Holiday Nonfiction

In September 1620, 102 brave travelers and their crew stepped upon a ship called the Mayflower in England. Most were members of a religious group now known as the Pilgrims. They were bound for North America to start a new life. They endured many hardships and made many tough choices. Now the choices are yours. Would you rather suffer from seasickness or from skin sores caused by scurvy? Would you rather have been a crew member navigating the ship in stormy seas or cramped into the living quarters just along for the tumultuous ride? It's your turn to pick this or that!

This is an excellent Halloween audiobook for kids who love to be spooked. Be prepared for some eerie ghost stories and spooky Halloween tales! These campfire tales are excellent for listening aloud with friends and family.

Beginning with Creation, The Advent Storybook invites your family on a beautiful, chronological journey through ancient stories, tracing God’s faithful promise to send a Rescuer—Jesus. Each of the 25 Bible stories begins with a key verse and ends with a thoughtful question, helping you and your children think and talk about the reason we celebrate Jesus’ birth. This year, begin a new Christmas tradition. Create memories your family will cherish.

From opening gifts to visiting Santa, Christmas is a magical time of year. Get into the holiday spirit in J Is for Jingle Bells.

Star-shaped decorations called parols decorate walls. People gather for a feast called Noche Buena. Singing groups called cumbancheros fill the streets. These are the sights and sounds of Christmas in the Philippines. Come explore the many Philippine traditions that bring people of this country together at Christmas.

A true story of a mother’s love, kept alive through gifts, letters, and time. When Genevieve (Gwen) Kingston lost her mother at age eleven, she was left with more than memories. Her mother had prepared a chest filled with handwritten letters and carefully chosen gifts—for the birthdays and...

Christmas is almost here and the excitement is all around. The twinkling Christmas lights and the aroma of freshly baked cookies fills the air. You and your child will enjoy these special Christmas stories about Tinsel the Christmas elf. Each story is about Tinsel and his fun-filled adventures. Tinsel loves Christmas more than any other elf and wants to spread the holiday cheer with all the boys and girls in the world!

Christmas trees and Christmas cards seem to be an essential part of the holiday season. So it may surprise you to know they are both relatively recent traditions in the United States and Britain!

Read by Juliet Stevenson and Simon Callow, A Literary Christmas is a seasonal anthology that collects together poems, short stories, and prose extracts by some of the greatest poets and writers in the English language. Like Charles Dickens’ ghosts of Christmas Past and Present, they are representative of times old and new - from John Donne’s Elizabethan hymn over the baby Jesus to Rudyard Kipling’s "Christmas in India", from Thomas Tusser counting the cost of a Tudor feast to Laurie Lee’s "Cider with Rosie".

A yule log burns brightly in a fireplace. Children pop open Christmas crackers to get a surprise. Families enjoy treats such as mince pie and plum pudding. These are the sights and sounds of Christmas in England. Come explore the many English traditions that bring people of this country together at Christmas.

Classic Christmas carols are perfect for reflecting on the true meaning of the season. Away in a Manger captures the tender birth of Jesus that first Christmas night. Born in a stable, Mary sweetly puts Jesus on a bed of hay as animals gaze upon the Christ-child. Included is the verse “Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay close by me forever, and love me, I pray. Bless all the dear children in Thy tender care, and take us to heaven to live with Thee there.”

Let’s celebrate! This series for beginning learners introduces basic facts about popular holidays from around the world, including when they happen and why. Simple, predictable text takes listeners through the traditions of each celebration, including decorations, activities, and foods. Features highlight favorite activities and important aspects of each holiday. Students just starting to learn will be ready to celebrate. This volume includes Cinco de Mayo, Groundhog Day, Holi, Memorial Day, Presidents' Day, and Valentine's Day.

Let’s celebrate! This series for beginning learners introduces basic facts about popular holidays from around the world, including when they happen and why. Simple, predictable text takes listeners through the traditions of each celebration, including decorations, activities, and foods. Features highlight favorite activities and important aspects of each holiday. Students just starting to read independently will be ready to celebrate. This volume includes Eid-al-Fitr, Independence Day, Juneteenth, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Saint Patrick's Day, and Veterans Day.

Hanukkah is about celebrating! Often called the Festival of Lights, the eight-day celebration honors a miracle that happened long ago. During Hanukkah, people light the menorah. They sing songs. They gather with family and friends to eat special food and give gifts. Listeners will discover how a shared holiday can have multiple traditions and be celebrated in all sorts of ways.

Briefly discusses the history and customs connected to the celebration of birthdays.

Former NASA astronaut Terry Virts offers an insider's guide to astronauting—a behind-the-scenes look at the training, the basic rules, lessons, and procedures of space travel, including how to deal with a dead body in space, what it’s like to film an IMAX movie in orbit, what exactly to do...

It’s the week before Christmas, and Eric is already bored with his vacation. His parents have to work, his friends are out of town, and the city is snowed under. Then he opens his apartment door for an exterminator, and is dragged into the adventure of his life. Anje Gabrail carries a crossbow and lives for his work. When he discovers a rat in the basement of Eric’s apartment building, he asks the boy to help him kill it. At first Eric agrees, after all, he doesn’t have anything better to do. But as the week progresses, Eric finds himself in a fight to save not only the rat but himself as well.

Whether it's Halloween or just an opportune time for home theatricals, every so often an occasion calls for fake blood. But how do you make fake blood? We have the recipe.

Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. Across the country, people observe the day with speeches, poetry readings, festivals, picnics, street fairs, and family reunions. It is a day for people to come together and continue working toward equality.

Christmas is about celebrating! It is a Christian holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus. Some people mark the holiday with Christmas trees and other decorations. People gather with family and friends to eat meals and give gifts. Listeners will discover how a shared holiday can have multiple traditions and be celebrated in all sorts of ways.