Christmas Book Favorites to Share

What else would I want to share with you... But of course - some of my book Christmas book favorites!

These suggestions have come from the Christmas Unit Study Adventure and my personal family experiences -

Bentz Family All Time Favorite (remember Advent starts Dec. 1st):

Jotham’s Journey: A Storybook for Advent, by Arnold Ytreeide.

This is an exciting advent story for the whole family about a ten year-old boy, Jotham, and his journey across Israel in search of his family. His adventures are exciting -- this is the first advent book that we read completely through, cover to cover! 

Actually - look for Bartholomew's Passage and Tabitha's Travels (2 Advent stories that go with this book - you can read them in a three year cycle) We're starting this book this year for the 3rd time - and they never get tired of it. One of our favorite family traditions!

Last Year's "find" -

The Jesse Tree, by Geraldine McCaughrean. Published by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing.

As Mr. Butterfield carves a Jesse Tree in an old dusty church, a curious young boy distracts him, asking about the various symbols on the tree. Against his better judgment, the old man finds himself retelling the familiar Biblical tales that trace the lineage of Christ, from the Garden of Eden to Jesus' birth. Under the carpenter's skilled hands, the Jesse tree grows--and an unlikely friendship begins to take root as well. The Jesse Tree will captivate readers who know and love the Bible stories as well as those who are reading them for the first time.

We read this as we would put on our Jesse Tree ornaments, all of my kiddos were giggling through it - great lunchtime activity for us!

What we're going to try this year:

One Wintry Night, by Ruth Bell Graham. Published by Baker Books.

In this beautifully illustrated book, a young injured boy seeks help from a grandmotherly woman during a snowstorm. While the two wait out the storm in her cabin, the woman lovingly shares the story of the Bible from Creation to the Resurrection, and each chapter ends with a bit of a cliffhanger -- perfect for family reading time during December.

Do you have a favorite Christmas book to share?  I'd love to hear your suggestions!