(All titles guaranteed to bring contented sighs and/or applause when you finish them–and what’s a better holiday present than that?)

Silver packages: An Appalachian Christmas story by Cynthia Rylant

A poor boy never gets what he wants but always what he needs from the Christmas train in the Appalachians.

Lesson Notes

• Find the Appalachians on the map and talk about what it’s like to live there (4th graders study US regions).
• How is Frank paying back his debt?
• Share photo of the Christmas Train today: http://www.soentpiet.com/images/silver%20packages%20railroad%20magazine.jpg.

The Quiltmaker’s Gift by Jeff Brumbeau

A magical quiltmaker won’t give the greedy king a quilt until he gives away all his treasures. But will he even want it then?

Stick Man by Julia Donaldson

Stick Man must find his way back to his stick Lady Love, their stick children three, and the family tree.

Lesson Notes

• Brainstorm what kinds of things sticks can be used for.
• Have student help with the “I’m Stick Man, I’m Stick Man, I’m Stick Man, that’s me” chorus.

My Penguin Osbert by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

Lesson Notes

• Questions: What do we know about penguins? Have you ever wished for a present that wasn’t what you thought it’d be?
• Color bookmarks from: http://www.makinglearningfun.com/themepages/PenguinBookmark.htm. Students can list the books they read over break on the back.
• Silly penguin video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-pDuBg1r-8.
• Read Alikes:A Mother’s Journey, A Penguin Story, And Tango Makes Three, Antarctic Antics: a Book of Penguin Poems

Boxes for Katje by Candace Fleming

Katje, living in war-devasted Holland in 1945, gets package from Rosie, who lives in America. As their long-distance friendship grows, their communities come together.

Lesson Notes

• Find Indiana and Holland on the globe.
• Read the setting on the inside cover. What was going on in the world in 1945?
• Show pictures of Europe after the war:http://media-2.web.britannica.com/eb-med…
  http://millerpla.net/wp-content/Pictures…

First up, chickens!

Looking for read alouds about chickens? Here are five great ones:

Higgledy Piggledy Chicks (available 1/26/10) by Barbara Joosse  and Rick Chrustowski (illustrator) (extra yay for Wisconsin authors and illustrators!).
Banty Hen has her hands full keeping her seven chicks safe from the barnyard dangers.

The Chicken of the Family by Mary Amato and Delphine Durand (illustrator).
A girl is called “chicken” one time too many by her mean older sisters.

The Chicken-Chasing Queen of Lamar County by Janice N. Harrington and Shelley Jackson. Miss Hen always manages to escape, despite the best effort of the main character.

Chicks and Chickens by Gail Gibbons.
Just the facts about chickens in this nonfiction book.

Peep! A Little Book About Taking a Leap by Maria van Lieshout.
Will Peep make the leap off the curb to follow his siblings?