THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER!

Every year, starting when my own children were little, the youngest members of our parish would put on a Christmas Pageant.  It usually consisted of some kind of re-telling of the Christmas story, through narration and Christmas songs.  We parents did our best to organize it, stifling back laughter - and blinking back tears - at the sight of "bearded" Wisemen balancing lop-sided crowns, shepherds in bathrobes, shy angels, and stable animals who looked more child-like than bovine.

However, the title of my blog is not referring to my church's annual Children's Christmas Program (even though, in my opinion, it's always the "best ever" and by coincidence is tonight!), but to one of the most hilarious and heartwarming Christmas books I've ever read.  You'll love it, whether you have kids or not!

The story, written by Barbara Robinson, is about six very unruly children who end up teaching a whole church about the true meaning of Christmas. According to the young girl who is the narrator of the story, the Herdmans are absolutely and without question the worst kids "in the entire history of the world".  (They lie, steal, cuss and smoke cigars - even the girls.) When they take over the church Christmas pageant (although none of them has ever attended church, much less heard the Nativity story before), the story of the first Christmas becomes new and real in some pretty surprising ways.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson (ages 9 to adult).