Re: Has anyone read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever?

More | Report Post

Well...I finished the book, and each kid had their own copy, so I
couldn't skip words.
There's a few words that got them into a tailspin, but I noticed a
lot of kids didn't know the Christmas Story, and I wondered if
their parents would have had a problem with a book that talks about
Herod, Jesus, the Angel of the Lord, Wise Men, etc....
The characters smoke cigars, steal from the offereing plate at
church, etc...(it was really funny, but in a public school, I
thought that perhaps it was too religious???) Am I the only one?
We have a multicultural school(67 different languages). I wonder if
kids who don't stand for the pledge or say "Under God" in the
pledge might not be allowed to read this book....it has "religious"
words!
Oh well. I read it.

On 11/10/09, Candice Taylor wrote:
> On 10/10/09, L.L wrote:
>> On 10/03/09, CityTeacher wrote:
>>> Hi!
>>> I've read a few reviews and they all say to be careful with
>>> the book, as it may have some inappropriate content. I'm
>>> thinking about ordering enough copies for my entire class
>>> (11 year olds)...It's an Accelerated Reader book on a 5.1
>>> level.
>>> Has anyone done any lessons using this book?
>>> The reviews said the characters smoke and behave badly, but
>>> I don't know who reviewed the book. I'd rather get a
>>> professional opinion! :)
>>
>> Yes, I used this novel with 3rd graders. The naughty/wild
>> children of one family are characterized as smoking and
>> behaving badly.Their pranks and silliness are what make it
>> funny. Read it and then decide if it is appropriate for your
>> class. You know your community/parents best.
>
> I read the book aloud to my 6th-graders (11-12 yrs. old.) The
> language is a bit spicy in some places (2-3) but I skip those
> words or say something else fitting but appropriate. I live in
> Utah, and my students are from very conservative homes. The
> book is well-worth reading -- good message, and thoughtful
> passages.
 

Posts on this thread, including this one