We all know library workers have the best recommendations. Here are some of the PFL staff’s holiday favorites! Stay tuned for Part 2 next week.
Please note, not all of these gems are available in our catalog. We have put links to the ones that can be places on hold through Minerva. Visit the Information Desk for help tracking down anything else that looks interesting to you!
Children’s Books
Eloise at Christmastime by Kay Thompson, illustrated by Hilary Knight
Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric A Kimmel
Latkes for Santa Claus by Janie Emaus
New step siblings Anna and Michael navigate celebrating both Christmas and Hanukkah for the first time by figuring out what kinds of Hanukkah snacks to leave out for Santa. You’ll never guess what Anna comes up with to pair with Michael’s cookies! –Mary Kate, History Room
Merry Christmas Festus and Mercury by Sven Nordqvist
When the old man Festus sprains his ankle, all hopes for Christmas festivities are dashed – until the neighbors show up with food and firewood. The story itself is heartwarming, but the real joy is spotting the various trolls, gnomes, and woodland critters carry on and create mischief on every page. -Elizabeth, Assistant Manager
The Snowman by Raymond Briggs and the 1982 animated movie
The music is beautiful!!! -Gia, Children’s Room
Stick Man by Julia Donaldson and the animated mini movie
The Story Orchestra: The Nutcracker by Katy Flint
A beautifully illustrated copy of the story with clips of Tchaikovsky’s ballet on each page. -Gia, Children’s Room
The Tomten by Astrid Lindgren
More a winter tale than an explicitly Christmasy one, but a seasonal staple of my very Svenska upbringing! Tomten are a specifically Nordic sort of gnome associated with the winter solstice, known for such helpful doings as secretly assisting farmers with chores under cover of darkness and leaving small gifts in children’s shoes at Yule. -Aurora, Reference
The Twenty-Four Days before Christmas by Madeleine L’Engle
A short holiday story that is part of L’Engle’s Austin Family series. It’s a beautiful ode to the anticipation that children feel about Christmas and to the anticipation that they feel about the approach of a new sibling in the family. -Laurel, Reference
Classic Films and Books
A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
Published in 1956, this memory recalls the author’s childhood friendship with an eccentric elderly aunt and their quest to make a batch of holiday fruitcake for those who deserve it, an odd assembly of personages including President Roosevelt and an Indigenous Bootlegger. -Elizabeth, Assistant Mananger
How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Horror
Christmas Evil
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
