Holiday Books
December holidays:
Valentine's Day
Mother's Day
Father's Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
- My Dream of Martin Luther King by Faith Ringgold (B KING) The author recounts the story of Martin Luther King in the form of her own dream.
- I Have a Dream Speech by Martin Luther King, Jr., forward by Coretta Scott King with paintings by fifteen Coretta Scott King Award and Honor book artists. (305.896 KIN) Illustrations by the award winning artists depict scenes described in the speech and form a history of the Civil Rights Movement.
- Martin's Big Words: the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport ; illustrated by Brian Collier. (B KING) Using quotes from King and collage illustrations, the book looks at the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, explaining his work to bring about a peaceful end to segregation.
- Martin Luther King Words by Rosemary Bray; Paintings by Malcah Zeldis. (B KING) "Although this biography has a picture-book format, it is nonetheless a detailed account. Bray relates several important childhood experiences that molded Dr. King, both positive (a warm and supportive family) and negative (pervasive racial discrimination). The key events of his adult life are included, leading to his fatal trip to Memphis to support the Sanitation Workers' strike in the spring of 1968." quote from School Library Journal 1995.
- Animals in Winter by Helen Bancroft (591.56 BAN)
- Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson (E WIL)
- The Mitten and The Hat 2 books by Jan Brett (E BRE)
- Winter Poems selected by Barbara Rogasky; illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (811.008 ROG)
- Footprints in the Snow by Cynthia Benjamin; illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers. (ER BEN)
- Henry and Mudge in the Sparkle Days by Cynthia Rylant ; illustrated by Sucie Stevenson. (ER RYL)
- Poppleton in Winter by Cynthia Rylant ; illustrated by Mark Teague. (ER RYL)
- Brian's Winter by Gary Paulson (FIC PAU) Companion book to: Hatchet and The River. Instead of being rescued from a plane crash, as in the author's book Hatchet, this story portrays what would have happened to Brian had he been forced to survive a winter in the wilderness with only his survival pack and hatchet.
Books about Hannukah (Chanukah)
- The Tie Man's Miracle by Steven Schnur
- The Story of Hannukkah by Amy Ehrlich; paintings by Ori Sherman (394.268 EHR)
- The Hanukkah Story by Morrison David Bial; pictures by Stephen Kraft (394.268 BIA)
- Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric A. Kimmel; illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (E KIM)
- Gramdma's Latkes by Malka Drucker ; illustrated by Eve Chwast. (E DRU)
Books about Hanukkah and Christmas
- Elijah's Angel: a Story for Chanukah and Christmas by Michael J. Rosen; illustrated by Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson. (E ROS) Based on a true story of Elijah Pierce (1892-1984), a lay minister, barber, and woodcarver from Columbus, Ohio. When Christmas and Hannukkah occur at the same time, Elijah, an African American barber, gives Michael, a Jewish boy a gift of a carved guardian angel. Michael doesn't know what to do since the Christmas angel is a "graven image," forbidden in Michael's home.
- The Trees of the Dancing Goats by Patricia Polacco. (E POL) During a scarlet-fever epidemic one winter in Michigan, a Jewish family helps make Christmas special for their sick neighbors by making their own Hanukkah miracle.
- The Night Before Christmas A.K.A. A Visit from St. Nicholas by Clement C. Moore (811 MOO)
- Christmas in the Big House; Christmas in the Quarters by Pat McKissack; illustrated by John Thompson. ( 975.03 MCK)
- Madeline's Christmas by Ludwig Bemelmans (E BEM)
- Going Home by Eve Bunting (E BUN)
- Country Angel Christmas by Tomie dePaola. (E DEP)
- A Green Christmas by Theodora Kroeber; Illustrated by John Larrecq (E KRO)
- An Ellis Island Christmas by Maxinne Rhea Leighton; illustrated by Dennis Nolan (E LEI)
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. (E SEU)
- The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (E VAN)
- Merry Christmas, Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish; pictures by Lynn Sweat. (ER PAR)
- Mr. Putter and Tabby Bake the Cake by Cynthia Rylant; illustrated by Arthur Howard. (ER RYL)
- Christmas Stories (includes A Christmas Carol) by Charles Dickens (FIC DIC)
- The Coat-hanger Christmas Tree by Eleanor Estes; Illustrated by Susanne Suba (FIC EST)
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson; pictures by Judith Gwyn Brown. (FIC ROB)
- The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie de Paola (E DEP)
- African-American Holidays by Fith Winchester (394.2 WIN)
- Seven Candles for Kwanzaa by Andrea Davis Pinkney; pictures by Brian Pinkney. (394.26 PIN)
- My First Kwanzaa by Deborah M. Newton Chocolate; illustrated by Cal Massey (394.238 CHO)
- Big Bob and the Winter Holiday Potato by Daniel Manus Pinkwater; illustrated by Jill Pinkwater. (ER PIN)
- Halloween is.... by Gail Gibbons (394.2646 GIB)
- The Thing at the Foot of the Bed and Other Scary Tales by Maria Leach. (398.25 LEA)
- Scary Stories by Alvin Schwartz (398.22 SCH)
- Arthur's Halloween by Marc Tolon Brown (E BRO)
- One Halloween Night by Mark Teague (E TEA)
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1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving by Catherine O'Neill Grace. This book with text and photos taken at Plimouth Plantation provides a new view of the events of the first Thanksgiving. It discusses how the holiday has changed throughout history. The book balances the viewpoint of the Wampanoag Indians with that of the Pilgrims. 394.2/GRA - Thanksgiving on Thursday by Mary Pope Osborne (FIC OSB)
Books about the Pilgrims
- N.C. Wyeth's Pilgrims by Robert D. San Souci (974.4 SAN)
- The Pilgrims of Pilmouth by Marcia Sewell (974.4 SEW)