Books for Readers 6-8

“Forget Dancer, Prancer, Comet, and Vixen. . . . Good Clement, wherever he is, will not be gnashing his teeth.” —New York Times Book Review

Take the classic story of jolly old St. Nicholas, place it in a Louisiana bayou setting, dress Santa Claus in muskrat “from his head to his foot,” pile his skiff high with toys, and hitch it to eight friendly alligators. The result is this modern classic. Fifty years after its first appearance, Cajun Night Before Christmas® has sold more than one million copies and has served as the model for Pelican’s ongoing, best-selling Night Before Christmas Series.  The Cajun Night Before Christmas® has been a part of Louisiana’s holiday traditions since it was first published in 1973. A delight to both young and old with its rustic full-color illustrations and lively story, it has become a timeless addition to holiday celebrations far beyond south Louisiana, reaching all corners of the country with its charming presentation of Christmas on the bayou and the break-out star of Gaston® the Green-Nosed Alligator.  

Conceived by J. B. Kling, Jr., Cajun Night Before Christmas® originally appeared as a Christmas message from Bergeron Plymouth Company of New Orleans. Under the pseudonymous byline “Trosclair,” the story won a Clio Award in 1967 from the Academy of Television and Radio Advertising.

Brought to life by the talented James Rice, the humorous illustrations of a colorful bayou Christmas have been nationally recognized as a classic in its genre.  Featuring eight pages of curated content released from the Pelican archives, this slipcased, numbered Fiftieth Anniversary Limited Edition showcases the rich legacy of storytelling within our state and the far reach that a humble (or not so humble!) gator has had on Cajun culture, Louisiana, and the entire country.

It's the Christmas Eve shift at Firehouse One. All the firefighters are sitting down to bowls of hot chili when an old fireman stops by for a bite to eat. The firemen have to leave to fight a fire and return to find that he was not an ordinary firefighter-they were visited by Sgt. St. Nick!

"Teachers, and students and parents will laugh out loud at this parody of the frenetic pace of holiday happenings at schools."--Copley News Service

What do excited students, craft projects, room mothers, nursing home visits, harried shopping, and near-disastrous pageants have in common? They are all a part of a teacher's pre-Christmas experience. In this energetic romp through a school's last days before the Christmas break, the students are full of energy and are up to all manners of mischief. The teachers are pulling out their hair trying to keep the students busy, while they despair over their own Christmas preparations.

Who should come to the rescue? Santa himself, of course! He arrives at the helm of a flying school bus, with presents for all the teachers and a promise to take care of their shopping for them. The fantastic illustrations work with the text to make this a fast-paced, high-energy comedic interpretation of Clement C. Moore's classic poem. The book is sure to be a read-aloud favorite at Christmas parties in schools everywhere.

With a team of Longhorns, Santa arrives at a sod shanty and drops down the chimney to fill the young�uns� boots with toys.

Santa’s running late! Luckily, a scruffy white pup knows New Orleans by heart, and he’s ready to save Christmas.

Scrim the dog is based on a true story of a scraggly, little white terrier named Scrim that captured the hearts of New Orleanians when he was on the run in the city for many months; he even jumped out of a second story window after he was apprehended! A portion of all book sales will be donated by the author to local animal rescues and animal welfare organizations.

"Original, beautifully illustrated, and . . . extraordinarily memorable from start to finish . . ." —Midwest Book Review

The Sherman family doesn't have very much, but they take good care of one another and are generous to others, making gingerbread cookies as holiday gifts and carefully decorating them to look like friends and neighbors. Then, one Christmas Eve, after the family returns home from delivering their gifts and everyone falls fast asleep, something magical stirs, born in a star of snow, that will change their holiday—and their lives—forever. Inspired by a real rural tradition from the foothills of the Green Mountains, Enchanted Night Before Christmas is a timeless fantasy that reminds us the most powerful gifts are the ones we give away. (Includes a scrumptious gingerbread spice cookie recipe from King Arthur Baking Company.)

Saint Emergency Nick pays the hospital staff a surprise visit on Christmas Eve with helpful elves, new supplies, and even a Christmas tree.

The members of Spring Lane Creek Church are in a panic. Their baby Jesus is sick, the choir hates their newly made Christmas robes, and the overused and underserviced church copy machine is on the blitz. Tears are shed, screams are heard, and just when it seems the congregation might organize a revolt against Pastor McDougall, Santa appears in the pastor�s office. He gently points the pastor to the Bible, reminding him of the true miracle of Christmas. When Pastor McDougall emerges, he finds his congregation glowing from the same message delivered to them by Saint Nick.

In this bayou retelling of the classic Christmas tale, a family of mice celebrate Christmas.

They dance to zydeco music and play games, but their revelry is interrupted as a caped raccoon sweeps through the doors, arms filled with gifts for the children. For little Corinne, he brings one special gift: a handmade nutcracker soldier shaped like an alligator.

In this bayou retelling of the classic Christmas tale, the magic of the nutcracker unfurls as Corinne, clutching her gift, falls sleep under her family’s Christmas tree. She awakens to an army of nutria soldiers under the command of an evil Possum King battling her beloved alligator nutcracker. 

The Nutcracker escorts Corinne through the dreamlike landscape of an enchanted swamp to the Land of Sweets, home to the Spoonbill Sugar Plum Fairy. Seated upon a king cake throne, the pair are greeted by a court of dancing Southern flora and fauna. 

Fans of the ballet will enjoy the reimagined Southern setting and the unique cast of critters that populate the famous tale. 

It's Christmas Eve, and this police officer is on patrol. He encounters Sergeant Kringle, who takes over his patrol so the cop can go home to his family. This whimsical illustrated tale for young readers is a tribute to law-enforcement officers everywhere.

Yo ho-ho-ho! Michael Lewis's sea-faring Santa tale is surely the best buried treasure you'll ever uncover! The Great Pirate Christmas Battle is so funny you'll shiver your timbers with laughter and clap your hands! Unless you have a hook for a hand. Then you probably shouldn't do that.
—Butch Hartman, voice actor for Family Guy, writer for Dexter's Laboratory and The Powerpuff Girls, and creator of The Fairly OddParents

Take to the high seas with this mordantly witty tale of tinsel and terror. Cap'n McNasty and his rapscallions gleefully plunder children's presents—until Santa Claus and his feisty elves swoop in to put an end to their naughty ways!

A holiday who done it for kids. Tallie's Christmas lights were stolen, and she's determined to track down the culprit. Was it the mail man? Her slobbery pup Fuego? To find out, Tallie dons her spy gear, sets a trap, finds the thief, and trades him a more suitable decoration to get her glowing candy canes back.

Santa’s running late! Luckily, a scruffy white pup knows New Orleans by heart, and he’s ready to save Christmas.

Scrim the dog is based on a true story of a scraggly, little white terrier named Scrim that captured the hearts of New Orleanians when he was on the run in the city for many months; he even jumped out of a second story window after he was apprehended! A portion of all book sales will be donated by the author to local animal rescues and animal welfare organizations.

Santy's arrival by johnboat is announced by a ruckus between his pet raccoon and Paw's coonhound. After a feast of ham biscuits, Maw and Paw open their musical gifts, and Santy joins in on the frollicatin'.

In this festive and heartwarming tale, a young boy named Pierce is determined to prove he belongs on Santa’s Nice List.

After sending a letter with a special invitation, he gets an unexpected Thanksgiving visit from Santa himself. As the evening unfolds, small mishaps and honest moments reveal that being “nice” isn’t about being perfect—it’s about learning, growing, and making things right.

Filled with humor, holiday magic, and a touch of Thanksgiving cheer, this charming story reminds readers that everyone deserves a second chance.

“…radiates warmth and merriment… an enjoyable addition to a library’s holiday collection.” —School Library Journal

PARENTS’ PICKS AWARD WINNER

It's Christmas Eve, and Alycat's baking her favorite cookie recipe to share. Her best kitten friends are all coming over to swap cookies and recipes, play Pin the Tail on the Reindeer, and sing Christmas carols. But after Santa leaves them each a special surprise, how will the kittens work together to solve the sweet mystery from Mrs. Claus?

Surrounded by the waters of the Mississippi, the blooming magnolias, and the buzzing mosquitoes, a solitary raccoon made his home in a cypress trunk.

As yet another Christmas approached with no friends to share the holiday season, Roux vowed to make a change. He built a tall bonfire, in the Cajun tradition, in hopes that Papa Noel would see the warm light of the flames on his Christmas Eve flight. 

Roux tucked himself into bed that cold, lonely night with not an inkling that Santa would indeed stop by his swampy abode. The jolly man in red brought gifts for the raccoon who had been nice all year, but gifts, he knew, were not what would bring little Roux cheer. As Santa set off to continue his Christmas Eve rounds, he scoured the bayous and towns for what would make Roux’s holiday complete. Can Santa find the perfect present to save Roux’s Christmas? 

This heartwarming story about the power of hope and the magic of friendship is sure to brighten your holiday reading. Children will enjoy this story of an unlikely friendship set in the southern swamps that references customs and traditions familiar to the littlest Cajuns. A recipe for Roux’s Bayou Stew completes this special tale.

It’s Christmas time in Louisiana! This year Elise and her mother are traveling from New Orleans to join her family in Natchitoches to celebrate the season in a very special way.

Along north Louisiana’s Cane River, holiday traditions include parades—even a boat parade!—along the river and a Christmas festival with arts and crafts and carolers singing. The light-bedecked city of Natchitoches enchants Elise. Christmas lights blink from every lamppost and storefront. The twinkling colors are reflected in the river, and fireworks light up the sky. The sugary scent of funnel cakes and cotton candy saturates the evening breeze. But Elise’s favorite holiday treat is the famous Natchitoches meat pie that Maw-Maw sells at her festival booth every year. Can you guess her secret ingredient?

Natchitoches, Louisiana’s oldest city, has celebrated the Christmas season with a festival for a century. Today, the Natchitoches Christmas Festival lasts six weeks long and features hundreds of thousands of lights, days of entertainment for children and adults, and visits from Santa. And everyone’s favorite festival food? The Natchitoches meat pie, of course! The official recipe for this yummy snack concludes the tale of Elise’s family Christmas.

Down in the swamps of Louisiana, Papa Noël has a big problem. He's hit his head and forgotten who he is. How will the good boys and girls of Louisiana get any presents this year? Mama Noël puts the animals to work alongside the elves to finish the toys and pack this bayou Santa's unique sleigh. Working throughout the night, Mama and her krewe travel up and down the state, guided by levee bonfires. Mama's team of animal helpers are rewarded for their hard work with some delicious local treats left out for Santa and his elves. Louisiana children and their parents will love this new holiday story filled with humorous references to what makes this time of year so special in Louisiana.