Children's Xmas stories - good ones

[Donna Ferentes]

Oddly, we don't really seem to have any Xmas stories in the bookshop - well, we have loads of Spanish ones, but not really anything in English.

This is a problem because once a month, I read stories in English to kids at the local library based around a theme of the library's choice, and not very suprisingly, next month they want Xmas. So what I want, if you would be so kind, is recommendations, for kids of ages about 5-8 perhaps, of good Xmas stories. Must be reasonably short (I do about four in 20-25 minutes) and currently available!

(January, by the way, is Pirates.)

 

[Donna Ferentes]

<stamps his little foot>

I am going to keep bumping this until you come up with some ideas!

 

[Mrs Magpie]

The Jolly Christmas Postman
Janet Ahlberg

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Ta.

Any more?

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Well, I'm guessing you don't want 'The Story of Christmas' type stuff....also a lot of what my children liked is long out of print to be honest.....

 

[phildwyer]

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

 

[Mrs Magpie]

That's American

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Asked around and these are reckoned to be good...I can vouch for Horrid Henry....very funny indeed.....
Horrid Henry's Christmas Cracker by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs
Father Christmas by Raymond Briggs
The Best Christmas Present in the World by Michael Morpurgo and Michael Foreman
Tickly Christmas, Wibbly Pig! by Mick Inkpen

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Mog's Christmas by Judith Kerr...You'll love that one too Donna.....Also Lulu and the Flying Babies by Posy Simmonds isn't exactly Christmas but there are snowy scenes and it's a fantastic book.

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Ah, Mog! A veritable pussycat!

I haven't done a cat story yet...

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I love Judith Kerr...I've just finished her autobiography (although it's written in the third person)...it's basically all her autobiographical stuff starting with 'When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit' put into one book......

 

[i-am-your-idea]

I remember loving 'The Church Mice at Christmas' by Oakley, Graham

 

[JTG]

Morris's Disappearing Bag, Rosemary Wells

 

[JTG]

I remember loving 'The Church Mice at Christmas' by Oakley, Graham

The Church Mice books were fantastic

 

[madamv]

Yup I agree with Mrs M Jolly Christmas Postman, Mogs Christmas

Also, I like Slinky Malinki's Christmas Crackers, any of the night before Christmas stories they're all lovely and what about the Nightmare Before Christmas (Tim Burton) and A Christmas Carol (Dickens)? I havent read Lauras Christmas Star (Klaus Baumgart) but his first Lauras Star is lovely.

Off to order my own now!!

 

[madamv]

Oh, I nearly forgot my favourate...

So funny, and lovely drawings by Quentin Blake

 

[Donna Ferentes]

A Christmas Carol (Dickens)?

Rather too long and difficult to read to Spanish kids in five to ten minutes, I think. (Although there are abridged versions.)

 

[Donna Ferentes]

Thanks for these. Grinch, Wibbly Pig and Malinki have been ordered.

In January: pirates....

 

[pennimania]

There is a book called Christmas Trolls - not sure who it is by. The illustrations are absolutely delicious and the trolls are very naughty.

It is set in Lapland so might appeal to children in Spain as a contrast. My kids (not very sentimental types) used to love it.

 

[pennimania]

Christmas Trolls

It is by Jan Brett!

it is one of those books with very dense illustrations that have recurring themes so the kids can spot the special items - in this case the trolls'' 'helper'!

ps The Tailor of Gloucester is another xmas book like that - also old fashioned but my lot loved it.