1. My absolute favorite Children’s Christmas book is really more of a winter story. It’s A Stranger In The Woods by Carl R. Sams II and Jean Stoick. I fell in love with this book when my son was a baby. I’m an image person, and I love beautiful images. This book is loaded with beautiful woodland scenes and animals. It’s the story of two kids who build a snowman in the woods to feed the animals.

2. A childhood favorite is the classic The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore. I still love to listen to this Christmas tale, even though I can recite it by heart. It’s a must read every holiday season.

3. Next on my list is one of my favorite Dr. Suess stories, How The Grinch Stole Christmas. I love this classic tale, it’s so fun to read.

4. We’re Eric Carle fans at our house, so of course Big Snow has to make the list of Christmas favorites.

5. A recent favorite is Max and Ruby’s Christmas Tree. I’m a big Max and Ruby fan, and this is a delightful Christmas story.

A couple others that almost made the list include Polar Express, and Charlie Brown Christmas. Please share your favorite Christmas story books.

Images: Amazon.com

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“How To Build a Gingerbread House” is a great guide to help you along the way. The book contains step-by-step instructions, easy recipes and over 200 color photographs to help you complete your gingerbread house project from start to finish.

The best part is, all you need to get started are everyday grocery store ingredients and basic kitchen equipment. The author, Christina Banner, was winner of the National Gingerbread House Competition and Food Network’s Gingerbread Challenge, so she knows her gingerbread!

You can find more information about gingerbread house building and her book at Christina’s website GingerbreadBuilding.com. She also has a recipe for a tree and greenery recipe for your gingerbread house, and gingerbread house making tips.

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We still have my son’s personalized story, it’s one of a few of his storybooks I’m definitely holding on to for a keepsake. I See Me! creates that kind of high-quality personalized book, a book you can share with your child. They’ll be delighted when they’re included in the story.

I See Me! has a new book out this Christmas, A Christmas Bear for Me is a beautiful, heart-warming, personalized story about a child’s Christmas wish for a special Teddy Bear friend. Each copy of the book comes with an adorable plush Gund bear with the child’s name on the tag and a personalized letter to the child from Santa.

A Christmas Bear For Me is written by Jennifer Dewing and illustrated by the nationally renowned artist Wilson Ong, the story follows the child’s journey from longing and wishing to the magic of Christmas morning, when the child finds his or her special bear along with a personalized note from Santa under the tree. This high-quality, hard cover, 26-page book includes wonderfully hand-painted, personalized illustrations that capture the magic of the season through a child’s eyes.

You can find out more about A Christmas Bear For Me, and other personalized stories at ISeeMe.com

Image: I See Me!

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1. The Berenstain Bears Halloween was one of my son’s favorites when he was younger. I remember reading it over and over to him around this time of year a few years ago. Brother and Sister Bear put on their Halloween costumes to go trick or treating for the first time. They’re frightened of Miz McGrizz’s spooky house, and fear a witch may live there. They find out that looks can be deceiving when Miz McGrizz invites them in for a treat.

2. 5 Little Pumpkins is one of the stories I read to the class the other day. It’s a quick but fun Halloween story. You can have the kids play along with what’s happening to the five little pumpkins.

3. It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown is a Halloween classic at our house. I love the cartoon, but the book is pretty cool too. Every year around this time kids start dreaming about The Great Pumpkin. Kids can wait in the pumpkin patch with Linus and Sally and await his arrival.

4. Room On The Broom is a fun story about a little witch who keeps loosing things, but gaining animal friends on her broom. It’s a light hearted Halloween tale that children enjoy.

5. Big Pumpkin is a funny little rhyming story about green-faced witch, with pickle-shaped nose and chin and a big pumpkin of course.

What’s your favorite Halloween story book?

Images: Amazon

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The book titled “Return to the Hundred Acre Wood,” will be the first authorized sequel to A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh and The House At Pooh Corner in more than 80 years. This is the first glimpse readers will have of the new book, which was announced in January 2009. The manuscript has been under lock and key, but the first chapter is now available to read at Penguin’s Pooh website.

I’m sure Winnie the Pooh fans of all ages will be excited to check out “Return to the Hundred Acre Wood.” The book will be available on October 5th at most major bookstores, and online at Amazon.com. Bookstores nationwide have created “Pooh-tiques”, dedicated spaces for Winnie-the-Pooh and friends, check your local bookstore to see if they’ll be having any special Pooh festivities.

Image: Newscom

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The book helps children deal with the emotions of another child coming into the household and the feelings of jealousy that come up when the new baby is getting all of mom’s attention. It explains how Jenna, a new big sister adjusts to her new baby brother, and how the family finds harmony with the new baby.

The book sounds like a great way to help explain the whole process to older siblings, who may have a difficult time understanding why the new baby is getting to take their spot constantly snuggling up to mom.

“Mommy Breastfeeds My Baby Brother,” written by Mark Repkin and illustrated by David Moneysmith, is available in hard cover at MommyBreastFeeds.com for $16.99.

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I gave him two large plastic totes one for books he wanted to keep, and one for books he wants to get rid of.

When we were done we had two full totes of books. The books he wants to get rid of are going in to the school, I know they go through tons of books there.

The books he wants to keep we put on the bookshelf (it’s really two old apple crates we use for a bookshelf). He still has quite a few chapter books on the bookshelves in my office, and up in his room.

We don’t have a shortage of books at our house.

Images (c) L Gerlach

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• A Tale of Tails DVD
• A Tale of Tails book
• It’s Wubbzy book
• Wubbzy Beanie
• Wubbzy Kooky Kollectible Toys

Follow the link to enter to win a Wow Wow Wubbzy prize package (only comments left on the original contest post will be entered into the random drawing).

Good luck!

Image: Amazon.com

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• A Tale of Tails DVD
• A Tale of Tails book
• It’s Wubbzy book
• Wubbzy Beanie
• Wubbzy Kooky Kollectible Toys

Check out the pictures of the prizes and the rules to enter the contest below:

A Tale of Tails DVD

A Tale of Tails book

It’s Wubbzy book

Wubbzy Beannie

Wubbzy Kooky Kollectibles

Here is how you can enter to win a Wubbzy Prize Package:

1. To enter, leave a comment on this post before 11:59pm on Monday, October 6, 2008 (Eastern Time).  One comment per email address please.  Contest open to entrants with U.S. mailing addresses only.
2. Each comment will be entered into a drawing, and ONE winner will be selected randomly from those entries.
3. The winner will be contacted via email, so please be sure you leave a valid email address in your comment.  
4. The winner will be notified via email on October 7th.  If the winner does not respond with his or her mailing address within 72 hours of the notification email being sent, he or she forfeits the prize and an alternate winner will be selected (same guidelines apply). 
5. The winner’s contact information will be provided to a representative for Wubbzy to coordinate the shipping process.  Once the prize is claimed, the winner’s name will be announced on PlayLibrary.

Good luck!

Images: Amazon.com

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