Advent Books

Three women -- one single, one married, and one widowed -- have much to teach us about following God's will, even when it doesn't make sense at first.

Mary was chosen while still a teen to become mother of the Messiah. Elizabeth, ripe in middle age, gave birth to John the Baptist to prepare the way. And faithful Anna prayed night and day in the temple, announcing the Son of God's arrival to all who would listen.

In this gorgeous red-and-gold foil gift book, author Christin Ditchfield brings these women's stories to life and shows how God can use each of us, no matter how insignificant we feel. This makes a perfect gift for any woman longing to grow in spiritual wisdom.

-- Christian Women Online Book Buzz

In The Three Wise Women, Christin Ditchfield highlights significant roles three seemingly ordinary women have in the Christmas story. Like the three wise men, these women gave gifts of great value. Because these women came from different stages of life, they each had unique lessons which transcend time. This book takes the reader closer to their stories, which reveal each of their hearts.

Christin Ditchfield is a radio program host, a conference speaker, and an author who challenges her readers to deepen their relationship with Christ. This short book, written in three chapters, takes the reader into the lives of Mary, the mother of Jesus, Elizabeth, the mother of the prophet John, and Anna, who speaks of the newborn's arrival. She shows how each of these women surrendered their lives to God and to the purposes He had for them.

Mary comes into the Christmas story with a willing heart. In a moment she knows that the plans she had were not going to work out in the way in which she had been expecting, yet she responds with willingness and submission to the will of God. Elizabeth's part in the story is revealed through her readiness to listen for God, even when it may have appeared that He was not listening. Because she had been listening, she knew to greet her sister as the "mother of my Lord." And lastly, because of Anna's obedience to worship God through even difficult times and circumstances, she was at the temple when Mary and Joseph arrived to present their child to the Lord. This faithfulness allowed her to speak to all "who would listen about the goodness and greatness of our God. She proclaimed His salvation with all her life's breath."

I recommend this book to all women. Let's face it, we women tend to be the keepers of the holidays and this is especially true at Christmas as many of us find ourselves shopping, baking, decorating, and hosting. As we walk through this amazing time of year, may we remain wise as we reflect on the lives of these three women. - Sheri Carlstrom, Christian Book Previews.com

My granddaughter loves this series of little books. She has almost all of them now!

I looked forward to getting another book by this author after reading Silver Slippers. My daughter loved that one, and was quite happy with this one as well. I love the way the author writes the story...the main character (little girl) is referred to as "the little girl" (not by a name) and it is perfect because my daughter likes us to replace "the little girl" with her name when we read it to her!

When my daughter was very young, I borrowed Tosca's Christmas from the local library. It became one of her favorite stories. For several years, we observed a tradition of checking the book out of the library prior to Christmas each year. Last fall, after she left for her freshman year at college, I ordered a hardback copy of the book from the internet and surprised her for Christmas. It was a joyous reunion!

Tosca's Christmas is full of Anne Mortimer's beautiful, lifelike illustrations of a very real-looking and acting pleasingly-plump tabby. It paints a somewhat realistic picture of Christmas from a cat's perspective -- all that unwelcome commotion, and not being allowed to actively participate when there is something fun to do (like wrapping oneself in giftwrap). The artwork alone makes buying the book worthwhile. Anne Mortimer's cats are always more realistic than any other illustrator's -- the cat's markings aren't symmetrical, and you know she knows this cat as well as you know your own.

Traditional Christmas Tea is a wonderful short story, that brings alive the true meaning of Love, Peace and Joy to your heart for Christmas.The story embraces you in thoughts of your own childhood memories of Christmas past. with family and friends, and cherished loved ones that are never forgotten, and always in your heart. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the warm feelings that capture the true meaning of Christmas. I personally highly recommend Traditional Christmas Tea, it is well written, and a joyous and inspirational reading pleasure.

Traditional Christmas Tea is a short story that truly warms the heart, and reminds one of Christmases past, your own traditions, and brings to mind loved ones of your own in a very nice light. It is a light read, and just right for passing an afternoon sitting in your easy chair. I very much enjoyed this book, and the wonderful Christmas recipes included!

My sister gave us this book for Christmas 1996. I just filled in my last entry this Christmas 2005. I felt melancholy and it was bittersweet as I made my entries and asked family and friends to sign our book because I knew this would be the last year to journalize ten years of treasured Christmas memories. I got online thinking I would order 3 or 4 more -- one for me and others as gifts to my sister and daughter but I found this is a collector's item so I won't be able to reciprocate my sister's thoughtful gesture! Imagine my surprise to realize I truly had a one-of-a-kind book and my disappointment that I would not be able to hand down this lovely tradition to my daughter and granddaughter. This book brings smiles to those who browse through this beautifully illustrated book each Christmas season. I only hope Ms. Barnes will create another version of this beautiful and elegant keepsake!

We received this book as a gift the year our first child was born. It has been fun to share memories throughout the years. There is a spot for a current family picture, christmas card, memories of Christmas and throughout the year and a spot to record new and old traditions. It is easy to fill the space and I love having a permanent record of our season. We are on year #7 and I plan to get a secord one to record the next 10 years as well. If you are looking for a record of your holidays, this is it. And it is a beautiful book as well. It is a treasure!

Although I read and reread all of the author's Betsy-Tacy books as a child, I had never heard of "The trees kneel at Christmas" until it was rescued and rereleased by Abdo and Daughters several years ago.

The story was inspired by a legend the author heard from a Lebanese immigrant woman while living in New York. She kept the legend -- that the cedar trees in Lebanon kneel down at midnight on Christmas Eve -- in her mind for quite some time, until a visit to a local school matched the face of a young girl with the story.

The story is told quite simply and timelessly. Young Afify hears the legend of the kneeling cedars from her grandmother and wonders if the trees kneel in Brooklyn, too. The remainder of the story follows her as she sets out in search of a miracle.

This book is a must read for anyone familiar with Lebanese/Syrian immigrants to the US in the last 100 years.

The characters and customs in the book are so much like the people and things I remember as a child.

If you are of Lebanese/Syrian descent, you should read this book to your children/grandchildren. It's a great way to keep the values and customs alive of our parents and grandparents.

the advent calendars that i received were really unique. i have had an advent calendar all of my life and that is alot of christmas'. these were lovely and much enjoyed.

I bought this Advent calendar and it was just as beautiful when I received it. By far the best selection online and I checked many web sites. My family throughly enjoyed this calendar.It matches the wonderful advent calendars I had as a child growing up.

A beautifully illustrated book - a must have for those whocollect books on the twelve days of Christmas. For those who don't,you will still enjoy the artwork, and the fresh look at this traditional theme.

My four year old son loves to count the objects on each page and sing the last verse on every page. It's kind of a memory game, counting, singing, cultural and Christmas book all in one.

Against the backdrop of the approaching Christmas holiday, her role in the church play, and her family's wonderful holiday traditions, young Vicky Austin experiences feelings of rivalry for a sibling not yet born, and whose impending birth threatens to disrupt the holiday. This is a warm, loving book. It is an excellent story for older children, and I would recommend making the reading of it, chapter by chapter, part of a family's preparation for Christmas, like a literary advent calendar

If you love Madeleine L'Engle's books, then this is a definite "must have" for the holidays. Read about the Austin family as they prepare for Christmas, the church pageant, and a new addition to the family. Their warmth and love for each other are contagious, and yet they are a "real" family, growing pains and all. This is a fabulous book for young girls - and one to read every year in preparation for the holiday season.

We have read this book every year since 2001 with our children, now ages 8 and 10. We all love this book- it is a reminder that Christmas is about family, love, traditions and faith. We have taken on two of Uncle Vova's traditions in our family- we set a place at the table for those who can not be with us and we put a gold dollar coin in someone's soup. Beware: if you lost a loved one recently, you may not be able to get through the end.

This book is about Patricia Polacco's Christmas traditions. I think this book will teach you a lot about Patricia Polacco. This book would interest elementary kids the most. I really liked this book.