On a storm-blown Sunday afternoon in a creaky old manor house in England, I rediscovered the timeless delight of classic children's books. It took me by surprise. I was one of about thirty international students studying and living in England for the summer, and this was our first British teatime all together. A shy, awkward silence had fallen about us as we tried our best to balance philosophy, sophistication, and hot mugs of tea, when one of our tutors said something that sent us all staring. "Let's read Winnie-the-Pooh."

A swift current of suppressed mirth ran the length of the room, but we were up for some fun, and the tutor assigned each person a part in the story. Pooh's expedition to the North Pole was the story of choice, and before we knew what was happening we were immersed in the comical, compact world of the Hundred Acre Woods. The story had all of us -- tutors, college students, post-graduates, old, and young -- laughing until our sides literally ached." Read for the Heart pp. 113-114

Reading together as a family is a Clarkson tradition. Hours of memories have been made around good books. During the holiday season, busyness can rob you of precious time spent together as a family. Since all children should sleep at night, should being the key word, start the bedtime routine a little bit earlier and pull out a favorite book to read. If Pooh is a bit daunting by its size, try some holiday picture books or some shorter chapter books. Two Christmas selections that are recommended by Whole Hearted children are The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and Cosmic Christmas. Enjoy their reviews!

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a book I like each Christmas because it is a funny, family-friendly story. It has inspired me to look at Christmas differently and a little more realistically. For example, what if Jesus had colic? The only thing about this book is that it has some questionable language so is better if Mom or Dad reads it aloud and edits as they read. ~ Reviewed by 10 year old young lady

Cosmic Christmas by Max Lucado ( also recently published as The Angel Story) opens a unique porthole into the uncommonly written realm of angels. It is written from Gabriel's perspective on his mission to give Mary the seed of Christ as Satan is desperately trying to stop him. While it is written from a biblical Christian perspective, this soul stirring book provides a new look on the " all is calm , all is bright" normal theme of Christmas.