The Mom I Want to Be

From whimsical encounters with St. Nick to enthralling and enduring folktales, these books invite your students to celebrate diverse festivals of light.

 

The Bells of Christmas by Virginia Hamilton
Enjoy a season of love and anticipation with this 1890’s tale of an African-American family Christmas in Ohio.

 

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Laugh along with this favorite about a poor family who terrorizes then triumphs in their town.

 

Christmas After All: The Great Depression Diary of Minnie Swift by Kathryn Lasky
Witness how hope keeps a struggling Midwestern family together.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
Reflect on the past, present, and future with this holiday classic.

A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
Drift back in time for a semi-autobiographical tale of fruitcake, friendship, and Christmas in Alabama.

 

The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate by Janice Cohn
Read the true story of how a Montana town banded together to battle prejudice.

 

Hallelujah Handel by Douglas Cowling
Don’t miss this moving look at holiday charity.

 

The Hanukkah Ghosts by Malka Pen
A suspenseful time-travel novel about a girl who helps right her family’s past wrongdoings.

 

How I Saved Hanukkah by Amy Goldman Koss
The only Jewish kid in her 4th grade class, Marla discovers this year her holiday promises more than a broken dreidel.

 

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry
Show your students the meaning of Christmas with this tale of sacrifice and love.

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by Julie Lane
Learn how Santa became Father Christmas in this 1932 classic.

 

New Year by Michele Spirn
Explore diverse celebrations across the globe in this inviting and informative book.

 

One Wintry Night by Ruth Bell Graham
This lyrical story-within-a-story retells the Christmas tale from Creation to Resurrection accompanied by sweeping illustrations.

 

Sam I Am by Ilene Cooper
Can a grade schooler sort out his identity when his own interfaith family can’t agree how to celebrate the holidays?

Santa Paws by Nicholas Edwards
A stray dog finds a home during the holidays then spreads cheer all year in this favorite series.

 

Seven Spools of Thread by Angela Shelf Medearis
Learn the seven principles of Kwanzaa with this gorgeous folktale.

 

The Stone Lamp: Eight Stories of Hanukkah Through History by Karen Hesse
This moving collection of eight poems features one for each night of the holiday and spans centuries of Jewish history.

 

The Uninvited Guest and Other Jewish Holiday Tales by Nina Jaffe
Celebrate seven Jewish holidays with stories for each occasion.

 

A Very Special Kwanzaa by Deborah Chocolate
Follow 4th grader Charlie as he learns the true meaning of Kwanzaa