Book Haul, Christmas 2012

We are in Colorado enjoying some post-Christmas festivities with my family. We are also enjoying our Christmas presents, some of which were, of course, books. I love choosing books for each of my boys, deciding which ones they will like best and also which ones are worth making permanent residents of our collection.

This year:

Bradley: Yawn by Sally Symes and Nick Sharratt  

Bradley: Who Said Moo? by Harriet Ziefert and Simms Taback (I really wanted to get Chomp! by Heather Brown, but it wasn't in stock at our local bookstore, but this was a good runner-up.)

Bradley: At the Farm, a Read & Sing Along book
(This was a gift from Uncle Ben and Aunt Meagan who know that Bradley loves both animals and books.)

Maxwell: We Are in a Book! and Let's Go For a Drive!, both by Mo Willems
(Someday soon I will devote an entire post to Elephant & Piggie and our undying devotion to Mo Willems.)

Max's expression when he unwrapped the books. His joy is clearly visible. Love that boy and his book obsession.

Aaron: Mercy Watson to the Rescue and Mercy Watson Fights Crime, both by Kate DiCamillo, illus. Chris Van Dusen
(Mercy Watson Fights Crime introduces the infamous Leroy Ninker, a hopeful cowboy turned thief, one of my all-time favorite characters.)

Me: Wonder by R.J. Palacio
You probably know by now that I'm fairly selective with which books I allow to stay forever in my home. So Christmas and birthdays always present such an internal struggle because I love getting new books, but the debate is always: Should I ask for something I haven't yet read and run the risk of it being a book I don't actually want to keep? or Should I ask for something I've read and know I want to own but miss out on the excitement of having something new to read? This time, the tried and true won out, and Santa brought me Wonder, one of my favorite books of the year, and one that I am thrilled to display on my bookshelf because I know I will reread it..

Me: The Christmas Wish by Richard Siddoway
My mom gave me this one. My whole family loves the movie that's based on this book, but I've never read the book. Given my great love for Christmas stories, it's time I changed that.

My dad: The Candy Bombers by Andrei Cherny
Earlier this month, my dad and I went on a daddy/daughter date to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert. It was fantastic, and the crowning moment was when Tom Brokaw (the guest narrator) told the story of Hal Halvorsen who dropped candy to children in West Berlin following World War II, and then 92-year-old Hal appeared himself. Anyway, my dad enjoyed the story so much, and Mike loved this book when he read it a couple of years ago, so we got it for him.

 At the concert

Did you get any books for Christmas? Please share!