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Stories in the Spotlight - Elf

The beloved holiday classic Elf brings laughter, heart, and holiday cheer to audiences of all ages. Follow Buddy the Elf on his journey from the North Pole to New York City as he spreads joy, kindness, and the true spirit of Christmas to everyone he meets. Get ready for festive fun as The Coterie Theatre brings this hilarious and heartwarming story to life on stage! Use this list to enjoy other joyful tales of holiday magic, family, and finding your place in the world. This curated book list features fiction and non-fiction picture books as well as chapter books, and novels for our youngest readers through middle grade students. Whether you’re reading to get in the holiday spirit before the show or continuing the magic afterward, these stories are sure to warm your heart and make you believe again in the wonder of the season. Use this curated book list from Turn the Page KC and the Kansas City Public Library to "Read to Get Ready" or follow up on your adventure with books available from your favorite library branch!

User from The Kansas City Public Library

26 items

  • WONDER - Olive is merrily preparing for Christmas when suddenly she realizes "Olive... the other Reindeer... I thought I was a dog. Hmmm, I must be a Reindeer!" So she quickly hops aboard the polar express and heads to the North Pole. And while…
    Book, 1997San Francisco : Chronicle Books, 1997. — J EASY WALSH
  • WONDER and JOY - After waiting for days and days and days, it’s finally Christmas Eve. And that’s when you can try to catch Santa...but only if you know the right tricks!
    Book, 2015New York : Alfred A. Knopf, [2015] — J EASY REAGAN
  • RELATIONSHIPS and JOY - Bear’s friends are determined to keep Bear awake for Christmas! So they wake Bear up and have him help them find a Christmas tree, bake cakes, hang up stockings, and sing Christmas songs. Bear stays up—by discovering that…
    Book, 2008New York : Margaret K. McElderry Books, [2008] — J PICTURE WILSON KARMA
  • HOME and JOY - Have you ever wondered what snowmen do for Christmas? This book is perfect for a snowy evening read-aloud!
    Book, 2005New York : Dial Books for Young Readers, c2005. — J EASY BUEHNER
  • WONDER - Long ago, a brave little girl named Anja wanted to be one of Santa's elves. So she leaves a note for her family and helps her elderly neighbor prepare for the holiday, then she straps on her skis, and heads out into the snowy landscape.…
    Book, 2013New York : Random House, [2013] — J EASY EVERT
  • WONDER and IMAGINATION - When a jingling sound wakes her from her sleep, a little girl’s dreams come true when she meets a lost reindeer in the forest. They set off on a magical adventure and it becomes a Christmas never to forget.
    Book, 2017New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2017. — J EASY KILLEN
  • RELATIONSHIPS and HOME - Dasher is an adventurous young reindeer with a wish in her heart. She spends her days with her family under the hot sun in a traveling circus, but she longs for a different life — one where there is snow beneath her hooves…
    Book, 2019Somerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2019. — J EASY TAVARES
  • IMAGINATION - Charles wants to find a wish tree. His brother and sister don't believe there is such a thing, but his trusty companion Boggan is ready to join Charles on a journey to find out. And along the way, they discover that wishes can come…
    Book, 2016San Francisco : Chronicle Books, [2016] — J EASY MACLEAR
  • HOME - Over the snow, the world is hushed and white. But under the snow lies a secret world of squirrels and snow hares, bears and bullfrogs, and many other animals making their winter home under the snow. This beloved nonfiction picture book…
    Book, 2011San Francisco : Chronicle Books, c2011. — J 591.43 M58O 2011
  • WONDER and GROWING UP - Wilson Bentley was always fascinated by snow. In childhood and adulthood, he saw each tiny crystal of a snowflake as a little miracle and wanted to understand them. His parents supported his curiosity and saved until they…
    Book, 1998Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 1998. — J BIO BENTLEY W
  • The Story of Snow

    the Science of Winter's Wonder

    Cassino, Mark
    WONDER - How do snow crystals form? What shapes can they take? Are no two snow crystals alike? These questions and more are answered inside this exploration of the science of snow, featuring photos of real snow crystals in all their beautiful…
    Book, 2009San Francisco : Chronicle Books, c2009. — J 551.57 C34S
  • BALANCE - Have you ever seen a butterfly in the snow? Probably not. Butterflies can't survive cold weather, so when winter comes, many butterflies fly to warmer places. They migrate. Woodchucks don't like cold weather either, but they don't migrate;…
    Book, 1997New York : HarperCollins, 1997.
  • BALANCE - Discover how animals stay alive in the wintertime and learn about their secret lives happening under the snow.
    Book, 2014Boston : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, [2014] — J 811.54 S56W 2014
  • RELATIONSHIPS - When Tanisha spills grape juice all over her new dress, her classmate wants to make her feel better, wondering: What does it mean to be kind? From asking the new girl to play to standing up for someone being bullied, this moving…
    Book, 2018New York : Roaring Brook Press, 2018. — BKSTOGO PICTURE MILLER PAT
  • RELATIONSHIPS and FORGIVENESS - Chloe and her friends won't play with the new girl, Maya. Every time Maya tries to join Chloe and her friends, they reject her. Eventually Maya stops coming to school. When Chloe's teacher gives a lesson about how…
    Book, 2012New York : Nancy Paulsen Books, [2012] — J EASY WOODSON
  • RELATIONSHIPS - Friends come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In Amos McGee's case, all sorts of species, too! Every day he spends a little bit of time with each of his friends at the zoo, running races with the tortoise, keeping the shy penguin…
    Book, 2010New York : Roaring Brook, 2010. — J EASY STEAD
  • RELATIONSHIPS - By the door there is an umbrella. It is big. It is so big that when it starts to rain there is room for everyone underneath. It doesn’t matter if you are tall. Or plaid. Or hairy. It doesn’t matter how many legs you have. Don’t worry…
    Book, 2018New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, [2018] — J EASY BATES
  • RELATIONSHIPS - A young girl and her box of magical yarn transform a community in this stunning picture book. With spare, gently humorous illustrations and a palette that moves from black-and-white to a range of color, this modern fairy tale has the…
    Book, 2012New York : Balzer & Bray, [2012] — J PICTURE BARNETT MAC
  • FORGIVENESS - Poor Duncan! His crayons sure are a colorful bunch of characters. In The Day the Crayons Quit, they threatened to walk off the job. Now, a whole new group of crayons have sent postcards asking to be rescued. From Maroon Crayon, who was…
    Book, 2015New York : Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), [2015] — J EASY DAYWALT
  • GROWING UP - Growing up in the ocean, Kelp has always assumed that he was a narwhal like the rest of his family. Sure, he’s always been a little bit different—his tusk isn’t as long, he’s not as good of a swimmer, and he really doesn’t enjoy the…
    Book, 2017New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, [2017] — J EASY SIMA