Houston, Gloria. The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree. Illustrated by Barbara Cooney. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1988.

This timeless Christmas story tells of young Ruthie and her Appalachian family. When her father is called to war, Ruthie and her mother make the long trek to cut the perfect Christmas tree for their church celebration. Houston's text accurately and vividly portrays the small Appalachian community, their traditions, simplicity and courage. Cooney's authentic illustrations are soft, warm and detailed visualizations of Appalachian life at the time of the first World War.  Submitted by Mary Pat Connors

Seibold, J. Otto, and Vivian Walsh. Olive, the Other Reindeer. Chronicle Books, San Francisco, 1997.

When the little dog, Olive, hears people singing "all of the other reindeer," she thinks they are singing "Olive, the other reindeer." Thinking that she is a reindeer, she goes to the North Pole to help Santa on Christmas. When Santa's sleigh crashes, Olive, using her strong teeth and keen sense of smell, saves Christmas. This is a humorous and quirky twist on a classic holiday tale. The beautiful subdued color, flat appearance, and retro style of the illustrations was created on a computer. The illustrations are filled with comical details that children will love to discover and the text is filled with songs and sound that children can read along with. This story can also help children learn how individual differences can be an asset. Submitted by Lynn Dorwaldt

Ammon, Richard. An Amish Christmas. Illustrated by Pamela Patrick. New York: Scholastic, 1996.

This is about an Amish brother and sister and how their family celebrates Christmas. This story tells us a little of their Christmas tradition. The illustrations depict the simple lifestyle of the Amish people including their clothing, and farm life. We are introduced to Christmas traditions such as simple gift giving, and the length of the Christmas celebration. Although this book is a little bland, it is an informative story about some of the characteristics of Amish life. Submitted by Laura Fitzgibbon

• Uses for The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: 1. Holiday storytelling. 2. Study of Appalachian culture. 3. Life during World War I.  Mary Pat Connors
• An Amish Christmas can be used to compare different cultures. The children could divide into groups and list qualities that they learned from the text and/or illustrations. After making a list you can compare our culture with the Amish cultures. Laura Fitzgibbon
• An Amish Christmas can be used to start a conversation about different Christmas traditions in different cultures. Daphne Jorgensen