The County Library discussion

With the holidays being a special time for children—and all us adults being super busy this month –we’re reading a children’s picture book for the December Reading Challenge. It can be a holiday book, an old favorite, or something new.

Once you’ve picked something out, let us know what you’ve read and tell us what you thought about it.

I just ordered a dozen new holiday children's books and plan to read a different holiday children's book to my children each day in December. This will be easy and fun!

We always read "'T'was the Night Before Christmas, so that will be a very easy challenge.

Oh Goodness! It will be hard to wait all the way till December to do this one!

I love the movie but have never read, "The Polar Express" so I think I will read that one. Thanks for picking an easy challenge!!

We have a Jan Brett compilation that we read every Christmas time. My kids are 10,12,14 and 18 and they still love it!

I love all children's Christmas stories, and try to find new favorites each year, but a particular favorite of mine is Wombat Divine by Mem Fox. And you have to read A Christmas Carol by Dickens & then watch at least several of the movie adaptations, including the "classic" ones & the Muppets version!

It's hard to limit to a "picture book". For instance, "A Christmas Carol" is a delightfully quick read. Just because it has some illustrations, though, that does not make it a picture book. Might we agree to extend the definition to include children's books so we can include some of the traditional family reads?

This will be easy because I read a book to my 1st graders every day. The one I read most recently that fits this category is Smowmen at Christmas. But that was still November. I will be reading more this month.

Debbie - I'll be reading "A Christmas Carol," too :)
I read plenty of picture books with my kids, though - so I feel okay about stretching the definition of the challenge!

My son and I are reading "The Gingerbread Pirates" together. It looks like a very cute book.

Also, my tradition is to try to read the Christmas Carol every year. Love it.

A favorite of my children's is Auntie Claus, by Elise Primavera. We read it every year. One of my favorites from childhood is The Christmas Cat, by Efner Tudor Holmes. I am so glad to see that the library still has copies of this old title.

A book that I just recently came across is The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry. I have always loved this story but the beautiful illustrations by P.J. Lynch in this particular edition make it worth rediscovering.

I have read four so far:
The Christmas Train: A True Story. Loved and recommend.
The Christmas Candle. Enjoyed and recommend. Want to buy for my library.
The Legend of the Candy Cane. Ok.
Checking It Twice. Awful. I spent too much for this free book

JoAnn wrote: "The Christmas Candle. Enjoyed and recommend. Want to buy for my library."


This is one of my personal holiday favorites, right up there with the classic The Little Match Girl.

I did an advent calendar for all my nieces and nephews using Christmas picture books. Each family received 25 books that were wrapped and the kids got to open one each night of December. Each year the set of books are added to and there are days when they get to open 2. they love it and end up reading a lot of Christmas books in December.

Carolyn wrote: "I did an advent calendar for all my nieces and nephews using Christmas picture books. Each family received 25 books that were wrapped and the kids got to open one each night of December."

What a great idea! Chocolate or candy advent calendars are fun, but getting a book every day sounds even better.

My 6 YO grand daughter read "A Pirate's Night Before Christmas" to me (with a little help from me on the hard words. Thanks Jenny, for lending me such a fun book! We also read the original "Twas the Night Before Christmas", which we do every year.

Fun idea, Carolyn, about the Advent calendar with books!

I read Shark vs. Train and bought it for my nephew. It's a perfect book for little boys!

My son and I read "The Gingerbread Pirates", "Mr. Finnegan's Giving Chest", and "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever". I've ordered quite a few more Christmas books from the library. It's been really fun to read them with my son!

My son and I watch and read The Polar Express every year. I feel it has such a beautiful Christmas message, and the movie is literally a work of art. I feel bad that I neglect some good old classics in favor of this, our own Christmas tradition.

I read The Polar Express and Room For a Little One; both good books. Very sweet.

As I've prepared and planned for the story times I do throughout the year, I’ve run into several fun children’s picture books. Here are some of my favorites that I’ve read, some this month, and others earlier this year.

It's a Tiger!
The Monsters' Monster
Mr. Prickles: A Quill-Fated Love Story
On My Way to the Bath
One Cool Friend

I have read 3 books that work for this challenge:

- The Christmas Candle by Richard Paul Evans.
- Snow by Uri Shulevitz.
- A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas, Chris Raschka, ill.

I didn't care for the Christmas Candle.
Snow was delightful and the illustrations really enhanced the story. This is definitely an excellent work for a storyteller at the library's story time.

But A Child's Christmas in Wales was incredible. I was so deeply enthralled by the wonderful prose taking us through this memory of a Christmas day long ago. The words alone paint an imagery other drawings can only enhance, but not replace nor outshine. A good choice for an annual Christmas read.

Is anything decided yet on our first challenge for 2013?

I read Room for a Little One. It was very cute and sweet

I just posted January's Reading Challenge, but there is still plenty of time to finish up this month's challenge.

Make sure to let me know when you complete the book you've read to be included in this month's drawing. Due to the fact the prize book has to be picked up by the drawing winner from one of our libraries your Goodreads profile needs to indicate if you live in or near Salt Lake County to be included in the drawing. (We appreciate and welcome all participants in our monthly reading challenge and their comments, regardless of their geographic location, but due to travel limitations we can only offer the monthly prize to those in the immediate area.)

I read a Christmas picture book to my children every day this month. A few of my favorites were:

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey With Wooden Ornament from the Story and CD
The Trees of the Dancing Goats
The Little Shepherd's Christmas
Fletcher and the Snowflake Christmas
A Pirate's Night Before Christmas
Snowmen at Christmas and
The Legend of the Christmas Rose.

We still read Christmas picture books, even though my daughter is 10 and feeling like she's "too old" for them. :)
We read Toot and Puddle: I'll Be Home for Christmas, The Night Before Christmas, and Olivia Helps With Christmas.

(And yes, I live in SLC, near Millcreek ;) )
Thanks!

I read a couple more books to add to this challenge. I read to my first graders
Olive the Other Reindeer, Sad Santa, Dream Snow
and Polar Express then we watched the movie.

I finished mine and I live in Salt Lake County :0)

Laura won this month's reading challenge. She read The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry.

Congrads, Laura!!