Recommended Reads from Megan Chrusciel, Adult Services Librarian
Aunt Sass: Christmas Stories
By P.L. Travers
From the woman who gave us Mary Poppins comes this collection of short stories written for friends as Christmas gifts.
Christmas in the Crosshairs: Two Thousand Years of Denouncing and Defending the World’s Most Celebrated Holiday
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By Gerry Bowler
Learn about the history of the Christmas holiday, all the way from pagan times to the present day.
How to Celebrate Everything: Recipes and Rituals for Birthdays, Holidays, Family
Dinners, and Every Day In Between
By Jenny Rosenstrach
This guide to slowing down and making memories out of the holiday season is written to last a lifetime.
Thanksgiving: The Holiday at the Heart of the American Experience
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By Melanie Kirkpatrick
Discover the history of Thanksgiving over the past four centuries, from the perspective of both famous figures and ordinary Americans.
Pretty Paper: A Christmas Tale
Marc Burckhardt/Burckhardt Studi
Pretty Paper
By Willie Nelson
This unconventional story about the holiday spirit was inspired by the real-life man behind Nelson’s famous Christmas song, “Pretty Paper.”
The 13th Gift: A True Story of a Christmas Miracle
By Joanne Huist Smith
After the death of her husband, the author’s family received anonymous gifts from a mystery benefactor for the 12 days leading up to Christmas.
Recommended Reads from Susan Carr, Youth Services Librarian
Hold Fast
By Blue Balliett (juvenile fiction)
Early Pearl believes her love of words will help solve the mystery of her missing dad so that her family can move out of the homeless shelter and be together again.
Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares
By David Levithan and Rachel Cohn (teen fiction)
A red notebook, two teens on their own in Manhattan during the winter holidays and a crazy scavenger hunt leads to romance for Lily and Dash.
Best in Snow
By April Pulley Sayre (picture book)
“A freeze, a breeze, a cloud, it snows.” Beautiful photographs and simple text capture the wonder of the season.
Andy & Sandy and the First Snow
By Tomie dePaola (reader)
Sandy introduces Andy to the joys of playing in the first snowfall of the winter, including the best part: getting warm. Seasonal fun for beginning readers.
Hopping Ahead of Climate Change: Snowshoe Hares, Science and Survival
By Sneed B. Collard III (juvenile non-fiction)
This book offers an explanation of how short winters endanger animals dependent on a change in fur or feather color to blend in with the snow, and reviews what we can do to help.
The Artful Year: Celebrating the Seasons and Holidays with Family Arts and Crafts
By Jean Van’t Hul (parent/teacher collection)
Divided by season, explore 175-plus family-friendly projects to enhance your child’s appreciation of the world around him or her.
Snow White
By Matt Phelan (juvenile graphic novel)
Set during the stock market crash of the 1920s, this stylish re-telling of the classic fairy tale features a banished heiress, seven street kids, a greedy stepmother and an intrepid Detective Prince.
