2 hours ago
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
This week my little family is still firmly ensconced in what I like to call “the Christmas bubble”.
Every year on Christmas Eve, I intentionally disconnect myself from the world. The rest of the year I consider it my civic duty to stay somewhat informed of the news, but not the week between Christmas and New Year’s. The rest of the year I fight the never-ending battle with dust and dirty laundry, but not this week. The rest of the year the to-do list hang’s over my head, but during this one week I shove it aside and do only things I really want to do. It’s the Christmas bubble, and I have a day or two left until it naturally pops.
So as you can imagine, I have never been one to rush into taking the Christmas tree down. The tree has always stayed up until at least January 1st in our house. I like to ring in the New Year snuggled on the couch with some sparkling cider and the tree winking in the background.
Over the last couple years I feel even less of a pressure to make a plan for packing away Christmas. I know many people keep their tree until Epiphany, when the wise men are traditionally said to have visited Baby Jesus. In my western state, there is a “tradition” of leaving up the lights until after the big stock show, in order to warmly welcome out-of-state visitors.
I could use either of those excuses, but the real reason I am find myself delaying the inevitable is more simple. The wind whistles outside, and the dark is still coming early, and why wouldn’t I want to keep the sparkle for a little while longer? Sunlight improves your mood, but I believe the same could probably be said of twinkle lights.
Eventually the tree will start to feel like a chore hanging over my head, but for now I’m pushing it out of my Christmas bubble and sitting next to the tree while I type. I don’t regret it.
Other things I don’t regret from the year:
Spending our vacation budget visiting friends.
Staying home more than usual.
Sending out birthday cards every month.
Thrifting more, buying new less.
Being more picky about when to click my shutter button, and less picky when looking at the back of the camera.
Occasionally visiting another church to get a fresh perspective.
Committing time to our home church.
Thinking and strategizing to be more faithful in prayer, which must be the first step to improvement, even if the execution still left much to be desired.
Eating too many Christmas cookies.
Things I do regret:
Letting an emotional rough patch derail me from my Bible-reading plan.
Not reading the quality books I had planned on.
Forgetting to cover my porch furniture for the winter.
Not being as consistent as I wish in reading to my kids individually.
Watching too many dumb videos and not enough audiobooks and sermons.
Letters not written.
Listening to Taylor Swift’s new album out of curiosity (I like it and hate it).
Getting myself too wound up over things.
Eating too many Christmas cookies.
I’ve always been a person of two minds when it comes to resolutions - I don’t like making them because I know that I won’t complete most of them. But every time January peeks around the corner, I feel the need to envision what I hope for the New Year anyway. This last year I made more solid resolutions, and as they say, “God laughed”. Our 2025 looked nothing like I hoped it would when we lit those sparklers at 12:01AM. I am closing this year wishing I had handled all the unexpected things a little better, been a little more faithful, a little more gentle and kind.
As I look ahead to 2026, my mind goes back to a recent, much-needed sermon. The text was Ephesians 5:13-17, used as the basis for planning for the New Year:
But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,
“Awake, O sleeper,
and arise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”15 Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise,16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
That’s my hope for the New Year - to look more carefully in how I walk, particularly in the areas of eternal importance, which may also mean letting go of some of the things that are not important. To make the best use of the time, as some translations say, “redeeming the time” - and so to hopefully waste less of it. To not be foolish, to pray and seek the Holy Spirit to empower me to put away foolish things. To understand what the will of the Lord is by reading it in His revealed word - the Bible - and in understanding His will, to do it.
Happy New Year to you, friends! And my prayer for you is the same as my prayer for myself - may you each awake anew to the light of Christ shining on you.
Posts coming up in January:
Book Catchup posts (I’m still so behind in sharing reviews!)
How To Do Once-A-Month Grocery Shopping
Why Lighting Matters
Reading Goals For The New Year
(Note: I’d welcome any questions, or insights on what posts you want to read first!)
A couple years ago I shared a list of our favorite Christmas picture books to read together. The kids and I love a beautifully illustrated Christmas book while sitting near our Christmas tree and having a treat! I've expanded our favorites list quite a bit since then, and have sorted through nearly two hundred Christmas picture books to make this list!
The list is broken up into three sections, depending on what you’re looking for. The books related to the Nativity and the Christian faith are listed first, and there are some beautiful books in there for believers. Not every Christmas book labeled as “Christian” has a biblically solid message or points to Christ, but I feel that these ones did a good job of pointing to the true meaning of Christmas - Christ’s birth!
The next category contains books that focus on Santa. I know some families that like to avoid or minimize the topic of Santa Claus at Christmas, so the ones with a story centered around Santa are separated out for your convenience.
The last category are full of just general Christmas stories, focused on the celebration of the holiday itself. Some of them may reference Santa briefly, but he’s not a big part of the story.
I hope this list is useful for you as you look for Christmas books that resonate with your own family! You can also see my original book list here, which contains different titles than this list. And don’t forget to scroll to the end of the post for a printable list that you can take to the library - which includes all my picture book recommendations for Christmas from both posts!
Christian Christmas Stories:
The Spider Who Saved Christmas by Raymond Arroyo - This is a Christmas fable, about a spider who saves the lives of Joseph, Mary, and Baby Jesus as they are fleeing to Egypt. This book is very sweet, and I love that it focuses on the Nativity - I do make sure to tell my kids that this story is not in the Bible, it's just an imaginative story. Also note that the story does involve fleeing the soldiers who were killing the baby boys in Bethlehem, so make sure your kids are ready for that part of the story.
The Gift Of The Christmas Cookies by Dandi Daley Mackall - I loved this book! A mom tells her boy about how Christmas cookies got started as a way of telling peasants about the Nativity, and the boy realizes he can use Christmas cookies to spread the good news of Jesus's birth the same way. I think this would be a fun and meaningful book to read before a Christmas baking day, especially if you have nativity-shaped cookie cutters!
Song Of The Stars by Sally Lloyd-Jones - A lovely book highlighting all of creation rejoicing in the birth of Christ!
Humphrey's First Christmas by Carol Heyer - A funny story about a camel who loses his greatest treasure - his carpet-blanket! But in the end, he meets the Baby Jesus and gives up his greatest treasure for the King of kings. Very sweet and humorous twist on the Nativity story.
Fear Not, Joseph! by Julie Stiegemeyer - The Nativity story from the perspective of Joseph. This book sticks pretty close to the biblical narrative, with a few details filled in. It seems like Joseph is often left out of the story in Christmas picture books, so I liked that this book focused on his perspective! Great notes from the author in the back too.
The Legend Of St. Nicholas by Dandi Daley Mackall - I love this version of the story of the real St. Nick. A boy is wandering through a mall, thinking about everything he wants to buy for himself, and then hears a mall Santa telling the story of Saint Nicholas and his gift-giving. In the process he refocuses on the joy of giving at Christmas. Very well-done book.
The Little Shepherd's Christmas by Carol Heyer - A beautifully illustrated version of the Christmas story from a shepherd boy's perspective.
Christmas Is Here by Lauren Castillo - The words of this book are just the Scripture text from the KJV, but the illustrations are lovely. The book starts with a family visiting a living Nativity, and then flashing back to what happened on the night Jesus was born.
A Star For Christmas by Trisha Romance - A carpenter moves to a new place and works to build a house in the woods. The local villagers comes to help him, and so he decides to make them a very special gift for Christmas. A sweet story that points to Jesus's birth.
A Churchmouse Christmas by Barbara Davoll - Christopher Churchmouse wants to make something to celebrate Jesus's birthday in this sweet story told in rhyme. If you've read any of the other Christopher Churchmouse books, this one is especially fun as all the characters make an appearance.
Mortimer's Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson - A mouse named Mortimer finds a house that is perfectly sized for him - the problem is that it's filled with statues! He just tosses them out and enjoys the comfortable manger - until he learns the Nativity story. Very cute story, and a creative way to point to the Nativity.
‘Twas The Evening Of Christmas by Glenis Nellist - Written in the metre of “The Night Before Christmas”, this book focuses on the story of Jesus's birth instead. I love this one!
The Lightlings by R. C. Sproul - A gorgeously illustrated, imaginative retelling of the story of God sending His Son to save us. The additional discussion questions in the back are excellent for guiding a discussion about Jesus's birth and the gospel, complete with Scripture references!
Santa Stories:
Little Red Sleigh by Erin Guendelsberger - A little red sleigh wants desperately to be Santa's sleigh and help bring joy to children everywhere, but on her journey to the North Pole she learns that things in life come more gradually. She brings joy to a little girl as she goes sledding on Christmas Day, and Little Red Sleigh realizes she is already fulfilling her purpose.
The Night Santa Got Lost: How Norad Saved Christmas by Micheal Kerne - This was a great find for us this year! The book is written as a twist on "The Night Before Christmas", but the real treasure is the history of NORAD's tradition of tracking Santa on Christmas Eve, and the other Christmas-related military history stories in the back. We found it delightful, and this book would be a great jumping-off point for other studies about history and the military, writing short stories, etc.
Mouse's Night Before Christmas by Tracey Corduroy - It turns out there was a mouse stirring on Christmas Eve, and this book shares the story of how a mouse helps Santa, and Santa helps the mouse find a friend. Very cute!
Rudolph Shines Again by Robert L. May - Rudolph starts to feel sorry for himself as all the reindeer pick on him for being Santa's favorite...until one day, Rudolph's nose stops shining. This is a cute story about the "continuing adventures" of Rudolph beyond the traditional tale!
The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett - All of Brett's illustrations are so Christmas-y, and in this story, Teeka must train the reindeer to pull Santa's sleigh.
Truffle's Christmas by Anna Currey - Truffle can't decide whether to ask Santa for a hula hoop or a blanket. He settles on asking for the hula hoop, but the next night he gives up his blanket for the baby mice. So he goes on a journey to see if he can change his request to a new blanket instead. Really cute little story!
The Finest Christmas Tree by John and Ann Hassett - A quirky story about Farmer Tuttle, who was a Christmas tree farmer until his customers started to dry up. Then suddenly he gets a note, and tiny little figures carry off one of his Christmas trees!
Carl's Christmas by Alexandra Day - In this book, the dog Carl is tasked with watching the baby while the parents go out (not realistic, but cute). He takes the baby on all kinds of Christmas adventures through the rest of the book. This is a wordless book, so it would be a fun writing project to have kids write their own words for each page.
Fletcher And The Snowflakes Of Christmas by Julia Rawlinson - Fletcher is a classic in our home at this point, and in this book the little fox Fletcher worries that Santa won't be able to find the home of his rabbit friends, since they just moved to a new burrow. This is a sweet Christmas story, highlighting friendship with beautiful illustrations.
Other Christmas Stories:
The Christmas Owl by Ellen Kalish - In this story, none of the animals know what Christmas is, until an owl's tree is cut down and taken to the big city to be a Christmas tree. He is sent to an owl rescue and shown kindness and care by the humans there, and afterward he thinks he understands a little better what Christmas is.
A Wish To Be A Christmas Tree by Colleen Monroe - A large pine tree is never picked as a Christmas tree, and tells his woes to the forest creatures. They appreciate the big tree, and set out to show him how much they love him by making him into a Christmas tree. Really sweet book about friendship.
Fletcher And The Snowflakes Of Christmas by Julia Rawlinson - Fletcher is a classic in our home at this point, and in this book the little fox Fletcher worries that Santa won't be able to find the home of his Rabbit friends, since they just moved to a new burrow. This is a sweet Christmas story, highlighting friendship with beautiful illustrations.
Mistletoe by Tad Hills - Mistletoe loves to be outside in the snow at Christmastime, but her friend Norwell likes to be warm and cozy - so she sets out to make him a present that will allow them to spend more time together. Cute illustrations, and fun for knitters!
The Christmas Tree Who Loved Trains by Annie Silvestro - A tree grows in a Christmas tree lot right next to a train track, and loves the feeling of the trains whooshing past...until a family comes and takes the tree to their home. Will she ever see a train again? This is a cute one for kids who love trains.
Finding Christmas by Leslie Evans - In this story, Hare, Mouse, and Squirrel find a wounded Sparrow, and give up all their presents to help a creature in need. I loved the reference to the Bible verse in the very back, and stories that highlight sacrifice and selflessness at Christmas are always welcome.
The Perfect Tree by Corinne Demas - Bunny wants to find the perfect Christmas tree, and all his friends tell him what to look for - but when he finds it, he can't bear to cut it down. This is a basic finding-a-Christmas-tree story, but we enjoyed it!
A Christmas Wish For Corduroy by Don Freeman - If you like the original Corduroy book, you'll enjoy this Christmas backstory that explains how he got his cute green overalls!
Lighthouse Christmas by Tony Buzzeo - Two kids, who have moved to an island with their dad to be the new lighthouse family, try to figure out how to celebrate Christmas with no resources, since their supply ship is delayed by the weather. The information in the back of this book about the "flying Santa" program that brought Christmas cheer to lighthouse families was especially interesting, and would make a great Christmas research project for homeschoolers who do "Christmas School"!
I Love You More Than Christmas by Ellie Hattie - An adorable book about a bear family enjoying all that Christmas brings. Younger kids will enjoy all the interrupted endings of the poem!
The Magic Of A Small-Town Christmas by Megan Alexander - Cute illustrations depicting Christmas traditions in a small town. I enjoyed this book since my little town has some unique Christmas traditions as well.
The Peterkins' Christmas by Elizabeth Spurr - My kids know the Peterkins from A Peterkins Thanksgiving, and so they were greatly amused by this zany Victorian family's Christmas hijinks. This is a longer book, but also pretty fun!
Winter's Gift by Jane Monroe Donovan - An old man finds himself lonely at Christmas, until a lost mare reminds him to always to keep hope - in an unexpected way! This is a sweet Christmas book for horse-loving kids!
Silver Packages by Cynthia Rylant - A beautiful picture book about a Christmas train that brings presents to poor boys and girls in the Appalachian mountains - and how one of those boys grows up and finds his way back to Appalachia. This book makes me want to cry for a reason I can't pinpoint - we loved it.
Christmas Farm by Mary Lyn Ray - An old woman and a boy decide to plant a Christmas tree farm - and after ten long years the trees are ready to sell. This book is an imaginative look at what it would be like to grow Christmas trees, and as a homeschool mom I noted that the built-in math problems abound!
An Orange For Frankie by Patricia Polacco - Get ready to tear up at the end of this book. A sweet story about a boy named Frankie, who loses his Christmas orange - but his family pulls together and creates an orange for Frankie.
Cranberry Christmas by Wende and Harry Devlin - We rejoin the gang of Cranberryport, as Mr. Whiskers tries to save the skating pond and also get his house ready for a visit from his sister. The "Cranberryport" books are all delightful, and this is a fun Christmas story!
Christmas In The Country by Cynthia Rylant - A little girl shares her favorite parts of celebrating Christmas in the country with her grandparents. The illustrations in this are very cute, and all the traditions shared are sweet and nostalgic.
The All-I’ll-Ever-Want-For-Christmas Doll by Patricia C. McKissack - A story of a family in the south during the Great Depression. A little girl wants a Baby Betty more than anything - and she gets one on Christmas morning! The problem is, there is only one between herself and her two sisters. A sweet story for a reminder that people are more important than things. Some Santa talk in this one, but that's not the focus of the story.
The Story Of Holly And Ivy by Rumer Godden - A doll in a toy shop wants to be given to a little girl, a little girl wants to spend Christmas in a real home, and a woman wishes she had a child to pour her love on at Christmas - and all these stories come together in this adorable and sweet book.
Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett - This book along with the next two are a trio of books about Gingerbread people! This book is a fun play off of the traditional gingerbread man story - but the Gingerbread Baby is not obnoxious and gets away in this one.
Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett - In this one, the Gingerbread Baby is lonely when the little girl leaves for school, so he goes in search of a friend.
Gingerbread Christmas by Jan Brett - In this book, a whole gingerbread band joins the Gingerbread Baby and plays sweet music in the town square...until someone decides the band looks pretty tasty!
Construction Site On Christmas Night by Sherry Duskey Rinker and A. G. Ford - Very similar to the classic 'Goodnight, Construction Site', except a Christmas version!
If You Take A Mouse To The Movies by Laura Numeroff - In the same tradition as If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, one thing leads to another in this Christmas version!
The Gift Of The Magi by O. Henry illustrated by Robert Sauber - A beautifully illustrated version of O. Henry's classic Christmas tale!
A Cowboy Christmas by Audrey Wood - Evan's cowboy friend, Cully, is a big help around the ranch ever since Evan's father died - but then at Christmas, Cully doesn't come home one night and Even and his mother must go looking for him. A sweet story that gives a peek into what life may have been like in the Old West. This one has a sweet ending.
The Christmas Crocodile by Bonnie Becker - A crocodile causes chaos for a family at Christmas, until the family sends him away - or so they think! A humorous Christmas book!
A Christmas For Bear by Bonny Becker - This is a funny book about a bear who has never hosted a Christmas party before. His friend Mouse arrives and is worried that there are no presents - only pickles! I highly recommend reading the bear with an English accent.
Apple Tree Christmas by Trinka Hakes Noble - A story about a terrible blizzard that brings down a family's apple tree. One of the daughters is heartbroken, because the tree used to be her "art studio" - but her father finds a way to bring the feeling of the old tree back for the girls. Sweet, old-fashioned Christmas story.
Suzy Goose And The Christmas Star by Petr Horacek - Suzy Goose spots a star in the sky and goes on a journey to see if she can snatch it for the top of the animal's Christmas tree...until she gets lost! A light, simple Christmas story.
If I Could Give You Christmas by Lynn Plourde - This book features a sweet Christmas-themed poem from a parent to a child. What really makes this book shine, in my opinion, are the absolutely beautiful illustrations of animal kids and parents.
Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry - This delightful book features Mr. Willowby's Christmas tree, which keeps getting chopped smaller as small animals use the cut-off top as their own Christmas tree. Very cute and humorous for the kids!
Merry Christmas, Anne by Kallie George - A cute Christmas story surrounding Anne of Green Gables, and inspired by the book! Our family just read L. M. Montgomery's classic together, so this is a fun picture book to add to our stack this year.
The Queen And The First Christmas Tree by Nancy Churnin - This story is based upon the life of Queen Charlotte. The title is a little misleading in that I’m not sure she can claim the first Christmas tree, but she was the first to popularize Christmas trees in England. I love this for a Christmas history tie-in!
For a printable Christmas picture book list, click here!
Enjoy, and Merry Christmas until I write again!
I had all kinds of ideas for December blog posts, but the last couple of weeks have been a flurry of craziness around here, mostly in a good way. I've barely had time to sit down, but everything we've been busy with has been fun memory-making!
Everything We've Been Up To
We kicked off December with a trip to a local "trial of lights" for my dad's birthday. My parents take the whole family every year and it's a highlight of December for all of us. There is one huge tree that they somehow manage to light up from the trunk to the top of it's branches, about 100 feet up, and we always stand under it and just stare. The kids aren't nearly as impressed with it as the adults - we know the amount of work that went into that!
My kids also participated in a unique field trip where they got to run a miniature town for a day, as well as manage their own bank accounts, checkbooks, and debit cards. Wyatt was the accountant for Town Hall, Gwendolyn was a mail carrier, and Clyde was an auto mechanic. They each were so happy with the positions they got, and they all took their jobs so seriously. Our cousins and various friends were able to go the same day we did, so that was fun for everyone too! I'm also proud to say that none of my kids overdrew their bank accounts. They are on their way to being financially responsible adults.
Another big event of the last couple weeks was a 10th birthday party for Gwendolyn. Her birthday is at the end of December, but we wanted to do a party for her while our good friends were in town from Kentucky. We invited close family and a few of her friends from church for an art themed party - it turned out really fun! I'm sure I'll get a post up about it at some point.
While our dear friends were in town we also took the opportunity to spend as much time with them as we could, and we had an outing to the railroad museum and a couple fun visits at our house. Of course the hardest part was having to say goodbye when they left the last night they were here. There are always tears when they leave, but it's one of those friendships that is strong enough to survive a little distance, and we are already looking forward to zoom visits and making plans for the next time we can see them.
Our family also fit in a visit to our local aquarium...we are not close to the ocean, so any aquarium here is going to be expensive and a rare treat. The kids got free tickets for completing the library reading challenge this summer, and Derek took a day off so we could go as a family. The kids loved it, and Georgie especially wanted to see the sharks! We topped off the day with a trip to the mall for some final Christmas shopping, and a Christmas movie night at home.
Speaking of the mall, we had to swing by there again on Sunday because I realized I needed to even out one of the kids' Christmas presents a bit. It is very difficult to shop for Christmas for five kids of all different ages - they want such different things, but I have to still keep the cost and number of the presents as similar as possible. It requires alot of planning and I often end up having to make adjustments once I get all the presents laid out on the floor.
So to the mall we went again, and I have to say, it warmed my heart to see how very busy the mall was. For the past couple years it's been quiet every time I've been to the mall, but perhaps the retail business is finally picking up again after 2020 (or maybe people are trying to avoid the finicky postal system). I'm happy to see it.
Amid all this we also had several other Christmas and birthday parties to attend, and we somehow fit some school in there. I'm tired just thinking about it now.
But it's finally the week before Christmas, we are on break from homeschooling, and it's time to get those presents wrapped and cookies baked! That's the agenda for today, and before I go to it, I'll just include one more thought that I've been mulling over this week.
A Thought On Christmas Busyness
As I've been going about our business this month, I've been listening to some Christmas sermons on the Canon+ app. I subscribed a while back for a webinar I wanted to watch, but it's been pretty worthwhile overall. I don't agree with everything they teach (I'm not a post millennialist), but I've found alot of the practical resources to be incredibly encouraging.
I was listening to a sermon called "A Theology Of Christmas Gifts" (or it might have been "Celebrating Christmas Like A Puritan", I can't remember), and Douglas Wilson made a point that it is actually NOT an unbiblical idea to work hard - even until you are rather exhausted - in order to bless others.
I think we are often, as wives and mothers, tempted to get a little bitter about the December rush and the Christmas stress. We think in order to do Christmas "right", we should not be so busy. I've certainly fallen victim to "Christmas stress" before, and often that stress is the result of procrastination or poor planning on my part. I don't think that's a good thing, and the solution to that is to plan better so I don't have a million things to do all at once December.
However, as I've been mulling it over, I agree that the problem is not the amount of work that Christmas entails. Work is not a bad thing. We don't have to be sitting around contemplating all the time in order to be blessed during the season of Christmas preparation. We are working hard to make Christmas special for our loved ones, to bless others and love them in a tangible way, and isn't that service toward others a kind of offering to the Lord? We ARE honoring Christmas in all the busyness of our Christmas work if we keep in mind that we are doing it for Him, that we are serving Christ by serving others well.
We don't always have to be still with perfect peace to celebrate and enjoy Christmas. We can keep Christmas well. by tackling our to-do list to bless others during all the hustle and bustle of celebrating the birth of our King! In it's own way, that is just as beautiful as sitting in silence and contemplating His birth, maybe even more beautiful if in the busyness we are giving of ourselves for the good of others, reflecting in an imperfect way how Christ gave Himself for us, and pointing others to the purpose of all this which is Christ Himself.
May you point your loved ones to Jesus through the cookie decorating, present wrapping, house cleaning, turkey baking, visiting, opening, singing, and celebrating this week!
Happy Christmas break, friends!
I'm sure I'll be back again this week.
I finally have some space for all of the above,
and a little blogging too.
Note: I know everyone's book sensibilities are different, especially for books we are handing to our children - I'm not recommending every book on these lists/websites myself. There are some that I wouldn't read to my kids for various reasons. But I've found these lists to be a good starting point!
Book Lists:
IEW Book Recommendations “For Boys And Other Children Who Would Rather Be Building Forts All Day” - I love Andrew Pudewa whenever I've heard him speak in person, and this is a list from his website full of books that will appeal to more active children. So many of these are classics, but there are alot of books I wouldn't have thought of without this list!
Read Aloud Revival - Sarah Mackenzie's site has been my go-to for picture book recommendations for years! I love her "Picture Books Through The Year" booklists, with seasonal picture books for each month of the year. She has a whole bunch of booklists on her website, as well as a quiz to tell you what read-aloud you could try next with your family.
Simply Charlotte Mason Book Finder - Simply Charlotte Mason has a book search engine, with books searchable by grade, time period in history, etc. This would be a great place to get some ideas for living books!
81 Edifying Stories from Generations - I really appreciate how Christ-focused Generations is in their curriculum and their book recommendations - there are lots of wonderful Christian stories on this printable list.
107 Classics To Read Before Age 7 - This list is from the Gentle + Classical curriculum company, and it's behind a password protected page - if you sign up for her emails, you will get access to her free resource library. There are many great resources for younger grades in that library, and this booklist is one of them!
“The Ultimate Guide To Reading And Books For Children” - Pam Barnhill - I get a bunch of book recommendations from Pam Barnhill's morning time plans, and she has a post with some booklists she's put together over the years - it would be worth checking out!
Curriculum Websites With Good Book Lists:
The following is a list of curriculum that are heavily book-based. I you look through the curriculum options on the website, they will also include the books that will be covered, and you can put together some great booklists for yourself that way!
Books With Booklists:
Stars on the books in this list that I have actually finished reading myself.
Honey For A Child’s Heart by Gladys Hunt - This is the classic book about books, and Gladys Hunt includes so any great book recommendations as well as encouragement for reading to children.
*Read Aloud Family by Sarah MacKenzie - Mackenzie has books lists for each age category in this book, but where it really shines to me is when she covers the types of questions you can ask to get your kids talking about the books they just read!
*Better Together by Pam Barnhill - This is actually a book about morning time, what it is and why you should incorporate it into your homeschool, but there are book recommendations and a bunch of great resource ideas in here as well!
*Turning Back The Pages Of Time by Kathy Keller - This is a booklet that includes many read-aloud suggestions to coincide with different periods of American history, and also separated by age recommendations. I have gotten some real historical gems from this little booklet!
*Timeline Of The Classics by Gail Ledbetter (IEW) - This is not a booklist so much as a reference guide for which classics occurred during which period of history, but I think it's really useful to have on hand! Not all of these classics are ones I would want to read, but it gives you a bigger picture of what was going on in each historical period.
The Read Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease - This is THE book everyone tells you to read - but, confession, I haven't been able to get through it yet. Maybe I need to try it on audio. There are a bunch of book recommendations to reference in the back though!
Blogs To Check Out:
Redeemed Reader - This is a blog with tons of book reviews and booklists that I a looking forward to exploring more!
Humility And Doxology - This is the blog that originally featured the list of booklists I saw, and Amy has many useful booklists on this blog as well!
The following is just some information and quick ideas I put together for a handout for our homeschool support group, and I thought I would include it here! So much of this information is fleshed out in some of the books I mentioned above!
Benefits Of Reading Aloud:
- Developing better listening skills.
- Developing sophisticated language patterns.
- Developing vocabulary and reading comprehension.
- Allowing them to enjoy stories that are beyond their own reading level.
- Making good family memories.
Tips For Reading Aloud:
-Start with picture books. They are short and easier for younger kids, and older kids can enjoy them as well. They also add alot of color and interest to different content-based subjects (history and science). Find some that go with different topics you are learning about!
-Set a time each day for reading aloud. We read aloud during lunch, sometimes picture books, sometimes chapter books.
-Pick a book that you (as the mom) are enjoying - if you aren’t enjoying reading aloud, it won’t happen.
-Some books are better for reading aloud than others. Choose one that has rich language (language that is more complex than what we use in conversation).
-Remember that kids get better at listening to a read aloud the more you do it. Don’t get discouraged if they wiggle alot while listening. When they are young, keep it short and gradually build listening stamina.
-Let them do something with their hands while they listen - play dough, latch hook kits, drawing, fidget toys, crochet chains, etc. Just avoid things that will involve the language portion of their brain (word searches, for example), to keep it free for listening!
-If your voice gets tired, use an audiobook! Time spent driving is also a great opportunity for audiobooks.
Happy Reading!
Easter doesn't get as much attention as Christmas, or even Thanksgiving, but for those of us who are believers, this is really the most special of holidays - the day we celebrate when Jesus died in our place, took our sins away, and rose from the dead! Easter is the culmination of God's plan of salvation for His people, and there are less distractions surrounding Easter than with other holidays - the focus, at least for our family, is all on Christ. I love that about Easter, and I want to try to build more traditions for our family surrounding Resurrection Day.
We already do resurrection eggs, resurrection rolls, and read the Easter account from the Bible, but I decided I wanted to find some good books that I can eventually add to our collection and read with the kids every year. I requested a bunch from the library, and even bought a few, and we've been working through reading them all over the last couple weeks. The ones below are my favorites, books I'd like to eventually add to our own book collection if we don't already own them!
Arch Books by Various (The Resurrection, The Day That Jesus Died, The Week That Led To Easter, He's Risen, He's Alive!, etc.) - Arch books are thin little paperbacks that cover a ton of different stories from the Bible, and these are a few of the Easter-related Arch Books we own. Each book is told in verse, and usually they focus on one aspect of a Bible story, such as Good Friday, Palm Sunday, or Resurrection Sunday. I like these for a quick reminder for the kids right before bedtime of the significance of different days during Easter week.
The Garden, The Curtain, And The Cross by Carl Laferton - This book tells the story of the fall, and the plan of salvation, incorporating an explanation the curtain in the temple and how our sin separates us from God. It's a beautiful portrayal of how Jesus's death on the cross for our sins allows us to come to God directly, with no mediator except Christ Himself. This was a good springboard for discussing the Old Testament sacrificial system and how Jesus was the perfect and final sacrifice for our sin! It's told in a whimsical way, similar to the Jesus Storybook Bible (but deeper, I thought).
The Tale Of Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt - This is a fable about three trees who wanted to be a treasure chest, a mighty ship to carry kings, and the tallest tree in the world to point to God - and how those things were fulfilled in unexpected ways after the trees were cut down. This one makes me cry every time I read it.
That Grand Easter Day by Jill Roman Lord - This book tells the story of Easter morning in a whimsical poem with lines that build on each other - not the most theological book in the stack, but it's a cute, fun one!
The Donkey Who Carried A King by R. C. Sproul - Reilly's grandfather tells him the story of a donkey who wanted to be important by carrying a king, and then got a little too puffed up after he carried Jesus - until he realized that Jesus himself had to carry the burden of everyone's sin to the cross. I love all the discussion questions in the back of this one!
'Twas The Morning Of Easter by Glenys Nellist - This is another one that I would not put in a theological category, but it's a fun version of the events of Easter morning, from the perspective of Mary, and to the same rhythm as the poem "Twas The Night Before Christmas". I enjoyed it!
Jesus Is Alive: The Amazing Story by Carine Mackenzie - As far as telling the account of Easter and why it matters for our salvation, I think this little book is my favorite on this list. It's a very thorough book, telling all the events of the week leading to Easter, and including the gospel at the end! I'm sure we will be reading this one every year, and I would like to collect more from this "Bible Wise" series.
Easter Is Coming by Tama Fortner - This book strikes the perfect balance between telling about Easter in a creative way for kids, while also including truths about sin and why Jesus died so we can be saved! Great for early elementary and younger, with bright illustrations.
We read several other Easter books, but these are my favorites - some books didn't make the list if I felt like they left out important points of the gospel, or if they just didn't stand out to me. I may add to this post in the future as I find other good, Christ-focused books!
I hope you all have a wonderful Good Friday, friends. It's a serious day, remembering how Jesus suffered and died in our place, because of our sin. But as the last book title says - Easter is coming! Hallelujah!
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
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