The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

This is a story about a whole sibling group that causes a lot of trouble. But in a way, they are the only ray of light in an otherwise dull town.

I get the idea that the townsfolk enjoy the drama more than they let on. What I really liked about this book is the writing style. It is very engaging and conversational. I was always waiting for the next punchline/payoff. Very funny.

I listened to the audiobook. It is read by Elaine Stritch. She has the best voice. I could listen to her talk all day long.

This book is as much a modern Christmas classic as Dickens’s A Christmas Carol is a Victorian one. Remember when churches or communities put on Christmas Nativity plays with kids playing all the roles? Barbara Robinson conjures just such an event when the horrible Hurdmans invade the sacrosanct precincts of the annual play and take over a lot of the roles. Sometimes this book makes me howl with laughter; sometimes it chokes me up—depending on what kind of year it’s been.