Advent Books

I bought this book today at my church's bookstore and it was exactly what I was looking for. I wanted a book that could help me in teaching my two small kids that Christmas is not about gifts but it is about Christ. This books gives you lots of ideas on how to celebrate a Christ-centered Christmas and it gives ideas of many things that you might want to add as new traditions in your home.For example, Having a birthday party for Jesus, complete with cake and all. I know my kids will love that!Also reading the Christmas story on Christmas Day. That will definately teach my kids that Christmas is not about getting lots of gift, but it is about Christ. Jesus is the Reason for the Season!

This book gives you lots of ideas on things your family can do during the holiday season that focus on Christ's birth. It is an excellent reference book for ideas on starting new traditions in your family for the Christmas celebration. The book is arranged so that each chapter begins with a letter of the alphabet. For example: A-Advent, A time for preparing; B-Birthday for Jesus; C-Customized candy canes; D-Dinner conversation. Each chapter gives you ideas of things that you can do with that particular focus. This book doesn't just give you some vague ideas; it actually gives ideas and examples of what to do.

I read this book in the book store, I couldn't put it down and bought it right after with tears still in my eyes. Thomas Kinkade is an extremely talented illustrator and the story is amazing. I read it in church as the message one week, it is just terrific!

I have been collecting and reading Christmas books with my children for over ten years, and this is one of our Top Ten! A warm and thoughtful story, with glorious illustrations. This book is an absolute 'must have' for your library and is a perfect gift!

Reading this beautifully packaged book will give you a Proustian experience. Regardless of your age, you will be transported back to the world of your childhood, when the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas was the longest of the year. You will lose that adult reality that the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas doesn't even seem as long as a three day weekend.

In my experience, only Calvin and Hobbes comic strips or Jean Sheperd's memoirs rival Frank Crocitto for being able to bottle the mind of a child from an adult perspective. Everyone who owns this book will probably reread it, possibly every Christmas season.

Frank Crocitto's A Child's Christmas In Brooklyn is a wonderful memoir of growing up in Brooklyn in the 1940s. What is particularly striking is not just the wonderful anecdotal stories but the way they are physically and visually laid out for the reader in a line-on-the-page format that is almost lyrically poetic in its presentation. A Child's Christmas In Brooklyn is marvelous reading for any Christmas season and a delight for anytime of the year -- especially for that "window in time" feeling taking us back on a nostalgic tour of Brooklyn through a child's eyes.

I just finished reading this little gem of a book. No, I didn't read the devotionals one per day, but I think that would be the BEST way to read this book.

This book is very attractive and would make a wonderful gift! The words and subtle but lovely drawings are in a burgandy color.

31 Christmas carols each have their own chapter. Teach chapter contains the author and date for the carol, then the words to the carol (including all those wonderful extra verses that many people don't know!). Next comes a bit of background on the writing of the carol and/or the theological points that are covered in the lyrics. Then there is a "Reflection" and some Bible passages that fit with the carol, and then a prayer. Most of the chapters are 5 pages long.

The emphasis is NOT on how the author got the idea the carol, or the circumstances surrounding the writing of it (though that is included in several of the chapters). The emphasis is on finding Christ in the carols and how these carols express so beautifully the glorious and mysterious incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Please check out my other reviews of Christian books!

I bought this book to give as a gift last Christmas and could scarcely bear to part with it. The authors plumb the depths of 31 different Christmas carols--some familiar, some not. In each, they extract the essence of "Christ in the Carol," transforming the words into a devotional that deepens our sense of wonder in God's greatest gift--Jesus. I bought five copies to give before Christmas, during advent this year. And I'll re-read my own as a part of my morning quiet time. Buy it for yourself and those you love.

In the midst of preparing for Christmas, this devotional gives you the focus to prepare your heart for the season. You will truly look at Christmas differently, savouring each aspect of Christmas - even the hectic parts! From getting the decorations out, listening to Christmas Carols, Christmas shopping - every part of Christmas is explored. When Christmas Day comes you will find your heart has "prepared Him room".
There are then devotionals leading up to New Year's Day. Ever get that "Christmas Blues" feeling Boxing Day? Well, Thomas Kinkade shows us how to appreciate the afterglow of Christmas. There's also a look forward on New Year's Day to the Year ahead.
If you are looking for a Christmas where you aren't completely caught up with the commercialism, then take the the time to read this book. You won't regret it. Added to each devotion for the day is a painting by the Painter of Light himself.
(Tip: Day 1 is 28th November - I got caught out with that the first time I read it. If you start on 1st December; Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day & New Year's Day don't match up!)
Highly recommended!

This is a great devotional for the advent season (devotional a day). Makes a good gift. If you give as a gift or buy it for yourself, you need to give or get prior to advent season. This way you will be able to enjoy the devotionals throughout the whole advent season. I highly recommend this book!!

Most of us know that Christmas began in a tiny stable over 2,000 years ago. Now this gift book brings more to light along with recipes for delicious holiday treats, poetry and stories. A must!

I picked up this little book at a church book sale to contribute funds for a youth group. It may have been one of my best buys of the year, and I buy a lot of books. This book puts Christmas in perspective, offers ideas to ease the holiday stress and focuses on the simple wonders of the season. I plan on reading it every year around Thanksgiving to help get me in the proper frame of mind for a holiday season that once totally stressed me out.

The Christmas Boot is a heartwarming children's picturebook embodying the spirit of Christmas. When Miss Hannah Greyweather, an older woman living on a snowy mountain with no one to talk to, finds a black boot lying in the snow, she wonders where it could have come from. The boot is mysteriously joined by another - and they fit snugly, perfect for snowy weather. Then a mysterious, roly-poly stranger with a white beard comes to her door, politely asking for something of his that has gone missing! Miss Hannah enjoys entertaining her visitor, and he leaves her the best possible gifts for Christmas - not only boots and mittens, but also a lively puppy to keep her company. A wonderful addition to children's holiday storybook collections.

A very warm and cozy book with a surprise ending. A message of personal honesty and true happiness.

Many raves have been accorded to Bob Inman's previous novels. "The Christmas Bus" will endear him to yougsters as well as adults.

Lyle Baskin's full color artwork wonderfully illustrates novelist, playwright and screenwriter Robert Inman's engaging and entertaining story in "The Christmas Bus". Set at the Peaceful Valley Orphanage, this is the picturebook Christmas tale of Mrs. Frump who is trying to find good homes for the holiday for her gaggle of rowdy kids. But when the local busybodies and a suspicious Sheriff Snodgrass intervene, a simple bus ride turns into a terrifically involved and complicated adventure for this band of orphans! Original, heartwarming, and a truly welcome addition to the growing library of Christmas oriented titles, "The Christmas Bus" is an enthusiastically recommended addition to family, school, and community library holiday season collections and reading lists.

"The Christmas Dove" is a beautiful and compelling depiction of the early experiences of Jesus and His earthly family. The reader gets a sense of what life was like 2000 years ago, and also gets a glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of Jesus' parents, who slowly begin to realize that their beloved little boy is far more than He seems. This book personalized Jesus' early life for me, and helped fill in the gaps between the Biblical accounts of His birth and later events. God's hand was upon Carol Watson when she wrote this book!

"The Christmas Dove" is appropriate for all ages; each short chapter would make a nice bedtime story for small children, and it would not lose its appeal to the oldest reader.

"The Christmas Dove" is a beautiful and compelling depiction of the early experiences of Jesus and His earthly family. The reader gets a sense of what life was like 2000 years ago, and also gets a glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of Jesus' parents, who slowly begin to realize that their beloved little boy is far more than He seems. This book personalized Jesus' early life for me, and helped fill in the gaps between the Biblical accounts of His birth and later events. God's hand was upon Carol Watson when she wrote this book!

"The Christmas Dove" is appropriate for all ages; each short chapter would make a nice bedtime story for small children, and it would not lose its appeal to the oldest reader.

Well researched and documented, this Christmas Encyclopedia is a fountain of information on many topics of the Christmas holiday, including: biblical references, history, world customs and celebrations, traditions, foods, stories and books, legends, songs, carols, movies and television specials, and much more.

A great research guide and also an enjoyable book to read for anyone who is interested in learning more about this beloved holiday.

Bill Crump has written a very informative book about the Christmas traditions that answer many questions about the season that many of us have had. I especially liked the customs and traditions of the holiday seasons from the other countries, as I'm sure many other people will who are researching family histories. Way to go Dr. Bill.