Christmas Day Books

I own the entire set of Days of the Lord which covers the Sunday readings of Years A,B,and C, Advent, Lent and Easter, and I finally got this volume which is a commentary on the Solemnities and Feasts of the liturgical year. In all of the volumes is a wealth of insight regarding the readings for any particular Sunday or holy day. It is not casual reading but simple enough for the laity to understand. I agree that this is a great resource for ministers and would creat sparks to start a homily with. But I also believe that for anyone who seriously wants to prepare and understand the Liturgy of the Word, this is an excellent tool. It puts you in the right disposition for Mass. As a Lector, it also helps me put more expression in my reading because I understand what it is all about. I highly recommend this and all the other volumes of this set.

Since the revision of the Roman Lectionary, scriptural based preaching has become the ideal and the norm. Unfortunately, many preachers find it difficult to make connections with all the readings for a given Sunday or Feast Day. The Days of the Lord series is not an exegetical commentary, but rather a guide for insights into what the Church desires to be preached from its selection of readings. The text is clear and easy to read. It provides some exegesis to ground the readings in the thought of the biblical world. But it also includes enough poetry and symbolic language to allow a good homilist to use these readings to speak to the people of today. These books are a great help in constructing a lectionary-based homily or sermon, thereby achieving the goals set forth by the bishops in their pastoral instruction on preaching.

this book is a wonderful example of winter fun. I really love it a lot. I hope that people of al faiths will be able to enjoy this craft and fun kind of book.

This wonderful book takes the reader through the days of the Christmas season with an activity for each day. My family and I looked forward to each day's activity and found we treasured the time spent together . . . without the television set on! We plan to make it a yearly tradition.

I have read almost all of Betty Neel's books and this is one of my favorites. The plot isn't deep, but the characterization is excellent, and the romance is satisfying. Yes, this is an "old-fashioned" book in that the main characters don't lust after each other nor have pre-marital sex. It is a gentle, thoughtful romance. My mom, dad, sister, and I have all read this book several times. One of the sayings that has become a joke in our family comes from the part where the old family retainer tells the couple that the "wind took the electricity," and later, we all wonder if the wind brought it back! It is the well-developed characters that make this book a classic. It is variation on the snowed-in house party theme, only in this case the characters were accidentally marooned together in a storm, and have to make do. Julia, the heroine, is an intelligent, independent nurse, and the hero is her forceful counterpart. I do wish the that the supposed "other woman" would be exposed for what she is sooner, but even with that frustration, it is still a very enjoyable book. I am glad that Harlequin re-printed it, since the old copies out there were wearing out. Now you can get a good used copy at a very reasonable price.

I have read almost all of Betty Neel's books and this is one of my favorites. The plot isn't deep, but the characterization is excellent, and the romance is satisfying. Yes, this is an "old-fashioned" book in that the main characters don't lust after each other nor have pre-marital sex. It is a gentle, thoughtful romance. My mom, dad, sister, and I have all read this book several times. One of the sayings that has become a joke in our family comes from the part where the old family retainer tells the couple that the "wind took the electricity," and later, we all wonder if the wind brought it back! It is the well-developed characters that make this book a classic. It is variation on the snowed-in house party theme, only in this case the characters were accidentally marooned together in a storm, and have to make do. Julia, the heroine, is an intelligent, independent nurse, and the hero is her forceful counterpart. I do wish the that the supposed "other woman" would be exposed for what she is sooner, but even with that frustration, it is still a very enjoyable book. I am glad that Harlequin re-printed it, since the old copies out there were wearing out. Now you can get a good used copy at a very reasonable price.

My kids love the Henry and Mudge Books. Each Story is Wonderful and worth reading over and over again.

Henry and Mudge in the Sparkle Days

Henry and Mudge enjoy the winter season in this delightful collection of three short stories. The words are easy and the type is large enough for the beginning reader to feel comfortable. This book is filled with humorous illustrations that extend the text. In one illustration Henry is sliding a reluctant Mudge across an icy pond. In another picture Mudge messes up Henry's snow angel. This is a good book for the younger set.

My third graders like this book very much and it sparks a lot of discussion about America and freedom. It's about a family that must flee a Caribbean island because of political persecution. They escape in a crowded boat, where they face hunger and fear. On their trip they are even robbed and shot at. Finally, they reach a friendly shore where they are welcomed and invited to share a feast, for it is Thanksgiving Day in America. They agree there is much to be thankful for. The text is very simple and the illustrations convey the mood of fear and uncertainty. This little book may bring tears to your eyes, and will definitely make you proud to be an American.

Eve Bunting has managed to describe at a child's level the fear, anticipation and exhaustion that often accompanied many of our ancestors as they came to America. This book is a reminder of the people who both came before us and those that still come with hope to America.

It is a beautiful, meaningful and heartwarming book to share with elementary students and families either during the Thanksgiving season or while studying history and immigration.

Beautifully illustrated with gloriously vivid colors, this book and ALL the others in this series/collection are wonderful. The adaptations in text and in the illustrations are masterful and clever. I wish these books were available when I was growing up!

This book is wonderful, as well as all the others from this publisher. MY daughter goes to an African-American school and I let her take it to school. The teacher adored the book so much!

Just 24 Days Till Christmas is a combination recipe, story, and activities book filled with things to do and make for each of the twenty-four days leading up to Christmas. MyLinda Butterworth has created a kind of 212-page advent calendar that parents can use to create Christmas traditions with their children, individuals can share seasonal comraderies with friends, and teachers can draw upon for classroom activities. From Cinnamon Crunch Nuts and German Chocolate Pie, the recipes are nutritious and delicious. From holiday banner decorations to Christmas ornaments for birds, the crafts-based activities are totally entertaining. The stories are inspiring and engaging. Just 24 Days Till Christmas is a welcome addition to any family, school or community library Christmas celebration ideas and references collection.

A wealth of information and holiday excitement! This delightful book is stuffed full of wonderful ideas and delicious easy to prepare recipes. It is a must have for all teachers and mothers of young children. I LOVED IT! Carol Elaine Powell, author of Along the Way

Magraret Laurence, The Olden Days Coat (Tundra, 1979)

Why do I continue to read kids' books at the age of thirty-six? In my more cynical moments, I think it's to increase the count on the number of books I read per year, But every once in a while, I stumble across something like Randall Jarrell's The Bat-Poet or Margaret Laurence's The Olden Days Coat, and these books remind me that things that are written for, published for, and marketed to the under-twelve set are sometimes able to combine the literary weight of the work of a great writer with that certain magic that is the exclusive province of the children's book.

The late Margaret Laurence is, of course, one of Canada's foremost authors, and left us on Earth with a body of her work that is, quite simply, stunning. From the perspective of overall quality and beauty, the complete corpus of Laurence's work is matched by that of few authors who write/wrote in the English language, living or dead. The Olden Days Coat, weighing in at a slim twenty-six pages (with roughly half of those full-page illustrations), is not just a short story; it is a distillation of Margaret Laurence's craft.

The story is a simple one, and oft-heard. Sal goes off to spend Christmas at her grandmother's house. While digging around in a chest of old things, she finds an old coat. When she puts it on, she's transported back in time, and meets a girl her own age. I'm pretty sure you can see where this is going already; why finish? As with any plot that's well-used, there are all sorts of possibilities for the writing to slip into cliché. It never happens. Laurence is razor-sharp here, her prose sparkling as fiercely as it does from every page of The Diviners, her finest moment.

A fantastic piece of work, once that I'll be buying for my own children. Its only true failing is that I didn't want it to end. **** ½

Written by one of Canada's best, the Olden Days Coat is the tale of a girls discovery of her Grandmothers trunk and her subsequent journey back in time to an"olden days" Christmas. Sal's adventure enables her to understand her grandmother better and cherish Christmas and her family

The illustrations were funny and beautiful. My son could recite the book before he even started Kindergarten.

I am a second grade teacher who read this aloud multiple times in my classroom last year. All my students loved it. It was a crowd pleaser every time. The students were so eager to read it themselves that our classroom needed multiple copies! It can carry you from the first day of school to the last.

I have used this book for my Advent devotional for 3 years in a row. The first year I used it, I was astounded by Hilary's deep and creative prose. I found myself underlining passages nearly every day. The next year I used it, I found myself doing the same thing; but in different places, for different reasons! I have shared this book with so many friends and acquaintances--I can't say enough about it. Her prayers alone are worth the purchase price of the book. They are beautiful and profound. I can't wait to open it up again this year.

I found this book of Advent meditations in 2000, and found them enjoyable and thought-provoking. but I felt that I had missed much. So when Advent rolled around in 2001, I set out on the journey again. I was right. There was more for me to learn about myself and my spiritual journey.

Something I particularly liked was that the journey didn't stop at the stable on Christmas Eve, but continued a full two weeks beyond--taking me back into the real world and reminding me that I cannot remain at that special place, that the stable has gifts for me to return to the everyday world. At this point, I plan to make the journey again in 2002.