It's Christmas break... YIPPEE!!! I'm quite happy to be on break from school work (mostly because my kitchen table might actually stay clear of paper, if not laundry for more than 20 minutes at a time) and not worrying about schedules for a while. However, I don't want my kids to become absolute dunces, or have too much time on their hands to go looking for trouble while we are on break. Plus we have had lots of rain lately and are scheduled for even more. This means lots of time spent indoors getting on each others nerves bored playing with the same old toys and board games over and over again, so I'm thinking that taking a trip to the library (and our own bookshelves) in is order :-)

There is always ONE book that is at the top of our reading list: The Holy Bible. It's a good read, and its a true story. If you haven't picked it up in a while, why not give it a try?!

Besides the Bible, though, we have several favorites around our home. Most have been read before but they are worth reading over and over again. Thankfully, we own a lot of books already, but also, because we have so many in our family, we are allowed to check out nearly 30 items at the base library. Here is a book list that I think will keep everyone occupied and happy during the next few weeks of Christmas break:

• Aesop's Fables
• Crippled Lamb
• A Christmas Carole
• Midsummer Night's Dream
• Anne of Green Gables
• Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy
• Scarlet Pimpernell
• The Call of the Wild
• White Fang
• The Man in the Iron Mask
• The Count of Monte Cristo
• Les Miserables
• Oliver Twist
• Pilgrim's Progress
• All Quiet on the Western Front
• Gone with the Wind
• Moby Dick
• Pride and Prejudice
• The Little House books
• Elsie Dinsmore collection
• Little Women
• Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM
• Old Yeller
• Uncle Tom's Cabin
• The Swiss Family Robinson
• Heidi
• Black Beauty
• The Adventure and Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
• Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery by the Tale
• Mary Chestnuts Civil War
• Fox's Book of Martyrs
• The Scarlet Letter
• Wuthering Heights
• Jane Eyre
• Beh Hur
• Ivanhoe
• Eragon
• Edlest
• Brisingr
• The Chronicles of Narnia
• The Screwtape Letters

Not every book has to be read. On especially dreary days, its nice to have an audio book on hand. Everyone can grab a blanket and a pillow and lay down on the floor in the living/family room. Turn the lights down low, close the curtains, and pass out the hot chocolate and snacks while the kids listen to these great classics! You can even use it as free time to wrap presents before Christmas, or write thank you cards if its after Christmas!

Do you have a favorite list of books? Feel free to share in the comments!

Sallie