Skip to main content

Christmas Is...


Title: Christmas Is...
Genre: Nonfiction (Informational)
Author: Gail Gibbons
Major Awards: None
Age Group: Pre-K-1st grade

 This is a sweet story that highlights what Christmas is. It states that Christmas Is...The Christ Child. It goes on to tell the story of Christ's birth. The book then states different things that Christmas is. Christmas Is...Saint Nicholas who loved giving gifts and helping, and later became known as Santa Claus. It states that Saint Nicholas threw three bags of coal down a chimney where three poor girls lived, landing in a stocking hung by a chimney to dry. This is why stockings are now hung above the chimney, and why people think Santa slides down chimneys to get into homes. The author also states that Christmas Is... the Christmas tree that people bring home to decorate. It also states that Christmas Is...Christmas lights that are used to decorate trees and homes with, reminding people of the light that Christ brought into the world when he was born. In the end, it states that Christmas Is...Prayer, when people go to church to hear the story of Christ's birth. 

 I loved this story, and hope I could use it in my classroom one day! It is a more Christian story, so it would be tough to use in a public school, but I really enjoyed it and would love to read it to future students. I like that it is about the real meaning of Christmas, which is Christ and His birth. I think that many students would enjoy learning about how Christmas and its symbols came to be, as well. I even learned some things in this story that I did not know about Christmas before reading, so it definitely is a good one!

 I believe that Pre-K through first grade are the best ages for this story. The author does a great job of writing what Christmas is in a way that is perfect for young students, by using simple words and incredible illustrations. I think that even young readers would read this book with ease because of that!

 In my classroom, I could give my students a writing prompt that says Christmas Is... and they would have to tell me what Christmas means to them. We could also make our own Christmas trees out of paper plates and craft supplies. Also, we could make Christmas lights of our own using paint, and have the students' fingerprints represent the lights. 


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Genre: Graphic Novel Author: Jeff Kinney Major Awards: #1  New York Times Bestseller, ALA Notable Book Age Group: 3rd-8th grade Diary of a Wimpy Kid chronicles the life of middle-schooler, Greg Heffley in comic form. The book is told from his point of view, as he is the one writing his daily life in his journal. Greg deals with his fair share of unfortunate circumstances throughout the story that many  middle schoolers deal with, as well. For one, he is one of the smallest boys in his class, so that alone is a big deal to a middle school boy. He also is struggling to fit in, and wants nothing more than to be popular (especially among the girls!). It doesn't help that his neighbor, Rowley always asks him if he wants to go "play" after school, which sets Greg off because what middle schooler asks to "play?" The correct term in middle school would be "hang out", according to Greg. In his desire to fit in, he has a fail...
Post a Comment
Read more

Lola Levine Drama Queen

Title: Lola Levine Drama Queen Genre: Bluebonnet Author: Monica Brown Major Awards: 2017-2018 Texas Bluebonnet Award Age Group: 2nd-4th grade This is the story of second grader, Lola. Lola has a very big personality, and her parents often call her dramatic. They also compare her to her grandmother, her Bubbe , who has a larger-than-life personality and makes herself known to everyone around her with her loud mouth and gaudy clothing. One day, Lola's teacher explains to the class that they have a new teacher, Ms. Tinkle, who will be their drama teacher. When the class gets to Ms. Tinkle's class the first day, she explains to them that they will be auditioning for parts in an upcoming school play. She teaches them how to improv, mirror one another, and all the important aspects of acting. This excites Lola because she is dramatic, after all. The day comes for the students to audition, and when it is Lola's turn to audition, she completely freezes onstage and has to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Joey Pigza Loses Control

Title: Joey Pigza Loses Control Genre: Newbery Author: Jack Gantos Major Awards: Newbery Honor Age Group: 4th-8th grade This is the story of middle schooler, Joey. Joey suffers from a very bad case of ADHD, which makes life difficult. He is newly medicated with a patch, which is the only reason he can keep sane most days. His parents are divorced, and he has always lived with his mother. One summer, Joey's mother decides it is time that Joey get to know his father, so she takes him to Pittsburg to spend the summer with his father. What Joey does not know is that his father is exactly like him without medication. His father talks a mile a minute, and is filled with a ton of energy. His father struggles with his own issues: he is an alcoholic, drug addict, and has spent a lot of his life in jail. Despite these challenges, Joey is excited to spend his summer with his father because he so desperately wants to have a relationship with him. His father coaches a baseball team, an...
Post a Comment
Read more