Christmas Stories
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire and stories told around the Christmas table - these are a few of my favorite things. Since 1981, I've told many Christmas stories. A big part of my personal stories (P) were inspired by Christmas past. I also enjoy the many folktales (F) and literary stories (L) that center around the holidays. Sometimes, I take a well-known folktale and adapt it (A) into a Christmas story...like "The Gingerbread Man." Where ever possible, there are links either to my versions of the story or on-line references for the book or story. Here is a list of the stories I tell separated into ages.
Pre-School/K
 | The First Star of Christmas (L)- adapted from a story by Bethany Roberts in Waiting For Spring Stories. |
| Looking For Christmas (L) - adapted from a story by Bethany Roberts in Waiting For Spring Stories. |
| The Gingerbread Man (A)- adapted from the original to include Santa, Mrs. Claus, Rudolph, etc. |
| Santa's Noisy Christmas (A) - adapted folktale from "Too Much Noise." Santa asks fairy to stop the noise and she advises to add more and more to his house. |
1st - 6th grades (6 yrs. to 12 yrs.)
| A Star at Christmas (A)- an adapted version of the star in the apple story with a prince who searches "a little red house with no windows or doors, but a star on the inside." to give to his mother, the queen, at Christmas. |
| Br'er Rabbit and Father Christmas (F) - Br'er Rabbit tricks hungry Br'er Fox and Br'er Bear into giving his family their best foods during the holiday season. The Rabbit family mysteriously disappears after "Father Christmas" comes calling. |
| Clown of God - a version of "Our Lady's Juggler" by Tomi DePaolo set in Italy. |
| The Schnook Clown Family (A) - An adapted version of the "Twister Mouth Family" told as clown getting ready for the big Christmas show. |
| Fritz, Franz and Frederick (F) - A German story - 3 lads are rewarded for their tricks by a not-so-nice "intruder." |
| The Christmas Apple (F) - A German clockmaker makes a magnificent clock to give at Christmas but sells it for money to pay for poor child's medicine. His humble apple is rewarded when the bells ring out. |
| Legend of the Poinsettia (F) - as collected by Tomi DePaola |
| A Bed Fit for a King (O)- original story about a carpenter who has a dream of building a most beautiful bed. His name is Benjamin. |
| The Polar Express (L)by Chris Van Allsburg |
| This Little Light of Mine (A) The setting for the story about "filling a house" is The Nativity. |
| Red Shoes for a Real Princess (O) An original story about a pair of shoes that finally see their dream come true on St. Nicholas Day. |
| A Stocking From St. Nicholas (A) A version of the good girl/bad girl story where St. Nick rewards the good girl with riches while the bad girl gets coal and sticks. |
Young Adult - Adult
| The Three Wishes (A)- A Swedish story adapted for Christmas. A man squanders the 3 wishes he received from the Christmas fairy. |
| The Christmas Fairy of Strasburg (F)- German king falls in love with the lady in the lake at Christmas time. She disappears when he mentions "death" in her presence. Lights a tree every year in her memory - beginning of putting lights on the tree. |
| A Touch of Christmas (P) Dream of my mother on Christmas night. |
| The Family Tree - A Hodgepodge of Christmas Memories (P) A story of our Christmas tree as it grew and grew over the years. |
| Dance, Harlequin, Dance (P) A story of a dancing doll that I received one Christmas |
| Showtime! (P) Kindergarten Christmas Pageant. |
| Faces of Christmas Past and Present (P) A special Christmas ornament takes on new meaning later in life |
| Do You See the Lights (P) The story of my father's death at Christmas time. |
| My Charlie Doll Doll (P) A boy doll that I refused to believe my mother when I "saw it" in the church bazaar. |
| The Gift of the Hummingbird (P) The crystal hummingbird that was a gift from my mother. |
| The Chimes (L) by Erma Bombeck in If Life is a Bowl of Cherries What Am I Doing in the Pits? |
Puppet Shows
| The Substitute Rudolph - Rudolph is sick and Sally Jean and Bud need to find a "big and strong, quick and fast, flying animal to lead Santa's sleigh. Who shall it be? |
| Socks for Santa - Sally Jean learns what it means to give the best the gift at Christmas time. |
| Santa's Noisy Christmas - Based on the old "Noisy House" folktale. The Christmas fairy tells Santa to add more and more to his house until Santa appreciates all the joyful noise. |
| Korkie's Good Deed - Korkie the Kangaroo is banished to the North Pole until she can learn what it means to be helpful. Santa comes up with a great idea and Korkie gets to come home...just in time for Christmas |
| A Wish for Santa - Poor Sally is afraid that Santa won't find her at the South Pole. It's Pete the Penguin...to the rescue. |
| A Stocking for Christmas - Witch Gwendolyn gets more than she bargained for when she switches her stocking with unsuspecting Bud. |