Christmas Reading List 2012

Are you looking for some Christmas reading? Look no further! Here is my annual Christmas reading recommendations list. This year I've focused on short stories that are accessible for free via the Internet and eBooks in the HIU Library collection

Short Stories: The Classic Christmas Collection
A collection of classic Christmas short stories from East of the Web site. You might want to explore this site for other freely available stories outside of the Christmas story category.

Stories in this Christmas collection are by Saki, Robert Louis Stevenson, Bret Harte, Frank Stockton, O. Henry, L. Frank Baum, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Hans Christian Anderson.

Read these stories online or download them from East of the Web site to read on your iPhone, iPod, or iPad. The app is available from the iTunes Store. (see details here)

20 Famous Christmas Stories 
Stories by O. Henry, Hans Christian Anderson, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Leo Tolstoy, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Brothers Grimm, Pearl S. Buck, Raymond Briggs, Robert L. May, L. Frank Baum, Selma Lagerlof, Anton Chekhov, Lizzie Deas, E.T.A. Hoffman, Oscar Wilde, Frances Browne, Henry Van Dyke, Willa Cather.

This collection of stories is gathered from several different sources that offer free online access to pieces of literature (mostly classic literature in the public domain). Check the links below for a wealth of additional literature:
Project Gutenberg
The Literature Network
Literature.org
Wikisource
About.com Classic Literature

Classic Mysteries of Christmas Past
Stories by Damon Runyon (1884-1946), O. Henry (1862-1910), Thomas Hardy (1840-1928), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930).

This list includes A Chaparral Christmas Gift by O. Henry for those who like Westerns.

A Child's Christmas in Wales
This classic story by Dylan Thomas is on the American Literature web site which provides access to many more short stories, poems, speeches, essays and letters.

A Christmas Carol
"Marley was dead: to begin with." Need I say more?

The above link is not downloadable. To download a copy of this story see this link. It will provide you with various download options for your computer or mobile device.

Kids Christmas Stories, Poetry, Rhymes, Plays and Recitals
Looking for something for the kids? Apples 4 the Teacher web site provides links to stories, poems, and activities.

Christmas eBooks to check out from the HIU Library
Don't forget to look at the collection of Christmas eBooks the HIU Library makes available to current HIU students, faculty and staff. Many books can be downloaded to your computer or mobile device. Below are several links that will search for "Christmas" AND "ebooks" in our collections:

EBSCOHost eBook Collection
eBrary eBook Collection
Search the HIU Catalog (WMS)

Previous Christmas Reading Lists:
2010 Christmas Reading List
2011 Christmas Reading List

**************************************

Terri Bogan is Reference & Instruction Librarian at Hope International University. She is passionate about helping students navigate the ever expanding world of information. She specializes in the area of information literacy and instructional design.