The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

Title/Series:   The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Author: Barbara Robinson

Pages: 81 pages

Copyright  Date: 1972

Reading Level:  5^th grade

Interest Level: 3^rd – 6^th grade

Summary:  The annual Christmas pageant is changing this year.  The worst kids in history, the Herdmans, will be involved and learning the Christmas story this year.  When the Herdmans become the lead roles in the pageant, things really get interesting.  It will be amazing if the town can put together the pageant this year.

Educational: poor –introduces bad ideas that kids may not think of on their own (burning down building, stealing from church, blackmailing peers), teaches the Christmas story

Content: poor– includes the word “hell”, tells how mom forces dad to watch his children in the pageant, Mrs. Herdman avoiding her children, describes the Christmas story including King Herod, the end of the book shows the Herdman children beginning to change for the better

Message: Good – take time to really think about the Christmas story and what it means