ones? In this case, we've melded the classic Advent calendar-- perennially popular with kids and adults--with another favorite family pastime: holiday reading. Begin by collecting a stack of holiday and winter books and picking a date to start reading (December 1 is an obvious choice). Choose a title for each night you'll be reading, and write each title on a scrap of paper. (For longer works like A Christmas Carol, select an individual chapter.) Then stash all your scraps in a jar, and at the appointed reading hour let each family member take a turn picking the night's literary fare (no peeking, please, to maintain that Advent calendar element of surprise). You can also take turns reading; preliterate family members get to choose a designated reader.
• Twas The Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
• The New Testament
• The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
• Seven Candles For Kwanzaa by Andrea Davis Pinkney
• Inside-Out Grandma by Joan Rothenberg
• How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
• The Twelve Cats Of Christmas by Kandy Radzinski
