love the polar bear.

We also love “The story of Holly and Ivy” by Rumer Godden as a medium-size-kid Christmas story.

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