Tuesday Talk: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

My favorite Christmas book is The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.  For me, this is a must read.  I reread it every year.  When I was single, it was a Christmas Eve tradition for me to read it before I went to bed.  Now, with a family, I don't quite have the time on Christmas Eve anymore.  Instead I read it, a chapter or two at a time, the week before Christmas.  I have every intention of reading it to my daughter, in full, when she is older.  Every year.    It is such a fantastic book.  A couple years ago the author put out a picture book version.  For those of you who don't want to invest the time for the complete chapter book, or whose children are too young to pay attention for 40 pages without illustrations, I recommend it.  In my opinion it is not nearly as good, or as powerful, as the full version.  You miss a lot of the character build up in the abridgement.  The Herdmans are a family you need to get to know. They will change your life.  This book has the power to evoke the Christmas spirit better than any I've ever found.  If you've never read it, or it's just been awhile, you NEED to pick it up today. I promise you won't regret it.  Happy reading! (and Merry Christmas).