I’ve started buying books for the holidays. In fact, I’ve already given some Christmas picture books I bought to a special young lady I know who just turned six years old. I’m planning to order some poetry books by Sherman Alexie for myself and a Fannie Farmer Cookbook for my daughter—because she keeps borrowing mine. Last week, I picked up two other cookbooks for my daughter and a copy of James Bamford’s The Shadow Factory: The Ultra-Secret NSA from 9/11 to the Eavesdropping on America, which I hope to read in December or January.
(BTW, The young lady loved The Toot & Puddle book I'll Be Home for Christmas.)
In addition to my Buy Books for the Holidays: Book Lists post, which includes links to lots of recommended and notable book lists, here are links to some lists and reviews of Christmas and Hanukkah books you may want to get as holiday gifts for children.
HOLIDAY BOOKS FOR READING & GIFT GIVING
- On Beyond Rudolph: Christmas with the Animals from The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (Click here for the pdf version.)
- Holiday High Notes from The Horn Book (2007)
- Christmas Picture Books from Through the Looking Glass Children’s Book Review
- Christmas Holiday Recommended Reading: Kids Books for Christmas from Apples 4 the Teacher
- November-December 2007: Holidays Around the World from CBC Magazine
- Hanukkah Read Up!: A list of great Hanukkah books of the last few years recommended by the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee of the Association of Jewish Libraries
- Themed Reviews: Hanukkah from Childrenslit.com
- Top 10 Children’s Books about Hanukkah from About.com
- Come Light the Menorah! comes to us from The Planet Esme.
- The Eating of Latkes: Hurray for Hanukkah from Chicken Spaghetti
- Merry Reading: Picture Books (Susan from Chicken Spaghetti compiled a list of holiday books suggested by bloggers for children seven years of age and above in December 2007.)
Recommended Reading from NYPL
From Kidsreads.com
- 2007 Holiday Roundup (Christmas, Hanukkah, & Kwanzaa)
- 2006 Holiday Roundup (Christmas & Hanukkah)
- 2005 Holiday Roundup (Christmas & Hanukkah)
- 2004 Holiday Roundup (Christmas, Hanukkah, & Kwanzaa)
My Reviews at Blue Rose Girls
Christmas Stories in Verse (Reviews of Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree; Santa’s Stuck; and Merry Christmas, Merry Crow)
Winter Lights & Christmas Trees (Reviews of Winter Lights: A Season in Poems & Quilts and A City Christmas Tree)
Review of The Borrowed Hanukkah Latkes
My Reviews at Wild Rose Reader
Picture Book Review: Christmas Magic 
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11 comments:
Yay, holiday books. I buy one for each of the grandgirls each year. Love Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins
Jone,
Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins is one of my favorites, too. I bought four copies for my school library. Kids love the book!
BTW, I heard the author of the book, Eric Kimmel, speak recently at the Keene State College Children's Literature in New Hampshire. He was great! His presentation was filled with funny stories and lots of humor.
This will definitely get me in the holiday spirit! What a festive way to start Monday. Thanks, Elaine
Terry,
I could never have enough holiday books in my school library at this time of year. I thought I'd post the lists and reviews before Thanksgiving with the hope of helping people who might be looking for titles of some good Christmas and Hanukkah books to read to kids or to give as gifts this December.
Wow, this is a really comprehensive list! I wanted to mention that Eric Kimmel has created downloadable audiobooks for 3 of his Hanukkah stories. You can buy them on his website (like 99 cents each): Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, The Chanukah Guest, and The Magic Dreidels. It's www.ericakimmel.com, I believe.
btw, early in December I'll be posting the Chanukah episode of The Book of Life podcast, which will include an interview with Sylvia Rouss - don't forget that Sammy Spider's first adventure was a Hanukkah story! 8 legs, 8 nights!
Check out these new Hanukkah books:
Hanukkah Haiku by Harriet Ziefert - the illustrations are gorgeous!
Harvest of Light by Allison Ofanansky - an interesting look at how a family in Israel harvests olives and uses the oil to light their menorah; with full-color photographs.
Penina Levine Is a Potato Pancake by Rebecca O'Connell - a sequel to Penina Levine is a Hard-Boiled Egg, this is a fun, easy to read middle-grade chapter book.
-- Rachel Kamin, Director of the Cultural & Learning Center at North Suburban Synagogue Beth El in Highland Park, IL and Past Chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee of the Association of Jewish Libraries
Great lists! Perfect for gift giving....
Thanks for this! I will use this at my next library trip.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Heidi and Rachel,
Thanks for the information. I was so busy with preparations for Thanksgiving, I haven't had time to respond to comments here. I do have HANUKKAH HAIKU and hope to write a review of it for Wild Rose Reader. And, yes, the illustrations are gorgeous!
Vivian and Jules,
Thanks for stopping by. I hope the book lists provide people with some good recommendations for holiday book buying.
A belated Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
By passing all the lovely children's books in favour of food--I quite like Fannie, but it's my mother's old, classic, hardcover Joy of Cooking that I covet!
Charlotte,
My daughter borrowed my copy of THE JOY OF COOKING, too--but she asked me if the Fannie Farmer book was still in print. She had found a number of great recipes in it. I have the 12th edition. What's available now is the 13th edition. I hope it includes those recipes she likes.
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