Every year more holiday books come out and it can be hard for classroom teachers to decide which ones might be worth adding to their collection. Here is a carefully curated list of just 5 books I think would be perfect for an elementary school classroom library!
Lindsey Daly
Published By: Zietgeist (Penguin Random House)
This book takes the game "Would You Rather" and turns it into a fun educational reading and writing game to play around the holidays. The book starts by explaining the game play, which includes the rules and how winners are chosen. Then there are 5 rounds with 20 questions each, all related to a topic. Players have 1 minute to write a reason for their answer and the judge chooses a winner. I could definitely see playing this game with family members at Christmas time or playing it in my classroom with my grade 3 students. It is a lot of fun and a great way to trick kids into having to read and write while having fun! This book is definitely on my Christmas list! I would recommend this book to parents of children in the age 5-12 range.
By Fran Manushkin, Kris Easler(Illustrator)
Published by: Charlesbridge
This beautiful picture takes a bit of a modern twist on the Jewish story of the miracle of Hanukkah. When a blizzard hits the Menashe family's home on the first day of Hanukkah, the family improvises by substituting soup for latkes and apple sauce because getting to the potatoes, apples or even the store doesn't seem possible this year. As the blizzard continues the family celebrates together and also takes in two lost animals, first a kitten and then a dog. Near the end of the storm the family venture outside and the dog digs up some potatoes and the cat, stuck in a tree, leads the family to some apples. It is the perfect way to end the blizzard and enjoy the last nights of Hanukkah with the food they enjoy and the family (including its two new furry members) together. I think this is a great book for teaching about different celebrations, a common topic in elementary classrooms in the fall/winter time. I like that this book teaches about Hanukkah without obviously doing so, it isn't a book to teach what a dreidel or a latke is, but while reading the book, children can observe these traditions and explore this holiday, just like most christmas books don't teach you what a christmas tree is or describe the nativity scene in depth, they include kids opening presents under a tree or attending church with their family. The more opportunities for non-christmas themed holiday books to make their way into children's hands is so important and I think this book would be a great addition to classroom libraries or for families, both Jewish and non-Jewish, to learn about another culture and holiday while also enjoying a warm and inviting holiday tale. I would recommend this book for teachers and families of children in the 5-10 range.
DK
This picture book (board book) is a great new Christmas-themed classic children are sure to read again and again this holiday season! The story is about a grouchy reindeer who learns that kindness and helping others feels really great and can make even the grumpiest reindeer happy after all. Filled with nice detailed pictures, cute speech bubbles and a little bit of Christmas magic, this book has everything that young children want in a picture book. I would recommend this book for parents looking for a non-toy item for Christmas or for teachers looking to add another great book to their holiday collection. I think this book would be great for children in the age 3-6 range.
Katie Anderson
Published By: Greenleaf Book Group Press
This book tells about a little girl who loves Christmas, and especially loves Christmas trees. Holly is sad when her parents take down the Christmas tree on Boxing Day, asking why they had to throw it out. She is devastated to learn that her tree is dead. The following Christmas, instead of a tree lot, her family buys a tree from a garden centre that is still in a pot. They decorate it and though it is different than the trees she is use to, Holly loves it the same. Following Christmas, the family then plant the tree in a forest and each year they go back to admire the many trees they planted and saved. I think that the messages about sustainability and future-forward thinking are so great and this book overs a solution that is similar to what people currently do, yet has a more positive impact on the environment. The book concludes with information about planting trees in a safe and responsible way. I would definitely recommend this book to parents and teachers of children in the age 4-8 range who really care about the environment. The font is large and accessible and relatively easy to read, so it would be a good fit for readers in that age range.
By: Andy Wortlock, Nahum Ziersch(Illustrator)
Books go Social
I love this book, and I know kids will too! Every cat owner knows what chaos Christmas decorations can bring! In this story, told from the cat's perspective, the humans are the problem, they brought all this new stuff in and expect him not to climb the tree? With large but expressive font choices will draw the reader in and with only a few short, rhyming lines per page it will be relatively easy for young readers to read independently. The illustrations are great and the writing is funny and really well done! I would definitely consider purchasing a copy for my classroom library and will be recommending this one for readers in the age 4-8 range!
Also, check out the instagram page dedicated to the Cats Don't Like That series
All of the books mentioned in this post were books I read and reviewed via NetGalley. Thanks to the publishers for giving me the chance to check out these new books!