Read Aloud Thursday

Ok, these books are not from the public library but from the personal home library of those of us who reside within the Reading My Library household. (I do not know WHERE the week is going or HOW the days are flying by!) But at Hope is in the Word today, they are talking about Christmas books and we have a few on our shelves that we have been enjoying tremendously these days. Why? Because they are all sung instead of read.

I picked up a copy of Frosty the Snowman last year in after Christmas sales and we have sung it through at least a dozen times a day within this last week alone. It is mighty popular. One morning I made us a special pudding treat and we watched Frosty (via Youtube) while eating our pudding which was a big hit. In the meantime, Bookworm1 is attempting to memorize the song which turns out to be a very difficult thing because each verse is different. Hey, even MOMMY can't do it (for the same reason). This is our first year to really focus on Christmas characters of fiction because it's easier for Bookworm1 to discern who is real and who isn't. (I have no objections to delighting ourselves with fictional characters but I want to make sure we clearly distinguish that Jesus, the "reason for the season" is not confused with Santa, etc. So we're having fun talking and singing about Frosty, Rudolph & Santa this year but we're also talking a lot. And singing. A great deal.)

Don't hate me for this one, but I found a small copy (i.e., "pocket sized) of Jan Brett's Twelve Days of Christmas at Goodwill for $0.99. We have a local Christmas display that plays this classic song as you drive through a lit scene of it and so it's fun to prepare Bookworm1 to see it by singing it. We count, we sing, we memorize. Per usual, Brett's artistry makes the whole experience all the more enjoyable, and offsets my lack of singing ability. (This is a very high-pitched song, you know!!!) But it's tolerated. I ask him if he'd rather I sing it or read it and he always chooses the singing. Poor kid. Has no taste in good music, apparently.



I picked up a copy of Deck the Hall, illustrated by Sylvia Long at Goodwill as well. (We have a rather awesome Goodwill around here.) This is the traditional Deck the Halls carol, with illustrations of a rabbit family celebrating the Christmas holiday together. This book is tons of fun! I love it, Bookworm1 loves it and we're quite certain you would too!

This particular book is out of print but you can still find used copies on Amazon at fairly reasonable prices. However, if you are wandering around a used book store (or YOUR Goodwill) and you find a copy, I'd say snatch it up!

Bookworm1 has really been all about memorizing Christmas songs and stories this season so I'm glad that Hope is in the Word is focusing on Christmas right now. Gives me good ideas of books to pick up. I think I will focus on Christmas books from our own home library throughout the rest of December around here. In the meantime, I leave you with one last offering, courtesy of Hallmark:




This one is no so ridiculous to find that I can't even locate an image online. Stories of Santa was added to our collection via a local used bookstore and it includes two "beloved Santa songs": Up on the Housetop and Jolly Old St. Nicholas. We used this book as our introduction to Santa. Well illustrated, artful and fun to sing through, I'm glad I picked this one up when I did. It's just fun!

What about you? Do you have any Christmas books/titles that you are praticular enjoy reading with your kids? Also, do you have any good arts/crafts suggestions to go along with any of them (that are relatively easy)? I'd be curious to hear of them but make up your own post and link up to Read Aloud Thursday!

Merry Christmas!