‘Tis better to give than to receive. Even though the economy is in a tizzy, Christmas is still an opportunity to teach your children about the magic of being selfless. One Christmas, during a year of general economic difficulty, my parents took us to purchase several shopping carts full of toys. We dressed up like elves and delivered the gifts to random children in a needy neighborhood near my father’s office. I’ll never forget how that made me feel.

For your older kids, The Gift of the Magi is a timeless, touching tale about a couple who discovers the deep meaning of acting selflessly. After reading it, help them take the opportunity to act selflessly this Christmas and find a gift for someone who needs it more than they do. If your family is having a tough season, suggest that they sacrifice one of their own gifts this year for someone in greater need. It’ll build character and create a Christmas memory they’ll never forget.

The Book

Title: The Gift of the Magi

Click here to get the book and more in our Amazon store.

Author: O. Henry

Illustrator: P.J. Lynch

Recommended Age: 9-12

Book Brief: In a shabby New York flat, Della sobs as she counts the few coins she has saved to buy a Christmas present for her husband, Jim. A gift worthy of her devotion will require a great sacrifice: selling her long, beautiful hair. Jim, meanwhile, has made a sacrifice for Della that is no less difficult. As they exchange gifts on Christmas Eve, the discovery of what each has done fills them with despair, until they realize that the true gifts of Christmas can be found more readily in their humble apartment than in any fine store. O. Henry paints a masterly portrait of unfaltering love, a haven from the harsh world outside. The poignancy of his story is captured in P.J. Lynch’s eloquent art, wherein every glance, every gesture, tells a subtle truth.

About the Author: O. Henry, aka William Sydney Porter, was born in North Carolina in 1862. A master of the short story, he wrote hundreds of tales whose wry humor and plot twists, often amusing or ironic, have earned him a place as one of the best-loved American writers. He died in 1910 at the age of forty-seven.

About the Illustrator: P.J. Lynch is the celebrated illustrator of many beloved and acclaimed books, including A Christmas Carol, The Bee-Man of Orn, and Ignis. He has won the Kate Greenaway Medal twice, for The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey and When Jessie Came Across the Sea. He lives in Ireland.

The Blast

Toys for Tots

Location:

Multiple drop-off locations.

Visit www.toysfortots.org/donate/toys.asp to find a drop-off location near you.

Cost: Varies

It’s a Blast! Toys for Tots collects unwrapped toys during the months of October, November, and December and then distributes those toys to children in need for Christmas. The gifts are distributed within the community in which they are collected. The campaign is run by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, with the goal of giving hope to needy youngsters. The organization has been delivering Christmas joy since 1947, and tens of millions of toys are collected and distributed every year.

You can help! Take your children to the local toy store and let each one pick out a toy for another child. This is an easy program to participate in because you aren’t tied to a specific request. Give your kids a set dollar amount and let them explore the toy store or shopping mall for an hour. When you’re done, drop the toys off at one of the drop-off locations. Take some time to talk about what that gift will mean to a child whose family wouldn’t be having a Christmas without your help.

Extra tips for a Good Time:

• A convenient drop-off location is your local Toys R Us store. You can make a meaningful trip to the toy store without having to search around for someone to take your gifts.
• Realize that this may be difficult for your child. Don’t make it a bad experience by persistently scolding them about their selfishness. Instead, let the event make its impact slowly. Sit down over a cup of hot chocolate and talk about why it’s important to be giving this time of year.
• Make this a holiday tradition, and your kids will begin talking about it before December hits – very cool!

The Polar Express has always been one of my favorite Christmas books. The magical storytelling and imaginative art combine for a classic that you and your kids will read year after year. When Warner Bros. set out to make a film based on the book, they certainly had their work cut out for them. Using state-of-the art technology (especially considering it was 2004!) and a unique animation style, Robert Zemeckis breaths life into Chris Van Allsburg’s illustrations. Virtually every image from the book is depicted by a frame in the movie.

Though the experimental animation falls short of its potential in some scenes, the movie was an immediate hit in our home . . . and then we saw it in IMAX 3D! The audio experience alone was literally breathtaking, and I’ll never forget feeling like the train was coming out of the screen and stopping inches from my face. In some scenes it even felt as if snow were falling inside the theater. We’ve gone to experience it in IMAX for three consecutive years, but you’d better catch it this year because there’s no telling how many more seasons IMAX will continue to showcase this Christmas spectacle.

The Book

Title: The Polar Express

Click here to get the book, the movie, toys, and more in our Amazon store!

Author & Illustrator: Chris Van Allsburg

Recommended Age: 4-8

Book Brief: Late one Christmas Eve after the town has gone to sleep, the boy boards the mysterious train that waits for him: the Polar Express bound for the North Pole. When he arrives, Santa offers the boy any gift he desires. The boy modestly asks for one bell from the harness of the reindeer. The gift is granted. On the way home the bell is lost. On Christmas morning, the boy finds the bell under the tree. The mother of the boy admires the bell, but laments that it is broken – for you see, only believers can hear the sound of the bell.

In strange and moving shades of full color art, Chris Van Allsburg creates an otherworldly classic of the Christmas season. The Polar Express evokes the same sense of mystery as his previous imaginative books, The Garden of Abdul Gasazi, Jumanji, and The Wreck of the Zephyr.

About the Author & Illustrator: Chris Van Allsburg is the winner of two Caldecott Medals, for Jumanji and The Polar Express, as well as the recipient of a Caldecott Honor Book for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. The author and illustrator of numerous picture books for children, he has also been awarded the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children’s literature. In 1982, Jumanji won the National Book Award and in 1996, it was made into a popular feature film. Chris Van Allsburg was formerly an instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife and two children.

The Blast

Polar Express:  An IMAX 3D Experience

Location:

IMAX Theater Arizona Mills

Arizona Mills Mall

5000 Arizona Mills Circle – Tempe, AZ 85282

(480) 897-IMAX

http://www.imax.com/tempe/

Cost: $14.50 (Adult); $12.50 (Senior); $11.50 (Child)

It’s a Blast! All Aboard in IMAX 3D!

This Christmas movie, based on the classic Caldecott award-winning children’s book written by Chris Van Allsburg, is directed by Oscar winner Robert Zemeckis and stars two-time Academy Award winner Tom Hanks. Using state-of-the-art CGI and stop-motion photography to create a unique blend of realism and fantasy, it tells of a doubting young boy who takes an extraordinary train ride to the North Pole and embarks on a journey of self-discovery that shows him that the wonder of life never fades for those who believe.

Experience an arm chair adventure that will take your breath away…literally! The IMAX Theatre Arizona Mills provides you with a larger-than-life escape putting you in the heart of the action! You haven’t really seen The Polar Express until you’ve seen it in IMAX 3D.

Extra tips for a Good Time:

• Buy some bells on ribbon and give them to your kids when the movie is over. They’ll wear them all month long!
• For weekend and evening viewings, buy your tickets in advance.

Between an early game of football and the big feast, I’ve always enjoyed spending a few Thanksgiving moments watching the annual Macy’s Thanksiving Day Parade. From the giant character balloons to the elaborate floats, the event must be the most-watched parade in America. The final attraction is always the transition from one holiday to the next, when the Christmas season is ushered in by Santa Claus himself!

Use that magical moment as a launching point for reading Miracle on 34th Street. The book picks up where the parade leaves off, and it’s sure to get you and your kids into the Christmas spirit.

The Book

Title: Miracle on 34th Street

Click here to buy the book and more in our Amazon store!

Author: Valentine Davies

Recommended Age: 9-12

Book Brief: A white-bearded gentleman who appears at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade fills in for an unfit Santa Claus-and is asked to become the store’s resident Santa. This Kris Kringle believes he is Santa, as do children from all over the city, and reindeer at the zoo nearby. A few skeptical souls try to have him declared insane, but miraculously, the State of New York, with the help of the U.S. Postal Service, come to the gent’s rescue by declaring that he is indeed Santa Claus.

About the Author: Valentine Davies (1905–1961) was a prominent Hollywood screenwriter. He was president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a member of the Writers Guild of America, which now presents the Valentine Davies Award as one of its highest honors. Davies wrote the book and screenplay concurrently, and they were released in the same year.

The Blast

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Location: Your living room (tune in to NBC)

Date: Thanksgiving

Time: 9am-noon (recorded airing)

It’s a Blast! The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by Macy’s department store. It features floats, bands, dancers, clowns, and other performers and attractions. The parade has been delighting live attendees since 1924 and television viewers since 1948, taking a break only during 1942-1944, during World War II. This year the parade celebrates its 80th anniversary and will feature more than 10,000 participants. It is estimated that over 3.5 million spectators will be present and an additional 50 million people will watch from home while the turkey is in the oven.

Extra tips for a Good Time:

• Don’t expect the kids to watch the whole show (3 hours is REALLY long, especially on your day off of school!). Instead pick and choose a few floats and performances to watch. The best bet is to TiVo it and start watching with about an hour left. That way you pick up all the best parts and pack it into an hour.
• Let your kids play the games on the official website. They can even create and watch their own parade!
• Watch for this year’s new balloons . . . Buzz Lightyear, Horton, and a Smurf.