Advent Books

Alice Faye Duncan has done it once again! Christmas Soup is an easy read for children with a universal message. The book demonstrates the generosity of the human spirit and the way children learn through examples. Great book!

Recently, while searching the children's area of my local bookstore, I stumbled upon this classic story. In a nutshell, it is a book which teaches young children that God's abundance is released when we pray and when we share what we have with others.

Yep,here is a modern day tale (with comedy) about old-fashioned ideals like caring and sharing with your neighbor.

A must have for all ages!!!!!

A tremendous collection of Christmas poems, quotes, songs, traditions, recipes, and stories. It has changed the way we celebrate and helped us understand better why we celebrate. I can't recommend it highly enough. If we could only choose one Christmas book to own, this would probably be it.

Christmas is almost everyone's favorite time of the year. It certainly is mine. There are so many traditions assoicated with Christmas that most of us do not know where these traditions originated. This book tells us the origin of many of these.

St. Nicholas was actually a fourth century pastor who had a great love for children. He desired to make their lives better. This is where the tradition of Santa Claus began.

The book also includes some favorite recipes and the history behind some of our Christmas carols. I found all of this information to be quite interesing.
Jeanetta Bearden Pollard author of "Mrs. Claus Shares Stories From the Heart."

This sweet little book is full of practical and thoughtful ways of simplifying the holiday season, particularly for those of us who try to do it all! The beautifully detailed illustrations of elf people are appropriate to each point and suggestion made, which are numbered 1 thru 30. It is very easy and quick to read yet packs alot of meaningful content. One of my favorites is: #10 Relinquish super-human efforts to produce Christmas-card-perfect holiday celebrations. Christmas is about God becoming human--not humans becoming gods.

A beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully sensitive reminder of the "reason for the season". To be used as a day by day approach to this wonderful celebration. A very small book containing the best Christmas gift of all!

This is a fine coffee table book about a subject that would appeal to anyone who has enjoyed the wonderful Christmas Tree and Holiday decoratations in Rockefeller Center, NY. The photos are excellent - especially the older ones. Nice stories about the people behind the scenes, and how the trees get selected.

As the manager, gardens division, of Rockefeller Center, I found the book to be an accurate, delightful chronicle of the world's most beautiful Christmas Tree. It's the heart and soul of New York, and thus, the world! David Murbach

This is an interesting Christmas book for young children. The story is played against the backdrop of the Roosevelt White House (Teddy's), and an apparently true story involving the conservationist president's decision not to allow a cut tree into the White House because he want's to be a good example for Americans.

Of course TR's notoriously rebellious brood tries to outfox their dad by secretly procuring a pine tree and stashing it away, decorated, in a bedroom closet. When discovered, TR marches the boys down to speak with Gifford Pinchot, his head of the US Forestry service. Pinchot says that sometimes cutting small trees can actually be beneficial to forests as it gives room for other trees to thrive and grow.

With that OK, the live tree (although a small one in keeping with the chief of forestry's direction) is again welcome into the White House and is part of a festive christmas celebration.

This story interests my children. Besides the Christmas hook, it involes the president and the White House, concepts they are familiar with. It also teaches a conservation lesson. Good book for the 4-7 set.

This book was excellent for 4-8 year olds to personalize Christmas at their house and at the first family's house. It also introduced a real life president and how carrying out his duties affected his home life. My son saw this as his first 'history lesson' of sorts. As an extra bonus it just so happens that one of President Roosevelt's sons was named Quentin. My son will remember this fact because that's his name and my husband, his dad's name happens to be Theodore!

I found this to be a fun and informative gift for children. It makes a great stocking stuffer. The book is well written and contains optical illusions and magic tricks. Kids will love it.

THis is great. I ran across it in a Xmas bazaar near my house and bought all they had for my friends. Every year I try to get a good, fun, small gift that I can give to lots of people, kind of like a stocking stuffer. This is the one for this year! The book has cool illusions and tricks, and the toys are fun. You don't even need a Christmas tree--you can look at the TV too!!

CHRISTMAS USA is more than just a book of facts. Although the author has broken up the United States into several parts--Northeast, Southeast, Great Lakes, Plains, Southwest, Mountain, and Pacific--this is a book perfect for children and adults alike, regardless of where in the USA you reside. Filled with such interesting facts as when Christmas trees became part of the US tradition, when Christmas was first declared a legal holiday, and which US President instituted an official tree in the White House, CHRISTMAS USA presents these facts in a fun, interesting way.

It's not just a book of facts, though. It's also filled with hands-on activities such as how to make a Christmas Journal, making your own Christmas cards, how to make cranberry or popcorn garland, easy directions for cookie Christmas tree ornaments, and creating a pomander and cascarones. It also includes some tasty, easy-to-follow recipes for aniseed cookies, nut crescents, and scripture cake, to name a few.

This is a great book to share with your children. Not only will they learn about different holiday customs and traditions around the US, but they'll be able to follow the easy instructions for the crafts and activities and, with adult supervision, might even be able to whip up some yummy holiday treats for the whole family!

Reviewed by: Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius"

You would think that, in the United States of America, Christmas would be celebrated the same way in each and every state, but the opposite is true. Within CHRISTMAS USA, Mary D. Lankford takes readers on a Christmas journey through the Northeast, Southeast, Great Lakes, Mountain States, Plains States, Southwest, and Pacific States, giving information on how our neighbors celebrate the holidays. To wrap things up, Lankford takes us inside the White House and the Post Office, providing readers with a sneak peek at how certain traditions were born; and giving readers ideas on different ways that they can celebrate the holidays, by incorporating some of these fun, and fairly unique traditions into your own.

But CHRISTMAS USA is not just a fact book, providing readers with information; Lankford has spiced things up a bit by including easy-to-follow instructions on making various holiday-related craft projects and recipes that will certainly assist in making your season bright. Instructions regarding making a Christmas journal, cascarones, Christmas tree decorations, and much more are present; but recipes for edible items, such as nut crescents, double peanut cookies, and aniseed cookies are easily explained.

Lankford, in association with Karen Dugan - whose illustrations truly bring CHRISTMAS USA to life - have compiled a delightful holiday addition to the literary world. The historical facts provide readers with a learning experience; while the recipes and craft projects add a sense of fun, creativity, and family-time that is difficult to ignore. A trip across the United States just in time for Christmas!

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

I have been looking for a book that is inspiring and maybe will help me get in the Christmas mood. This book is it. It's a perfect size gift to put in someone's stocking ~~ and it's a perfect reminder of what Christmas is really about.

This little story starts off with six-year-old David finding his father dead on Christmas day. Understandably, he would never celebrate Christmas day for a long time till he has a little brother who came along and wanted to celebrate Christmas. Not only is this a story about Christmas, it is a story about life and death. It is about friendships and love, how even when loved ones pass on, they are still within our hearts.

It is a beautiful little reminder of joy and peace ~~ and a must-read for every reader, who longs to remember what Christmas is about.

12-5-07

Death came early that christmas morning...but the book, I never quite have forgotten. I loved it the first time I read it and each time since. Although small and, yes, perfect to get stuffed in a christmas stocking, it should not be forgotten or dismissed as a sad and sappy christmas novel.
In the holiday season we are supposed to remember that great things come in small packages, which is very true with The Christmas Wish.

I really love this book! The pictures are so adorable---you want to reach right in and cuddle Teddy and his kitty friend. I also love the fact that each page has two levels of text---one is very simple, for example, just saying Singing Carols, and the other has more detail. Each text page also has a little detail from the facing picture page. Many of the pages have a kitty to find, which engages the very young, and the pictures have sweet details without being overwhelming. I am going to look for more by this author/artist!

Jacqueline McQuade did a superb job with this special book for the holidays. The canvas-like pictures of Teddy Bear caught my children's attention instantly. Each page consists of a beautiful illustration. a large-print description of Teddy Bear's holiday activity, and a few short sentences describing in detail what Teddy Bear is doing. I'm going to order the rest of her books right now.This book was a gift given to us for Christmas 1996, and it has been cherished every year.

I recieved this book for christmas probably 14-15 years ago and I still have this book, I bring it out every christmas to read. The scent has faded a bit, but i can still smell it. The prose is wonderful, reading this book really helps me to get in the christmas spirit

I received this book as a present and I immediately wes fascinated! Wonderful pictures, touching prose & poetry, lovely perfumed pages!