Christmas Stories

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I love Christmas and I love books, so I thought I would pick out a few Christmas gems that us Wenches love to read around the holidays. You probably know all of them and have read them many times, well, except maybe the last one, The Yule Lads: A Celebration of Iceland's Christmas Folklore but let me know if you do! And tell us what your favorite Christmas books/stories are!

Click through to see our favorite Christmas stories!


The Polar Express
by Chris Van Allsburg

View on Polarexpress.com
One Christmas Eve many years ago, a boy lies in bed, listening hard for the bells of Santa’s sleigh, which he has been told by a friend does not exist. Later that night he hears not bells but a very different sound. He looks out his window and is astounded to see a steam engine parked in front of his house! The conductor invites him to board the Polar Express, a train filled with children on their way to the North Pole.

The train takes the children to the center of the city, where Santa and the elves have gathered for the giving of the first gift of Christmas. The boy is chosen to receive this first gift. Knowing that he can choose anything in the world, he decides on a simple gift: one silver bell from Santa’s sleigh. Santa cuts a bell from a reindeer’s harness and the delighted boy slips it into his bathrobe pocket as the clock strikes midnight and the reindeer pull the sleigh into the sky.

When the children return to the train, the boy realizes the bell has fallen through a hole in his pocket. Heartbroken, he is returned to his home. In the morning, his little sister finds one small box with the boy’s name on it among the presents. Inside is the silver bell! The boy and his sister are enchanted by its beautiful sound, but their parents cannot hear it. The boy continues to believe in the spirit of Christmas and is able to hear the sweet ringing of the bell even as an adult.


The Night Before Christmas
by Clement Clarke Moore, Jan Brett (Illustrator)

View on Goodreads

Who's that peeking out of the sleigh?

As St. Nick and eight tiny reindeer descend through a brilliant night sky onto the roof of a Victorian house in a snowy New England village, the famous Christmas poem begins. The father of the family narrates the words just as Clement Moore wrote them, and artist Jan Brett captures the spirit in brilliant illustrations that reflect this memorable night. Visually she extends this favorite Christmas story for children, who will delight in watching the two mischievous stowaways from the North Pole enthusiastically exploring the sacks of gifts on the roof while St. Nick, unaware, journeys down the chimney... until the toys spill down onto the lawn and he turns with a jerk!

Antique toys and exquisite ornaments frame the borders in which sometimes the father, St. Nick, or the family cat and dog look on, as the story unfolds.

A unique and beautiful edition to be cherished for years to come by all the family, especially the youngest, who find the night before Christmas perhaps the most exciting night of the year.


The Gift of the Magi
by O. Henry, Lisbeth Zwerger (Illustrator)

View on Goodreads

One dollar and eighty-seven cents is all the money Della has in the world to buy her beloved husband a Christmas present. She has nothing to sell except her only treasure -- her long, beautiful brown hair. Set in New York at the turn of the twentieth century, this classic piece of American literature tells the story of a young couple and the sacrifices each must make to buy the other a gift. Beautiful, delicate watercolors by award-winning illustrator Lisbeth Zwerger add new poignancy and charm to this simple tale about the rewards of unselfish love.



How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
by Dr. Seuss

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"The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season! / Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason." Dr. Seuss's small-hearted Grinch ranks right up there with Scrooge when it comes to the crankiest, scowling holiday grumps of all time. For 53 years, the Grinch has lived in a cave on the side of a mountain, looming above the Whos in Whoville. The noisy holiday preparations and infernal singing of the happy little citizens below annoy him to no end. The Grinch decides this frivolous merriment must stop. His "wonderful, awful" idea is to don a Santa outfit, strap heavy antlers on his poor, quivering dog Max, construct a makeshift sleigh, head down to Whoville, and strip the chafingly cheerful Whos of their Yuletide glee once and for all.

Looking quite out of place and very disturbing in his makeshift Santa get-up, the Grinch slithers down chimneys with empty bags and stealing the Whos' presents, their food, even the logs from their humble Who-fires. He takes the ramshackle sleigh to Mt. Crumpit to dump it and waits to hear the sobs of the Whos when they wake up and discover the trappings of Christmas have disappeared. Imagine the Whos' dismay when they discover the evil-doings of Grinch in his anti-Santa guise. But what is that sound? It's not sobbing, but singing! Children simultaneously adore and fear this triumphant, twisted Seussian testimonial to the undaunted cheerfulness of the Whos, the transcendent nature of joy, and of course, the growth potential of a heart that's two sizes too small. This holiday classic is perfect for reading aloud to your favorite little Whos.


A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens

View on Goodreads

One of the best-loved and most quoted stories of “the man who invented Christmas”—English writer Charles Dickens—A Christmas Carol debuted in 1843 and has touched millions of hearts since.

Cruel miser Ebeneezer Scrooge has never met a shilling he doesn't like...and hardly a man he does. And he hates Christmas most of all. When Scrooge is visited by his old partner, Jacob Marley, and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come, he learns eternal lessons of charity, kindness, and goodwill. Experience a true Victorian Christmas!


The Yule Lads
by Brian Pilkington, Jóhannes úr Kötlum

View on Amazon

Gifts left in shoes, milk disappearing from the fridge, mysterious figures whisking into the shadows … at Christmas time in Iceland this can mean only one thing – the Yule Lads are back in town!

Over the centuries the Icelanders have developed a highly unusual set of Yuletide traditions, from the food they eat – smoked lamb, rotten skate and leaf bread – to their colourful folklore featuring the giant troll Grýla, her thirteen rascally sons, and that huge, hungry feline – the Yule Cat.

The Yule lads gives readers of all ages a delightful insight into the history, customs and characters of Christmas in Iceland.


So, Saucy readers, what are some of your favourite Christmas stories? Any books that you must read (yourself or to the kids) around the Holidays? Share with us in the comments below!

Comments

  1. Kathi Alexandra Malcontent MacKenzie FraserDecember 25, 2013 at 2:54 PM

    I think you've covered my favorites here! I'm curious about the Icelandic tale, and definitely want to check it out. Kind of exciting to have a new holiday book on my list. :-)

    ReplyDelete

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