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Title details for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson - Available

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

#1 in series

by Barbara Robinson
Elaine Stritch
Audiobook
1 of 2 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 2 copies available

Laughs abound in this bestselling Christmas classic by Barbara Robinson! The Best Christmas Pageant Ever follows the outrageous shenanigans of the Herdman siblings, or "the worst kids in the history of the world." The siblings take over the annual Christmas pageant in a hilarious yet heartwarming tale involving the Three Wise Men, a ham, scared shepherds, and six rowdy kids.

Ralph, Imogene, Leroy, Claude, Ollie, and Gladys Herdman are an awful bunch. They set fire to Fred Shoemaker's toolshed, blackmailed Wanda Pierce to get her charm bracelet, and smacked Alice Wendelken across the head. And that's just the start! When the Herdmans show up at church for the free snacks and suddenly take over the Christmas pageant, the other kids are shocked. It's obvious that they're up to no good. But Christmas magic is all around and the Herdmans, who have never heard the Christmas story before, start to reimagine it in their own way.

This year's pageant is definitely like no other, but maybe that's exactly what makes it so special.

  • Creators

  • Series

    The Herdmans

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    July 26, 2005

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780060873530
      • File size: 41309 KB
      • Duration: 01:26:03

  • Languages

    • English

  • Levels

    • ATOS Level: 5.1
    • Lexile® Measure: 930
    • Interest Level: 4-8(MG)
    • Text Difficulty: 3-6

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Barbara Robinson's 1972 story of the rotten Herdman family, who take over the annual church Christmas play, is still fresh, avoiding preachiness and achieving heartwarming hilarity. Elaine Stritch shares all of it like the best small-town gossip, and the voices of kids and grown-ups alike are real and, more importantly, funny. Events reel out at a breakneck pace, but Stritch's narration stays steady and in control. The whole family's guaranteed to laugh (but perhaps adults, who may find the antics achingly familiar, most of all), and there's every reason for listening to THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER to become an annual holiday tradition. J.M.D. (c) AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      September 26, 2011
      The “worst kids in the history of the world” are laugh-out-loud outrageous in this rollicking picture-book adaptation of Robinson’s 1972 novel. Cornell’s (My Mommy Hung the Moon) humorous, energetic illustrations highlight the incorrigible Herdman siblings’ naughtiness, as they’re pictured acting out well beyond the shenanigans chronicled in the punchy text. At Sunday school, they “stole all the money out of the collection plate,” and the fact that they don’t know the Nativity story “didn’t stop them from picking out the best parts for themselves.” As in the original version, they steal the show, providing a satisfying primer for kids not yet ready for Robinson’s longer holiday treat. Ages 4–8.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:5.1
  • Lexile® Measure:930
  • Interest Level:4-8(MG)
  • Text Difficulty:3-6

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