For my first Christmas posting it seems appropriate to talk about the wonderful book by Barbara Robinson called The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.  For years now, our family has read this out loud as part of our Christmas celebration, either reading portions of it in the week leading up to Christmas or all in one sitting on Christmas Day.  Robinson’s portrayal of the culture clash that occurs when the Herdman children (known for burning down sheds and terrorizing the kids at school) decide that they want to be a part of the Christmas pageant because they heard that there were free desserts, is both funny and poignant.  The book is narrated by a very smart, observant girl whose mother has to step in and take over the Christmas pageant after Mrs. Armstrong, “who was so good at giving orders that she was naturally in charge of everything,” fell and broke her leg.  The Herdman’s add their own brand of chaos to an already chaotic pageant asking impertinent questions and comments like, “You mean they tied [Jesus] up and put him in a feed box? Where was the Child Welfare?” As the story unfolds we see the Herdman children begin to listen to the story of what happened so long ago and begin to understand the deeper meaning of Christmas and the other children in the church who have heard the story so many times begin to hear and understand the story differently too.

I have to confess that I cannot read this book without getting choked up at the end. Somehow this book captures the best of what Christmas means, and I am touched every time as I hear the Christmas story come alive for the Herdman children.  After all, the angel must have said to the shepherds; “Shazam!  Unto You a Child is born!”

Brenda’s Rating: *****( Five Stars out of Five)

Recommend this book to: Sharon, Keith, Ken, Marian and Lauren

Book Study Worthy: No

Read in paper.