By The BG Authors Team
After Thanksgiving, all attention turns to Christmas. For me, I will spend the time leading up to Christmas first studying for finals, but also getting in the Christmas spirit with festive books and movies! Over the next 28 days, while we countdown to Christmas, the BG Authors Team and I will be recommending our personal favorite Christmas books in hopes that you all can get in the spirit with them too. – Mary
28 Days to Christmas!: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson | Paragraph Written by Mary Ross
This book holds a special place in my heart. Though I never read it when I was a kid, I acted in the play version of this book in high school. I got to dance around stage and act like an absolute fool, and it was one of my favorite parts throughout my entire acting career.
Robinson’s The Best Christmas Pageant Ever follows a church that puts on a production of the Christmas story each year. However, this year a new lady is running the Christmas pageant and a family of misbehaving kids who has never been to church wants to play the main characters of Mary and Joseph. Will the pageant be a success? Will the misbehaving children have a new connection with Christmas? Read to find out.
27 Days to Christmas!: A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles M. Schulz |Paragraph Written by Mary Ross
My Christmas season would not be complete if I didn’t read or watch A Charlie Brown Christmas. Every year, my family watches it all together and my dad always asks my sister, who is named Lucy, when she is going to set up her advice stand and then recommends she charge more than just a nickel. That combined with the small Christmas tree he picks, the fun music and each of the Peanuts with their own dance, and Snoopy decorating his dog house for Christmas make this classic book and movie one you can’t miss at Christmas.
26 Days to Christmas!: Frosty the Snowman by Suzy Capozzi | Paragraph Written By Kylie Tusing
A classic addition to the holiday season, this children’s book tells the story of Frosty the Snowman, a jolly snowman with a magical hat that brings him to life for only a short moment. After a group of children build a snowman, they find themselves in search of a hat to top it off. Though the hat they picked is magical, bringing to life Frosty the Snowman. Adventures and the celebration of the winter season Frosty and the children have laughter and fun all day. But the sun comes out eventually and Frosty must make the promise to return to life one day and the kids wave him goodbye as he “thumpety, thump, thumps” away.
For the movie, click here!
25 Days to Christmas!: The Polar Express | Paragraph Written by Mary Ross
This book in my house has been particularly loved on, not only by the five members of my family, but also our pets. We read it every year together despite the spine of the book being chewed on. The beautiful illustrations and magical story line create almost every child’s Christmas fantasy that still enthrall people of all ages. This is a classic I will never go a Christmas without, movie or book, and I hope that is the same for anyone reading this.
For the magical movie, click here.
24 Days to Christmas!: The Elves and the Shoemaker | Paragraph Written by Mary Ross
The Elves and the Shoemaker is an age old story by the Brothers Grimm. When a shoemaker has become so poor only to afford leather to make one last pair of shoes, he cuts the leather for them, prays, and goes to sleep, ready to make the pair of shoes in the morning. When he wakes up, the shoes have already been made perfectly. He couldn’t find an error in them. Someone comes in and buys the shoes for a higher price than were listed, giving the shoemaker enough money to make two more pairs of shoes. This pattern continues. A heartwarming tale, this story offers a hopeful message that all will work out just in time while adding the magical twist with the elves that many people so love this holiday season.
23 Days to Christmas!: How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss | Paragraph Written by Emma Keeling
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! has always been a family favorite in my household when the holidays come around. As a Christmas Eve tradition, my older brother and I always read the Dr. Seuss book and then fall asleep watching the Grinch movie starring Jim Carrey and wait for Santa to come. I have always been drawn to the unusual and strange stories, so it’s no wonder the green-skinned, grouchy Grinch is my favorite Christmas character. Reading this book also makes you remember what the holidays are really about – love, joy, and kindness.
22 Days to Christmas: The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski | Paragraph Written by Mary Ross
This beautiful Christmas tale is bitter sweet. Johnathan Toomey is an amazing woodcarver with a sad past. He lost his wife and child and is stuck grieving them. Meeting a widow and her son who asks Jonathan to carve them the Nativity scene helps him learn to find joy in life again. For anyone who is grieving the loss of a loved one during the holiday season, this story is for you.
Mary Ross is a third-year English major at BGSU. She enjoys all types of books, with a special love for historical fiction, poetry and Mitch Albom’s books. When she is not reading, you can find her taking care of her plants, writing content to hopefully publish her own book one day, or studying for her classes, always with a coffee nearby. Any questions about her thoughts or opinions in these blog posts can be sent to her email, mkross@bgsu.edu.
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