HIT: Christmas Lit. Activities

[Pam Thomeczek <dvi000@MAIL.CONNECT.MORE.NET>]

Thanks for all the wonderful responses for holiday literature.  Here's what
this great group sent me:

*  Star Mother's Youngest Child by Louise Moeri

*  Night Tree by Eve Bunting--  2 recommendation--tells the story of a
family that goes out into the country and finds a tree to decorate for the
animals every year.  Kids can make bird feeders.  Serve cocoa and cookies.

*  The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston.  This one was
recommended 4 times.  Can make snacks and crafts of that time period.

*  The Night Before Christmas--2 recommendation--Kids can make a mouse
finger puppet and have milk and cookies.  Could also show different versions
and compare the illustrations.

*The Littlest Angel, *Santa Calls by William Joyce, *Cranberry Christmas

*  Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry--The top of the tree keeps
getting cut off in order to fit in each house it goes to.  Use origami
triangles to fit on top of each other to form the Christmas tree.

*  "Silver Packages" from Cynthia Rylant's CHILDREN OF CHRISTMAS.  Story of
giving back to repay a debt.  Make presents out of foil with a message
inside having to do with giving from your heart, or using your own talents
to give as a gift.

*Pigs at Christmas,  *After Christmas Tree,*Night After Christmas * Arthur's
Christmas Cookies by Lillian Hoban, *An Angel for Solomon, *The Christmas
Day Kitten by James Herriot, *The Puppy Who Wanted a Boy

*  A Northern Nativity by William Kureiek--a slender picture book with
visions of the nativity story transposed to modern scenes in Canada.

*Red Ranger Came Calling by Berkely Breathed--great for older kids

*  Peep--About a multicolored Christmas bear.  Make the bear's outline on
oak tag and glue scraps of fabric on.  Use eyes from craft store, buttons
for noses and scrap black yarn for mouth.

* A Christmas Fantasy by Carolyn haywood--might be out of print.  A
biography of Santa, how he came to live with his godmother (someone dropped
him down the chimney when he was a baby on Christmas Eve) and how, when he
was a kid, he decided to go into the present business.

*  The Christmas Angel (not sure of title) by Steven Kellogg.  Story of an
angel who is trying to bring 2 warring neighbors together.

* The Christmas Cookie Sprinkle Snitcher by VIP --3 recommendations)  About
a guy who steals all the sprinkles and in the end they sprinkle them around
town.  Can decorate and eat Christmas cookies.

* The Baker's Dozen by Aaron Shepard--tells where the phrase "a baker's
dozen" comes from, set in colonial American, this legend teaches the
importance of generosity.

*  The Magic Maguey by Tony Johnston--The maguey is a very large Mexican
plant that looks like an aloe plant.  The book includes a lot of Spanish
phrases, and the children save the maguey.

* Cobweb Christmas--The kids can set up the old lady's house in their
classroom and get it ready for Christmas.  Have a Christmas tree in the
library.  The kids sneak up at various times to decorate it with treats for
the animals.
Pam Thomeczek, Librarian
Malta Bend R-V School
P. O. Box 10
Malta Bend, MO  65339  dvi000@mail.connect.more.net
816-595-2461  fax 816-595-2430