The Oxford Book of Christmas Stories

When your family gets together at Christmastime, this book will prove to be the most treasured gift, bringing together children and parents, young and old. All the great stories of the holidays, along with some wonderful surprises, are waiting to be read aloud around the tree. This superb treasury of 30 seasonal tales, 10 of which were specially commissioned for this collection, brings together all the traditional Christmas characters and customs that children of all ages know and love--Grandfather Frost, Mr. Pickwick, the Snowman, carol-singing, and the birth of Jesus. Some of the stories--by authors such as Charles Dickens, Shirley Jackson, and Sue Townsend--will be familiar to young readers and their parents. Others--by modern writers including Robert Swindells and Philippa Pearce--will quickly become newly-discovered favorites. The selection presents a wide-ranging view of Christmas and its celebrations.CONTENTS Grandfather Frost - James RiordanThe Snow-man - Mabel MarloweMr Pickwick on the Ice - Charles DickensSliding - Leslie NorrisFather Christmas and Father Christmas - David Henry WilsonA Visit to the Bank - Shirley JacksonBurper and the Magic Lamp - Robert LeesonBrown Baby - Gwen GrantCarol-barking - Laurie LeeWelcome, Yule - Jan MarkA Lot of Mince-pies - Robert SwindellsGhost Alarm - Nicholas FiskChristmas in the Rectory - Catherine StorrA Christmas Pudding Improved with Keeping - Philippa PearceThe Ivy Man - John GordonThe Christmas Gift - Hugh OliverCall Me Blessed - Jacqueline Wilson The Christmas Present - Kathleen HersomGet Lost - Robin KleinA Present for Grannie Fox - Norman SmithsonAdrian Mole's Christmas - Sue TownsendThe Lost Boy - George Mackay BrownChristmas Morning - Frank O'ConnorAn Assault on Santa Claus - Timothy CallenderThe Anarchist's Pudding - Geraldine McCaughreanChristmas in the Floods - Olaf RuhenA Christmas Eve - Harry MacfieThe Charcoal Burner - Gerald KershLost Leader - Dennis HamleyCourt Martial - Charles C. O'Connell