Common Thread: Holidays

Sub-Category 1: Christmas

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Nine Days To Christmas	Marie Hall and Aurora Labastida	Ages 4-10	Picture Puffins November 1, 1991	This book is about a five year old girl, Ceci, who's mother finally allows her to be part of a posada, or Christmas party.  She lets her pick a pinata for the party.  Ceci becomes attached to a star pinata, symbolic of the Christmas season.  When it is time to break it open, she becomes attached to it and becomes very upset.
	The BIG SNOW	Berta Hader and Elmer Hader	Ages 4-10	Aladdin October 31, 1993	All of the animals in the woods were getting ready for Christmastime and the cold weather.  The wise owls first spotted a rainbow that wrapped around the moon.  This symbolized that a big snow was headed their way.
	When It Starts To Snow	Phillis Gershator and Martin Matje	Ages 4-10	Henry Holt & Company October 1, 2001	This book helps children to learn what each kind of animal does when it starts to snow.  Do they hibernate, fly south, etc?
	Snowballs	Lois Ehlert	Ages 4-8	Voyager Books August 30, 1999	Children find many different things to make a family out of snowmen.  (They add buttons, seeds, cloth, etc.)
	Snowmen At Night	Caralyn Buehner and Mark Buehner	Ages 4-8	Dial Books September 1, 2002	Creative book that suggests that snowmen have places where they go at night, when we can't see them.

Sub-Category 2: Valentine's Day

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	You Caught Me Kissing: A Love Story	Dorothey Bridges and Jeff Bridges	Ages 4-10	I Books January 1, 2005	The author always wrote her husband a poem every Valentine's Day.  Even aftger he passed away, she continued.  this book is about the love shared in a marriage, their marriage in particular.
	The Day It Rained Hearts	Felicia Bond	Ages 4-10	Laura Geringer December 1, 2001	One day hearts start raining down from the sky and a little girl, Augusta catches them.  Each heart is unique and special in its own way.  She sends them to special people for Valentine's Day.
	Roses are Pink, Your Feet Really Stink	Diane DeGroat	Ages 4-8	Harper Trophy January 20, 1997	Gilbert decides to write two people in his class mean valentines because he does not like them.  Will he have a change of heart as the day goes on?
	The Very Special Valentine	Maggie Kneen and Christine Tagg	Ages 4-10	Chronicle Books January 1, 2004	Little Bunny Gray goes into the forrest to find a Valentine gift for his friend, Rosie.  He comes to learn that love is more valuable than any gift.
	Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch	Eillen Spinelli and Paul Yalowitz	Ages 4-10	Aladdin January 1, 1996	Mr. Hatch recieves an anonymous valentine that reads, "Somebody Loves You".  He is excited to finally find out who secretly admires him!

Sub-Category 3: Halloween

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	The Night Before Halloween	Natasha Wing and Cynthia Fisher	Ages 4-10	Grosset & Dunlap August 1, 1999	In poem style, this book describes how monsters get ready for Halloween.  It also describes them encountering human trick-or-treaters.
	Room on the Broom	Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler	Ages 4-10	Dial Books for Young Readers August 1, 2001	The witch and cat fly through the air on her broom.  She drops several items and animals return them for a ride on her broomstick.
	Haunted Castle on Hallow's Eve	Mary Pope Osborne and Sal Murdocca	Ages 4-10	Random House Books for Young Readers August 26, 2003	Jack, Annie, and Teddy (the Magician) go to a haunted castle to retrieve The Stone of Destiny which has been stolen.
	Junie B, First Grader: Boo...and I Mean It!	Barbara Park and Denise Brunkus	Ages 4-10	Random House Book for Young Readers August 24, 2004	Junie B gets terrified about the stories of trick-or-treating and monsters that are told to her.  She wants to avoid trick-or-treating all together!
	The Hallo-wiener	Dav Pilkey	Ages 4-10	Scholastic Paperbacks September 1, 1999	Oscar is a dachshund and is made fun of terribly when he dresses like a hot dog for halloween.

Sub-Category 4: Thanksgiving

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks	Margaret Sutherland and Sonja Lamut	Ages 4-10	Grosset & Dunlap September 1, 2000	Emphasizes what Thanksgiving is really about, friends and family.
	Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving	Ann McGovern and Elroy Freem	Ages 4-10	Scholastic Paperbacks October 1, 1993	This book describes to children how much struggle the Pilgrim's had during their first year.  It also relates everything to the holiday that we celebrate today.
	A Turkey For Thanksgiving	Eve Bunting and Diane DeGroat	Ages 4-10	Clarion Books September 18, 1995	Mr. and Mrs. Moose invite their friends to Thanksgiving dinner but Mr. Turkey doesn't join them.  He is afraid that they want to eat him, but really they just want him to join them.
	The Story of the Pilgrims	H.L. Ross	Ages 4-8	Random House Books for Young Readers	The vivid retelling of the Pilgrim's first year is describwed in this book.
	Three Young Pilgrims	Cheryl Harness	Ages 5-10	Aladdin September 1, 1995	Tells the story of three specific pilgrims getting off the Mayflower, making friends, and adjusting to new life.

Sub-Category 5: St. Patrick's Day

Book Cover	Title	Author/ Illustrator	Age/ Grade	Copyright/ Publisher	Abstract
	Hooray for St. Patrick's Day	Joan Holub and Paul Meisel	Ages 4-10	Puffin Books January 1, 2002	This book is interactive and has flaps for children to lift to make the learning more fun.
	Jack and the Leprechaun	Ivan Robertson and Katy Bratun	Ages 4-8	Random House Books for Young Readers January 25, 200	Jack Mouse visits his cousin, Sean in Ireland and is determined to catch his very own leprechaun.
	Leprechaun Gold	Teresa Bateman and Rosanne Litzinger	Ages 4-8	Holiday House October 1, 1999	Donald O'Dell rescues a leprechaun from a bubblilng stream and gets rewarded in return.
	St. Patrick's Day in the Morning	Eve Bunting and Jan Brett	Ages 5-10	Clarion Books February 25, 1983	Jamie searches and finds a way to prove that he is not too young to march in the St. Patrick's Day Parade.
	St. Patrick's Day Alphabet	Beverly Barras Vidrine and Patrick Soper	Ages 4-8	Pelican Publishing Company February 1, 2001	Takes you on a tour of everything in a leprechaun's world from A to Z.