Christmas stories (long)

[Karen Tally McIntyre <kmcintyr@TENET.EDU>]

Sorry this has taken so long to post--but I wanted to take the time to do
it right, and still I couldn't locate authors or titles for all--but I'm
listing them anyway as I think some of my favorites are the ones I no
longer read but now tell.

I like to use this special holiday time to share cultural and religious
traditions from a variety of faiths....In fact, I can see a neat
opportunity to incorporate key pals from other countries in a discussion
of Christmas customs.  I always take time to celebrate Chanukkah--we
usually invite a guest to tell a Chanukkah story, we make Latke's and
applesauce....and we play with the dreidl we have made and learn
Chanukkah songs.  I usually have activities that go with the stories
which involve parents and kids together -- sometimes they are little
gifts.  Sometimes while the kids were having Christmas stories I invited
the home economics extension agent to do homemade kitchen gifts or
special christmas crafts---for moms and dads---

Kwanza is another cultural holiday to share at this time, and there are a
variety of books now available about this tradition.  But because my
background is mainstream christian -- the stories I know and love best
are Christmas stories.  I liked to use this time to bring the families
into the picture as much as was possible.  If you have
questions---comments---additions---please feel free to start this as a
continuing thread!

Anderson, Hans Christian.  The little Fir Tree

Bierhost, John.  Spirit Child: A story of the Nativity.  This mixes the
nativity story told by missionaries with Aztec heritage--beautiful in
word and illustration.

Carlson, Natalie Savage.  Surprise in the Mountains
Caudill, Rebecca.  A Certain Small Sheppard--(I cry everytime I read this
again for the first time                               at Christmas-- a
marvelous readaloud.
Dagliesh, Alice.  Christmas (a collection of stories)
Davies, Valentine.  Miracle on 34th St.
dePaola, Tomie.  The First Christmas (Pop-UP Book)
                            The Friendly Beasts--wonderful carol great as
a felt/magnetic story use
                                    Guitar accompaniment--older kids can
act it out making sock puppets
                                    (The kind that you use cereal boxes
to make a cardboard mouth)
Dickens, Charles - The Christmas Carol (my personal favorite) please use
the                   beautiful language of the original
(Hyman--illustrated one with                  original text) great
read-aloud before Christmas
Ets, Marie.  Nine Days til Christmas (we use this --make luminarias and
have a                               traditional posada.

Gammell, Stephen.  Wake Up, Bear....It's Christmas
Gantos, Jack.  Rotten Ralph's Rotten Christmas
Garfield, Leon.  Fair's Fair
Gay, Michael.  The Christmas Wolf
Hill, Eric.  Spot's First Christmas.
Livingstno, Myra Cohn.  Christmas Poems
Noble, Trinka Hakes.  Apple Tree Christmas
O.Henry.  The Gift of the Magi
Prelutsky, Jack.  It's Christmas
Robinson, Barbara.  The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Spier, Peter.  Peter Spier's Christmas!
Vincent, Gabrielle.  Merry Christmas, Ernest and Celestine
Vivas, Julie.  The Nativity
Wilder, Laura Engalls--Christmas in the Big Woods --
Wildsmith, Brian.  The Twelve Days of Christmas

Stories to tell--- The Christmas Spider --in various anthologies.  You
can make a spider using Christmas balls, hot glue, the little long beads
to make the legs-- make a tie out of gold elastic cord---older kids can
make these as a gift and remembrance of the story.

Tasha Tudor's Christmas book--can't recall the title but it has some of
the really old and great Christmas stories.

The Journey of the Wee Red Cap ( a story originally told by I think by
Mary Gould Davis at NYPL and then by Ruth Sawyer--it is in one of her
books--I think the way of the storyteller)

There are some really neat St. Nicholas legends.  You can tell one of
these and then bake gingerbread St. Nicks--depending on the ages of the
kids--or just let them decorate the cookies.

The Legend of the Christmas Rose- nicely illustrated versions available
Babushka - several nicely illustrated editions of this tale are readily
available
The Little Drummer Boy (not my favorite--but children love the song and
it is fun to make and allow them to use drums during the singing.  (These
can be as simple as coffee cans--sprayed golden or silver --decorated )

Why the Chimes Rang (old one by I think, Eleanor Farjeon)
It's time for christmas - by Sechrist has many excellent stories for
Christmas in it--

The Shoemaker and the Elves--

The Fireside Book of Christmas Stories- really old book--but excellent.
Also some of the newer Readers' Digest Christmas Books will have good
stories in them as well as crafts and traditions and cooking.

The Star - original version by Florence M. Kingsley--I like to use this
with older children and parents together--then I make a woven Danish or
German (depending on your heritage) Christmas Star which is three
dimensional and quite lovely.  Then I teach the parents and children to
make the star.   It is very complicated, which is why you would not want
to do this with younger children and you must make it a group project so
that those who catch on can in turn share their knowledge with others.


***************************----------------------*******************************
Karen McIntyre  "Learn to listen to your own voice and balance your
Morton I.S.D.    terror with your confidence."  Richard Wurman
500 Champion Dr.                                Information Anxiety
Morton, TX  79346       806-266-5524            kmcintyr@tenet.edu