The Griffin and the Minor Canon

There's this griffin who has never seen his reflection. And then he finds out that there is this stone image of him on a church (the church doors). So he goes over there to check it out. And he's in a field, and basically all the people in the village get freaked out. So this dude, the minor canon, goes out to speak to him. So the minor canon comes back after talking and people find out that the griffin wants to see his image so some angry people try to destroy the griffin's image. But the minor canon protects the church so they can't crush it. And then the people (oh, I'm probably spoiling the story by now) send the minor canon away because they figure out that the griffin probably stays with him because he likes the minor canon. So the griffin gets really angry when he finds him gone. He tries to do everything that the minor canon did and since everybody freaked out, they did everything good, like the school children behaved better, the sick people leaped out of bed because they didn't want to be visited by him, and then he got really angry when they told him that the minor canon was gone. So they all freaked out again and brought the minor canon back. The End. - Nino, 8

The Legend Of The Christmas Rose

Such a beautiful book! I love how the angel gives Dorothy flowers that she can give Jesus as her gift to him. - Yena, 8 

This is one of those tear-jerker books that *just* has to be read at Christmastime.

As a mother, I feel for Dorothy, who is compelled to see the King/Baby Jesus; I feel her nervousness, her timidity, her shame at having nothing to give.  I want to scoop her in my arms and assure her that anything she has to offer will be lovely in God's eyes.  Dorothy is every one of my children.

As a child of God, I wonder at the awesome gift He gave to us, when He came down from heaven to join us here on earth, as a babe, humble and helpless.  I am grateful that He chose to have His presence known first by shepherds -- His message is for all, not just the rich or the privileged.  I wonder at His continual gift of Himself when He comes to us daily in the Eucharist.

This would also be a good book to read alongside a study of flowers or plants.  The author's note at the back tells about the Christmas rose, Helleborus niger. 

The Soldiers Night Before Christmas

The old Christmas poem changed into a version about troops, really funny.

-Migi 11 year

This is a very timely book esp. since we have friends in the military that are away from their family at this time of the year.  It reminds the children how lucky and blessed we are that we are all together here in our home.  It also reminds us to be thankful for the sacrifices that our brave service-men and women have to go through -- and their families too -- to keep our country safe.

Little Oh

Oh, so charming!!  A lovely gem of a book.  Read it aloud while munching on some mochi and sipping some matcha.  Maybe work on  some origami after?