The Holly Hedge and Other Christmas Stories by Temple Bailey

 Five short stories that center on the love and hope that Christmas brings

Perfectly delightful stories   The kind of stories I want to read this time of year!  Well-written

  I especially liked the last one, "The Holly Hedge" as the two marriages are juxaposed.

Considerations: the names give to a group of people   This book was published a hundred years ago, so if one considers when it was written, one understands the context.

-Borrowed via ILL (the copy I read was one hundred years old!)

Only photos avaiable are a spine or are too large for this page.

Christmas on Exeter Street by Diana Hendry illustrated by John Lawrence*

 What a fun & delightful story!

The Mistletoe Family welcomes grandparents, uncles, friends, and strangers on the two days before Christmas. Every space is utilized for sleeping arrangements. Readers will chuckle at the creative spots Mrs. Mistletoe finds for her guests. I loved the two page spread that requires the reader to flip the book vertically to view it-a cutaway of the house where everyone is sleeping.

Consideration: Father Christmas arrives to bring gifts to the 18 children!

If  I find this book, I would like to buy it! 

The author & illustrators are British.

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed via ILL.

Meet Molly-An American Girl 1944 #1

 Molly & her friends are trying to come up with an amazing Halloween costume during a time when money and resources are limited. Molly's mother suggests that they dress as hulu girls with paper flowers and grass skirts made out of newspaper & crepe paper. When Molly & her friends make fun of Ricky for liking a girl, he vows to get revenge. A "war" breaks out between them. Molly, her friends, and Ricky learn some valuable lessons about anger and revenge.

Considerations: lying, Molly likes it when someone is jealous of her, anger & revenge (Molly's mother address this)-all bad behavior is portrayed as bad and consequences occur, Ricky has a crush on Jill's friend, so Molly & friends sing the "K-I-S-S-I-N-G" song to him

-Borrowed from the library.

Like a Diamond in the Sky by Elizabeth Brown illustrated by Becca Stadtlander*

 A beautiful book about the woman, Jane Taylor, who wrote the famous poem "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star". It mostly focuses on her unique upbringing and childhood influences plus her sister Ann's and her struggle to be published authors as women. 

*Highly recommend 

-Borrowed via ILL.

The Old Peabody Pew-A Christmas Romance of a Country Church by Kate Douglas Wiggin

 Another delightful Christmas story by Ms. Wiggin!

The orthodox meeting-house in Edgewood, Maine is the center of this story's action. A group of women, the Dorcas Society, determinedly advocate for its upkeep and renovations. During this Christmas, the women decide to carpet certain sections and scrub the pews. Nancy Wentworth volunteers to oversee the Peabody Pew. Secretly, she longs for the young man who used to sit in this pew, Justin Peabody. Ten years ago he vowed if he could earn some money he would return for her. 

I loved escaping to this village during its Christmas season and experiencing reconciliation between two lonely people.

-Borrowed via ILL (my copy was 125 years old . . each page had a beautiful Christmas-themed border. The pages were thick paper! Such a treasure!).

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

 Bill Furlong contemplates life as he continues his daily, seemingly mundane tasks-delivering coal to the people in his Irish village and being a faithful husband and also father to his daughters. During his reflections, readers learn about his unusual upbringing, which factors into his decision that will impact his family's life. 

Ms. Keegan's writing immerses the reader into 1985 Ireland with an ordinary man who realizes that he can make a difference. I really appreciate and like her writing style. Readers who like an action-packed plot will not enjoy this story. On the other hand, those readers who like reflective characters and a contemplative mood/theme, will enjoy this story.

Ms. Keegan bases this story on a Catholic church cover-up about the Magdalen laundries (not closed down until 1996).

-Borrowed from the library.

 

American Girls Collection-Molly's Surprise-A Christmas Story Book Three by Valerie Tripp illustrated by Nick Backes

 I am giving my niece the American Girls Collection-Molly for Christmas this year. I decided to preview a couple of the books in the series.

Molly and her family are missing their father, Dr. McIntire, this Christmas. He is serving as doctor in England during WWII. Without their dad at home, Christmas would not be full of surprises. Their dad loves surprises, especially at Christmas. 

Girl readers will relate to Molly's excitement over Christmas and a big snowfall and her exasperation over her older sister Jill trying to be overly mature. 

A great series for transitional girl readers

I like how in the back the author shares specific facts about Christmas in 1944.

Consideration: The older siblings mention something about Santa that may cause readers to doubt his existence. 

-Borrowed from the library.

The Romance of a Christmas Card by Kate Douglas Wiggin*

 As I read through Glad and Golden Hours by Lanier Ivester a few months ago, I jotted down Christmas book recommendations. This book was one of them. When Mrs. Larabee draws and creates a poem for a Christmas card, she has no idea it would restore two young men to their home town and their loved ones. I loved this simple and sweet Christmas story.

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed via ILL (my copy was published in 1916!!)