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Adapted from Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas. © 2009 by Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser. Performed with permission from HarperCollins Children's Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers. Theatrical adaptation © 2014 by Cara Lustik, Randolph I. Klein and Matthew Hardy. Orchestrations and Vocal Arrangements by Randy Klein. Commissioned and originally produced by Vital Theatre Company. Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas, The Musical is presented through special arrangement with Vital Theatre Company, Inc., 2162 Broadway, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10023. www.vitaltheatre.org

Educational materials produced by Kristine Rivers at West of the World, and Jessica Russell, Materials Selection Librarian, Youth Services - Harris County Public Library.

Main Street Theater, 3400 Main St. Suite 283, Houston, TX 77002 713-524-9196 MainStreetTheater.com

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Introduction for Teachers................................................................................................ 2

How Should I Prepare My Students for a Trip to the Theater? ................................... 3

Reading to Your Students ............................................................................................... 4

What Does It Take to Put on a Play? .............................................................................. 5

About the Show .......................................................................................................... 6 – 7

About the Author, Illustrator, Composer, & Lyricist .................................................... 8

Cast of Characters............................................................................................................ 9

Vocabulary ..............................................................................................................10 – 11

Questions for Discussion and Writing Prompts ......................................................... 12

Holiday Wishes Activity.........................................................................................13 – 14

Fancy Words Activity.............................................................................................15 – 16

Shopping at Mademoiselle Nancy’s Fabulous Fashion Boutique ....................17 – 18

Christmas Tree Field Guide Activity ....................................................................19 – 21

Fancy Manners Activity ................................................................................................. 22

Fancy & French Activity ........................................................................................23 – 24

Holiday Customs around the World Activity.......................................................25 – 27

Tree Topper Craft Activity ............................................................................................. 28

Eggnog Recipe ............................................................................................................... 29

Decorate Your Own Splendiferous Christmas Tree ................................................... 30

Fancy Nancy Certificate of Excellence ........................................................................ 31

Fancy Nancy Christmas Card ....................................................................................... 32

Further Reading......................................................................................................33 – 34

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Welcome to Main Street’s Theater for Youth! We hope these supplemental materials will help you integrate your field trip into your classroom curriculum. We’ve included a number of activities and resources to help broaden your students’ experience. Please make sure that each teacher that will be attending the play has a copy of these materials as they prepare to see the show. Before you come to the theater, please take some time to talk with your students about what to expect. Going to a live play is an experience unlike any other, and many students are more familiar with going to the movies or sporting events. Please help them prepare for what they’ll see and how they should act. Here are some things to think about:

• How is a play different from a movie or a television show? • How is a play different from real life? • Can the actors see and hear the audience? • Which of the following is appropriate behavior for a theater audience? Clapping,

talking, eating, laughing, running, leaving during the performance. • Ask students who have seen a play before to talk about what it’s like to be in the

audience. Have students write letters or draw pictures to the cast of Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas, The Musical with their thoughts and comments on the production. All correspondence should be sent to:

SCHOOL BOOKINGS Main Street Theater 3400 Main St. Suite 283 Houston, Texas 77002

Recent studies prove that integrating the arts into education enhances a student's development and performance.

Students learning through the arts are more able to think at a higher level, collaborate with their peers,

and score higher on standardized tests.

INTRODUCTION FOR TEACHERS

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Read the book to your students or have them read the book. The play is taken directly from the pages of the book.

Discuss the page on theater etiquette with your students. Remind them that it can

get very dark in the theater before the play and in between scenes.

Make sure your students use the restroom before they leave school or at the theater before the performance. If you get up during the performance, you may miss your favorite part!

Talk about what kind of show they are coming to see. Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous

Christmas, The Musical is a live theatrical performance. Talk to your students about the difference between a movie and a play. The actors are not on a screen and can hear everything the audience is doing or saying. The actors are very friendly though so they should not be afraid.

Talk to your students about imagination. People called actors perform in the play.

They pretend to be the people in the story. Five grown-up actors perform in Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas, The Musical. Watch and see how they use their voices and bodies to become the characters.

After the performance, the actors will remain on stage and answer questions that

the students may have. Discuss with your students what a question is. While the actors love to hear what a good time the students had or what part the like the best, they LOVE to answer questions about the show, the book or being an actor. Don’t forget to raise your hand!

The show is fantastical! It is lots of fun so be prepared to giggle, laugh and have a

great time.

HOW SHOULD I PREPARE

MY STUDENTS FOR

A TRIP TO THE THEATER?

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Listening to literature read aloud is one of the most valuable experiences beginning readers can have. Here are some helpful hints for reading aloud to children:

1. Plan enough time in each session.

2. Choose stories that are of interest to the child (ren) — especially stories with vivid pictures, a strong story line, and engaging characters.

3. Preview the book to anticipate questions or reactions.

4. Introduce the book by pointing out the cover illustration, title and author. Give a brief explanation about why you chose to read this book. “This is the story of a girl who wants to have a really fancy Christmas tree, and decides to __________.”

5. Read with expression that reflects the tone of the story or the characters. Read slowly. Vary your pace so you can pause for emphasis or to allow time for the children to think about what’s happening.

6. Allow time for children to study the pictures as you read and to make comments and ask questions about the story.

7. Encourage predictions and help children confirm or revise these as the story unfolds.

8. Watch the children’s expressions and body language and be sensitive to signs of boredom or confusion.

9. Save time at the end of the story to get reactions. Ask open-ended questions that don’t have right or wrong answers and that can’t be answered with a yes or no reply. Ask the children what they liked or disliked about the story. What did they think about the characters? Did it remind them of their own lives?

10. Point out parts of the story you particularly noticed or liked.

For some children, listening to stories is a new experience and they need to time to develop that interest and ability.

READING TO

YOUR STUDENTS

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It takes many years of preparation before you see a show at our theater. Many, many people work to put all the parts of a play together. The play you’re seeing today comes from the book Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas written by author Jane O’Connor, with pictures by illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser. It was the idea of the playwrights, Cara Lustik and Matthew Hardy, to form this book into a play. About a year before MST’s production, the producer contacted the licensing agency about the rights to perform the play. Once the agency agreed, the production team was assembled. The production team is the group of people directly responsible for a how a play looks and sounds. The director is the person who makes the decisions about who is in the play, how the play looks, and what themes are emphasized to the audience. S/he works with the designers to establish the concept (or mood & themes) of the play. The director also hires the actors to play the parts in the show. Once rehearsals begin the director conveys the concept to the actors by giving them directions on their character development and by blocking their movements. The set designer creates the world that is seen when you enter the theater. S/he decides whether there will be real furniture or pretend furniture (such as cubes or chairs). The set designer decides where all of the different locations will be on the stage. The designer drafts diagrams so the carpenters can build the set. S/he also comes back once the set is built to paint everything. The costume designer is the person who chooses what clothes the actors will wear to represent the concept of the play. The designer will sometimes shop for clothing or may build some costumes from scratch. S/he works closely with the actors to make sure that all of the clothing fits and feels comfortable. S/he also works with the set designer to make sure that the actors’ clothing will not clash with the colors on the set. The props designer is the person who provides all of the handheld items used by the actors during the play. This person either buys or builds everything that the actors might need to convey the story. The sound designer creates or selects all of the sound effects and music for the play. The sound designer creates the noises that are heard when someone rings a doorbell, a dog barks offstage, or a telephone rings. The sound designer can also create music pieces to aid in setting the theme or the mood of the play. The lighting designer decides how stage lighting will help tell the story. How can the color of lights complement the costumes and sets? Does the play require a scene at night? S/he will also decide when the lights should go out to cover up a scene change or when they should stay on. The actors are the people who perform the play. They are real people who are pretending to be the different characters in the story. Actors are trained to play old people, young people and sometimes even animals. It’s their job to tell the story to the audience. The audience is part of the play too! Without someone to hear the story, there would be no reason to tell it. The actors want to get the audience to care about the characters, to laugh and cry, and applaud when the play is over.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE

TO PUT ON A PLAY?

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Everyone is fancy at Christmas time and there’s nothing Fancy Nancy loves more. The entire Clancy family — Nancy, her sister Jojo, and their parents — go together to pick out their Christmas tree. Nancy, Jojo and Father all want a different kind of tree, so they compromise and find a tree they can all live with. The Clancy family bumps into their neighbor Mrs. Devine. Mrs. Devine has spent the day shopping and her chic hat sparks an idea in Nancy. Their Christmas tree could be taller with a hat! Nancy finds the perfect tree topper —I t even spins! — but it costs more than she has in her piggy bank. Nancy decides she’ll open her own boutique and earn the money she needs. Nancy gathers inventory for her Christmas Boutique and Mademoiselle Nancy’s Fabulous Fashion Boutique is open for business. Jojo finds a necklace that she loves but doesn’t have enough money to buy it. Jojo has a tantrum and is sent to her room. Mrs. Devine drops by to do some shopping and ends up buying a fancy boa and Jojo’s necklace. Nancy and her mother head out to buy the tree topper with Nancy’s boutique money. Nancy and Jojo want to put the tree topper on right away but their parents tell them they have to wait for Grandpa to arrive. The girls beg, so their parents tell them they can put up the topper but no ornaments until Grandpa comes. Father gets out a ladder and Nancy carefully places the topper on the tree while her mother holds her steady. Everyone agrees that the new tree topper is divine. The girls are ready to decorate but settle for unpacking the ornaments while they wait. Every ornament has a story and reminds them of an important Christmas memory. Nancy pulls out her Christmas to-do list — first up is making Christmas cookies. Next is Christmas caroling, then gift wrapping. Everyone works together to get the presents wrapped and decorated. As she’s wrapping, Nancy realizes Jojo really wants that rhinestone necklace that she sold to Mrs. Devine. Nancy goes to Mrs. Devine and tells her that her sister really wants the necklace and she doesn’t have any money to buy it back. Nancy is terribly nervous but she doesn’t want to disappoint Jojo. Nancy suggests that she trade Mrs. Devine the tree topper for the necklace. Mrs. Devine agrees and is impressed by Nancy’s love for her sister. Nancy tries to get the tree topper down by herself, but knocks down the tree instead. The tree topper breaks in two and Nancy is very upset. Grandpa arrives at the Clancy house just then. He tells Nancy to dry her tears. It’s time to improvise and make something new out of what they have on hand. Grandpa gets out his craft supplies. Nancy, Jojo, and Grandpa build a beautiful new tree topper that is extra-fancy.

ABOUT

THE SHOW

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Nancy is worried and doesn’t know what she’ll tell Mrs. Devine about the broken tree topper. She decides to be brave and tells Mrs. Devine the truth. Nancy also gives her a handmade ornament with a plume. Mrs. Devine gives her the necklace and tells her the ornament she made is better than anything she could have bought. Love is the best Christmas gift of all, Nancy realizes. It’s Christmas day. Jojo brings out her decorated and festive tree branch that she broke off the tree. She’s afraid she’ll get in trouble but her parents tell her it’s beautiful. The Clancy family starts to open presents. Jojo loves her necklace that Nancy gives her. The family has hot chocolate and places the tree topper on their tree. Everyone agrees it’s their best tree yet. Christmas isn’t just fancy, it’s splendiferous!

ABOUT

THE SHOW

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About the author, Jane O’Connor Jane O’Connor is an editor at a major publishing house and has written more than seventy books for children, including the New York Times bestselling Fancy Nancy series, which is comprised of over 50 titles so far. She resides (that’s a fancy word for lives) in Manhattan with her husband, Jim. Her two grown sons have fled New York, however, and are both living in Los Angeles.

About the illustrator, Robin Preiss Glasser Robin Preiss Glasser wore tiaras and tutus when she danced as a soloist with the Pennsylvania Ballet. Now she happily spends her days in jeans, drawing. She has illustrated many acclaimed picture books, including the now classic and beloved Fancy Nancy series. In 2013, she won the Children’s Choice Award for Best Illustrator of the Year for Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet. Robin lives in Southern California with her husband, Bob, and two children, Sasha and Ben. About the composer, Randy Klein Randy Klein is a composer, pianist, and music educator. He has written jazz compositions, film scores, and songs for musical theater shows. He is also president of Jazzheads, an independent label for improvised music. About the lyricist, Matthew Hardy Matthew Hardy is originally from Houston, TX. He has worked as a playwright, lyricist, and actor. He also wrote the lyrics for the upcoming off-Broadway show Twinkle Tames a Dragon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR, ILLUSTRATOR,

COMPOSER, & LYRICIST

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Nancy Clancy — loves all things fancy and is always looking for ways to make things even fancier. Jojo Clancy — Nancy’s little sister who is always getting into trouble. Father — Nancy and Jojo’s father. Mother — Nancy and Jojo’s mother. Mrs. Devine — The Clancy’s next-door neighbor. Grandpa Clancy — Mr. Clancy’s father and an expert in making things better.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

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Advertise — To announce something in public in order to get people to buy or use it. Aroma — A nice smell. Bereft — Missing something. Boa — A scarf made of feathers. Bonnet — A hat that ties under the chin and frames the face. Boutique — A small store that sells clothes or accessories. Caroling — Singing Christmas songs, usually in a group. Compromise — An agreement reached where each side gives up something. Décor — The furniture or decorations in a room. Eggnog — A drink made of beaten eggs, cream, and flavorings. Evergreen — A plant that keeps its green leaves throughout the whole year. Exquisite — Very beautiful and often fragile. Fancy — Complex or sophisticated. Garland — An arrangement of flowers and even leaves that is used as a decoration. Heirloom — A treasured object that has been in a family for generations. Holly — A small plant used to decorate around Christmastime. Improvise — To create and perform without preparing beforehand.

VOCABULARY

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Inventory — A list of goods. Louvre — A famous art museum in Paris, France. Magnifique — French for Magnificent, Excellent. Mistletoe — A vine that grows on trees and is used as a decoration at Christmas. Moulin Rouge — A dance hall in Paris famous for its cancan dancers. Muffler — A scarf or wrap worn around the neck and face for warmth. Ornament — Decoration used to festoon a Christmas tree holiday. Peruse — To read something carefully. Poinsettia — A small, poisonous shrub with big red flowers that is popular at Christmas. Rhinestone — An imitation diamond. Splendiferous — Very splendid. Tinsel — A decoration that is made from tiny strips of shiny foil. Unique — To be different from everything else.

Curriculum Standards: English Language

K - ELA 110.11.b.5 1 - ELA 110.12.b.6 2 - ELA 110.13.b.5

VOCABULARY

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1. Why does Nancy love Christmas?

2. What kind of tree do Nancy, Jojo, and Father each want? How do they decide what kind of tree to get?

3. What is Nancy’s plan to make the tree taller?

4. How is Nancy going to earn the money for the tree topper?

5. According to Nancy, what are some of the things a successful boutique needs?

6. Why does Jojo have a tantrum?

7. What does Mrs. Devine buy at the boutique?

8. Jojo tells stories about things she did that got her sent to time-out. Why do you think she does those things?

9. Nancy’s mother tells the story of each Christmas ornament. Do you have a favorite holiday item? What is its story?

10. Does your family have holiday traditions? What are they?

11. What does Nancy do to make Jojo happy?

12. Grandpa tells Nancy, “When life hands you cracked eggs, make eggnog!” What do you think that means?

13. Nancy decides to tell Mrs. Devine the truth about the tree topper even though she’s worried about what will happen. Have you ever done something that was hard but the right thing to do?

14. Why does Mrs. Devine love Nancy’s gift?

15. What is the true meaning of Christmas, according to Nancy?

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

AND WRITING PROMPTS

Curriculum Standards: English Language

K - ELA 110.11.b.6-10 1 - ELA 110.12.b.6-10 2 - ELA 110.13.b.6-10

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Instructions: 1. Print out a class set of the Holiday Wishes activity sheet.

2. Fancy Nancy loves Christmas and is excited to plan her holiday activities. She makes a list of things she hopes to do, like making cookies and Christmas caroling, but she also thinks about things that are important to her, like giving Jojo the gift she really wants.

3. What kinds of things do you hope to do during the holidays? What is important to you? Who do you think of during this time of year?

4. Have each student fill out their Holiday Wishes sheet and then share with the class.

HOLIDAY WISHES

ACTIVITY

Curriculum Standards: English Language

K - ELA 110.11.b.6-10 1 - ELA 110.12.b.6-10 2 - ELA 110.13.b.6-10

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________________

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Instructions: 1. Print a class set of the Fancy Words activity sheet.

2. Fancy Nancy knows even though you can use a regular word, fancy words are even more fun. Match up the fancy word with the regular word that means the same thing.

3. Go over the answers from the answer key. Which one is your favorite fancy word?

Answer Key: 1. D 2. J 3. G 4. A 5. H 6. B 7. E 8. F 9. C 10. I

FANCY WORDS

ACTIVITY

Curriculum Standards: English Language

K - ELA 110.11.b.5 1 - ELA 110.12.b.6 2 - ELA 110.13.b.5

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________________

Fancy Words

Draw a line from the fancy word to the regular word that means the same thing. 1. Cerulean The clear sky was cerulean.

A. Confused

2. Millinery Nancy found her favorite hat at a millinery shop.

B. Couch

3. Blunder Nancy knocked the tree down — what a blunder!

C. Wicked

4. Baffled Jojo was baffled by her parents’ decision to send her to her room.

D. Blue

5. Accoutrements Nancy loves accoutrements like boas and tiaras.

E. Clothing

6. Settee The Clancy family gathered on the settee to sing Christmas carols.

F. Well-spoken

7. Toggery Nancy likes her toggery to be as splendiferous as possible!

G. Mistake

8. Eloquent Grandpa Clancy is an eloquent gentleman.

H. Accessories

9. Nefarious Nancy swore to defeat any nefarious plan to make Christmas unfancy.

I. Very showy and over-the-top

10. Gaudy Some people might think that the Clancy tree topper was gaudy but Nancy thought it was wonderful.

J. Headwear

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Instructions: 1. Print out a class set of the Math Activity sheet.

2. It’s time to go shopping at Mademoiselle Nancy’s Fabulous Fashion Boutique! Let’s do some word problems and then discuss the answers.

3. You can do additional math problems using the boutique if you like.

SHOPPING AT

MADEMOISELLE NANCY’S FABULOUS FASHION BOUTIQUE

– MATH ACTIVITY

Curriculum Standards: Mathematics

K - 111.2.b.1-5 1 - 111.3.b.1-5 2 - 111.4.b.1-7

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________________

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Instructions: 1. Print a class set of the Christmas Tree Field Guide sheet.

2. Review the Christmas Tree Field Guide information and complete the Which Tree Am I? sheet

Curriculum Standards: Science

K - 112.11.b.9-10 1 - 112.11.b.9-10 2 - 112.11.b.9-10

CHRISTMAS TREE

FIELD GUIDE ACTIVITY

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Christmas Tree Field Guide

Blue Spruce Picea pungens

—sharp, silvery blue-green , 4-sided needles that are 1-1.5 inches long —Grows slowly, to a top height of 65-115 feet —Can live 600-800 years —Native to the Rocky Mountains

Balsam Fir Abies balsamea

—dark green, flat needles and 1-1.5 inches long —Grows slowly, to a top height of 45-75 feet —Produces its first seeds at 20 years old —Native to the northeastern United States

Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga menziesii

—Green, flat needles with 2 pale white stripes down the length of the needle —Grows more quickly, to a top height of 160-250 feet —Latin name means “false hemlock” —Grows in the Rocky Mountains and the coastal mountains of Oregon and Washington

Virginia Pine Pinus virginiana

—Short yellow-green needles with a twisted shape —Grows slowly, to a top height of 40-60 feet —Most popular Christmas tree in the South —Grows in and near the Appalachian mountains.

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________________

Which Tree Am I?

1. I am the tallest and my needles are striped.

2. You can find me in many homes in the South at Christmas time.

3. I live a very long time and have silvery needles.

4. I produce my first seeds at the age of 20.

5. I grow in the mountains, but I don’t like my mountains Rocky.

6. My needles are 4-sided and very sharp!

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Instructions: 1. Write Manieres Mauvaises (Bad Manners) and Manieres Merveilleuses

(Marvelous Manners) on the board, leaving room to make a list.

2. Fancy Nancy is very concerned with manners, the way in which things are done. What do you think of when you think of manners?

3. Let’s talk about Manieres Mauvaises, bad manners. What are some bad manners? Does Nancy do any of those things?

4. Now let’s think about Manieres Merveilleuses, marvelous manners. What are some marvelous manners? Does Nancy do any of those things?

5. What bad manners are going you to stop doing? What marvelous manners are you going to use today?

FANCY MANNERS

ACTIVITY

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Instructions: 1. Print a class set of the Fancy & French Activity page.

2. Have the class complete the activity page.

3. Discuss the answers. What is your favorite French word?

Answer Key: 1. C 2. B 3. I 4. F 5. G 6. J 7. D 8. E 9. H 10. A

FANCY & FRENCH

ACTIVITY

Curriculum Standards: Languages Other Than English

K-2 - 114.1-4

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________________

Fancy & French

Nancy loves French words — they sound so fancy! Let’s match the French word with its meaning, and add some fancy French words to our vocabulary.

1. Chic (sheek) A. Game

2. Fete (fet) B. Party

3. Soiree (swa-ray) C. Stylish

4. Gateau (gat-owe) D. Host

5. Inviter (in-ve-tay) E. Gift

6. Anniversaire (an-ee-ver-sair) F. Cake

7. Hote (ot) G. Invite

8. Cadeau (ca-dow) H. Fun

9. Amusement (a-muse-mon) I. Evening party

10. Jeu (shu) J. Birthday

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Instructions: 1. Print a class set of the Holiday Customs around the World activity sheet.

2. Read through the holiday customs as a class. Discuss and answer any questions students may have.

3. Have each student color in the items in their suitcase.

HOLIDAY CUSTOMS AROUND

THE WORLD ACTIVITY

Curriculum Standards: Social Studies

K - 113.11.b.1 & 11 1 - 113.11.b.1 & 15 2 - 113.11.b.1 & 16

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Holiday Customs around the World

Joyeux Noel — In France children leave their shoes out for Pere Noel (Father Christmas) to fill with gifts. Feliz Navidad — In Mexico, poinsettias or nochebuena flowers are used to decorate for Christmas. Poinsettias are native to Mexico and were introduced to the United States by Joel Poinsett, the first United States Minister to Mexico. Happy Kwanzaa — Kwanzaa celebrates African and African American culture. Kwanzaa comes from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits”. A special candle holder called the kinara is lit during Kwanzaa. It holds seven candles — 3 green, 3 red, and 1 black. Happy Hanukkah — Hanukkah is the Jewish festival of lights and is celebrated over 8 nights. Each night a candle is lit in the menorah, a special candle holder, and gifts are exchanged. Merry Christmas — In Australia, Christmas is celebrated during the summer since the seasons are opposite south of the equator. Australians decorate with Christmas Bush, a native flowering plant. 6 white kangaroos pull Santa’s sleigh!

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________________

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Eggnog Recipe

--6 eggs --2 5/8 cups whipping cream --3/4 cup caster sugar --1 tablespoon vanilla extract --2 teaspoons run extract (optional) --4 cups milk --nutmeg

1. Beat the cream in a large bowl until thick 2. Add the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and rum extract while continuing to beat

the mixture. 3. Once the mixture is thick and creamy, add the milk and mix

thoroughly. 4. Serve with a sprinkle of nutmeg on top.

Makes 10 cups.

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Name: ____________________________________ Date: ___________________

Decorate Your Own

Splendiferous Christmas Tree!

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32

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MORE LIKE FANCY NANCY Pinkalicious by Victoria Kann. A little girl who is obsessed with the color pink eats so many pink cupcakes that she herself turns pink. Ladybug Girl by David Soman. After her brother tells her she is too little to play with him, Lulu, dressed as Ladybug Girl, makes her own fun. Little Lola by Julie Saab. After climbing aboard a school bus, a curious cat spends an enjoyable day at school. Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes. Lilly loves everything about school, especially her teacher, but when he asks her to wait awhile before showing her new purse, she does something for which she is very sorry later. BOOKS ABOUT WORDS The Right Word: Roget and his Thesaurus by Jennifer Bryant. For shy young Peter Mark Roget, books were the best companions — and it wasn’t long before Peter began writing his own book. But he didn’t write stories; he wrote lists. Peter took his love for words and turned it to organizing ideas and finding exactly the right word to express just what he thought. The Boy who Loved Words by Roni Schotter. Selig, who loves words and copies them on pieces of paper that he carries with him, goes on a trip to discover his purpose.

FURTHER

READING

34

Little Bird’s Bad Word by Jacob Grant. Little Bird loves learning new words and sharing them with his friends, so when he realizes that his latest one is a bad word, he knows just what to say to set things right. CHRISTMAS STORIES Bear Stays up for Christmas by Jane Chapman. Bear's friends awaken him the day before Christmas and help him to stay awake as they bake fruitcakes, fill stockings, and sing carols; then, while they sleep, he prepares his own surprise. The Nutcracker by Susan Jeffers. An abridged version of the story of Marie Stahlbaum, who helps break the spell on her toy nutcracker and watches him change into a handsome prince. When Santa was a Baby by Linda Bailey. The story of how one little boy, with the support of his parents, grows up to be Santa Claus. How Do Dinosaurs Say Merry Christmas? by Jane Yolen. Illustrations and rhyming text present some of the different ways a well-behaved dinosaur can celebrate Christmas.

FURTHER

READING

FURTHER

READING