Monroe Free Library

The six mean Herdman kids lie, steal, smoke cigars (even the girls) and then become involved in the community Christmas pageant.

A complete and unabridged translation of the fairy tale of a young girl gifted with an enchanted Nutcracker by her mysterious godfather Herr Drosselmeier; later, he relates The Tale of the Hard Nut to Marie, which explains how her Nutcracker came to be.

The Grinch tries to stop Christmas from arriving by stealing all the presents and food from the village, but much to his surprise it comes anyway. Includes commentary and notes about the author and the story.

"T’was the Night Before Christmas," was originally published anonymously in 1823 as "A Visit from St. Nicholas." Perhaps the most famous Christmas poem of all time, it relates the story of a father awoken from his sleep on Christmas Eve by Santa Claus-St. Nick in the poem-who lands with his sleigh and "eight tiny reindeer" on the roof of the house, comes down the chimney and delivers toys to the family. He then departs, calling out as he flies away...

Kate Douglas Wiggin was an important reformer of children's education at the turn of the century. During a period when children's use in society was often little more than for cheap labor, Kate Douglas Wiggin was dedicated to the betterment of youth. She was the first person to found a free kindergarten school in San Francisco in 1878. Her passion for children's rights carried over to her successful career as an author of children's books. In her...

Although the other reindeer laugh at him because of his bright red nose, Rudolph proves his worth when he is chosen to lead Santa Claus' sleigh on a foggy night.

Orphaned Ivy finds her Christmas wish fulfilled with the help of a lonely couple and a doll named Holly.

A Seaside Christmas: As the only child of a single mom, Jenny Collins wanted nothing more than to be part of a large, rambunctious family like the O'Briens. Ironically, though, when her mother married into that family, Jenny found herself feeling more like an outsider than ever. Now, after years in Nashville as an established songwriter, Jenny's drawn back to Chesapeake Shores to collaborate on a Christmas production...and to make peace with the past....

In 1940s Indiana, nine-year-old Ralphie dreams of his ideal Christmas gift: a genuine Red Ryder 200-shot carbine action air rifle. But when gruff dad and doting mom regularly respond with "You'll shoot your eye out!" Ralphie mounts a full-scale Santa-begging campaign. He encounters a slew of calamities from snowsuit paralysis to the dreaded tongue-on-a-frozen-flagpole gambit

Some of the stormy weather of the past few seasons seems to have finally lifted for the Quinns. After a year apart, Mitzi has returned to rule the roost; Patrick is about to be released from prison; Kevin has a successful new business and is finally ready to tie the knot with Isabelle; and best of all, there's hopeful news about Bart, who has been captured by enemy forces in Afghanistan. That doesn't mean there aren't a few dark clouds on the horizon....