This is not your average sweet-and-stirring Christmas story. This one's got an edge. But, presented from a child's point of view, the edge is funny, irreverent, and irresistible.

Author Barbara Robinson's prose is fast, clever, and very funny. She celebrates the humor in just about everything. The child narrator is almost witty beyond her years, which makes this a great choice for older readers and parents looking for a Christmas story they'll enjoy reading to their kids. But exercise parental discretion; not all parents will want their children exposed to the antics of the main characters or will appreciate the liberties the story takes with what some people may consider sacred ground.

But though it's all in fun, it offers a subtle but important lesson: Just because you're bad doesn't mean you're hopeless. The Herdmans voluntarily go to the library to research their parts in the play. And Imogene's final scene shows us an unlikely side to her character that's sure to stir up compassion and encourage mature readers to reflect on its meaning.

Because the story centers on a popular Christian childhood event, some of the meaning and irony may be lost on readers unfamiliar with Christmas pageants. But everyone can appreciate the universal humor and underlying meaning.

From the Book:
We're strictly a no-talent outfit except for a girl named Alberta Bottles, who whistles. Last year Alberta whistled "What Child Is This?" for a change of pace, but nobody liked it, especially Mrs. Bottles, because Alberta put too much into it and ran out of air and passed out cold on the manger in the middle of the third verse.