I take no credit for this gift idea.
If I can extend literacy in just one household this year then it is worth the time it took to write this article! The idea is not mine but I have adopted it wholeheartedly. It was originally conceived by author David McCullough who told the story of receiving a wrapped book on his bed each Christmas. The idea grew to a website: http://www.familyreading.org.
Santa leaves a wrapped book on each child’s bed. The book need not be new. It could be one you loved as a child. It could be one purchased at a garage sale or a used book store. What’s important is that each child in your home—no matter how old or young—receives a book delivered to his bedside by Santa.
In this day of electronics and sophisticated gifts, this book will bring your child the gift of literacy, the priceless passion for knowledge and the valuable skill of reading. So I throw the torch to you: Please join the cause and help Santa leave a book on every bed in your house.
If you need a list of suggestions, please see my favorites below or ask a librarian!
Merry Christmas!
Resources
Christmas Books
A Christmas Carol. Charles Dickens
A Wish to be a Christmas Tree. Colleen Monroe
Eloise at Christmas Time. Kay Thompson
Frosty the Snowman. Golden Book
How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Dr. Seuss
Mr. Willoughby’s Christmas Tree. Robert Barry
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Dennis Shealy
Santa Mouse. Michael Brown
Snowmen at Night. Caralyn Buehner
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Barbara Robinson
The Christmas Bus. Melody Carlson
The Christmas Sweater. Glenn Beck
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. L. Frank Baum
The Secret of St. Nicholas. Ellen Nibali
The Truth about Santa: Wormholes, Robots and what really happens on Christmas Eve. Gregory Mone
‘Twas the Night before Christmas. Clement Clark Moore
Who is coming to Our House? Joseph Slate
