For me, Christmas isn’t Christmas without How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss (published 1950s). In this perfect Christmas classic, the crabby old Grinch, with a heart three sizes too small, steals Christmas from the each unsuspecting Who down in Who-ville who likes Christmas a lot. But when he realizes that taking away the things of Christmas doesn’t

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The children’s picture book biography Her Name Was Mary Katharine by Ella Schwartz (illustrated by Dow Phumiruk; Christy Ottaviano Books, 2022) tells about the woman whose name is on The Declaration of Independence. As a woman in Revolutionary America, Mary Katharine Goddard had a unique opportunity to succeed as a printer, eventually securing the chance

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The longer picture book The 4th of July Story by Alice Dalgliesh (illustrated by Marie Nonnast; Charles Scribner, 1956) gives a general overview of the patriotic beginnings of American independence. Although it is somewhat a nonfiction book, many dates and details are merged together, making it a muddy collection of facts and patriotic sentiments. But as

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In Mortimer’s Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson (illustrated by Jane Chapman; Margaret K. McElderry, 2007), a sweet mouse is looking for a home other than the dark and dirty hole in the wall. He finds the family’s nativity scene and moves in there. Eventually, he overhears the family talking and realizes that true meaning of

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The Caldecott-winning illustrations of The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg (Houghton Mifflin, 1985) are only part of the magic of this Christmas story. One Christmas Eve, a young boy lies awake, listening for Santa’s sleigh bells. But he doesn’t hear bells: he hears a train. And there it is outside the door, waiting to take him

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I’m Trying to Love Math by Bethany Barton is told in alternating black-and-purple fonts, and an unnamed narrator (assumed to be a human) and a purple alien have a discussion about math, with the alien pointing out all the ways that the narrator has used math in his explanations: such as fractions and ratios. Math is

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