The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: An Award-Winning Holiday Classic of Laughter and Christmas Spirit―Now a Major Motion Picture from Lionsgate (The Best Ever, 8)

Our family loves this book and we read it every year! It’s such a meaningful story that is mixed for so much laughter!

Hilarious and a great Christmas story! We bought the movie first here on Amazon, and have repeatedly watched it. So we decided to buy the children’s book that inspired the movie. It’s a fast, fun read and teaches the real meaning of Christmas. The story is Christian-themed but doesn’t proselytize. It makes a great gift to any young person with its red foil cover and colorful illustrations.

This story of Christmas has been on my favorites list since I first discovered it shortly after it was published in 1965! I was teaching second grade and chose to read it to my class, a chapter a day. Their feedback was great! They identified with the bullying, poverty, haughtiness, good and bad parenting, children's behavior on stage, competitiveness, dealing with mistakes and surprises, and prejudice: all of which are presented in this refreshing retelling of the Christmas Story. Barbara Robinson has a wonderful gift of telling this story in a frank, yet hilarious manner. The Herdmans were enticed to church when they discovered they'd get snacks. The director's family going without dinner because she was so caught up in her volunteer position that she forgot to fix it. The Herdmans' transition from outcasts to heros was especially poignant to me. I recommend this book to all who know the biblical accounts of Christ's birth and can appreciate how mankind has attempted to retell it throughout history. This simple retelling, written so children can understand it, is the most meaningful to me. It is truly the Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

So, I’ve read this book several times throughout my life and the story itself improves as I mature. Yes, it’s a book meant to be read to children, but as a kid you don’t pick up on all the underlying details and meaning. The prose is simple but gets its point across. It is a deeply Christian book that shares a message about mercy and the change that can happen when you fully embrace the gift of His birth. I have noticed that there are a lot of one star reviews that harp on the fact that the Herdman children are rotten to their cores. That they smoke and steal and all manner of things. These reviews complain because the word sex is in the book. Well, they’re not wrong. The Herdmans are kinda awful bullies, and the word sex IS in the book— twice, I think. But I would be remiss in writing a review if I didn’t say that those people who are complaining about those things completely missed the point of the book. They completely miss the point of their own religion, in my opinion. This book is meant for sinners to see that there is another way, and to remind Christians like myself that Christ came here for ALL of us— especially the sinners— and we’d all better be grateful for that because news flash: we are all sinners… especially the prideful among us who would turn away children that need guidance simply because they have a bad reputation, those who would ignore a person’s spiritual growth because that person knows the word sex, or isn’t clean to the standards of the person doing the judging. Don’t read this book if you think yourself above sin. Don’t read this book if you think you’re the only one God sent His Son to save. DO read this book if you want to see prideful, uptight Christians put in the hot seat for once. DO read this book if you want a fun story about a person’s changing character. DO read this book if you want your kids, or yourself to understand the significance of Christmas.

I just received this item. I immediately starting flipping through the first chapter of the book and the pages are already coming loose. I want to give it to my granddaughter (9) and I worry that this will be a one time read as the pages will surely fall out soon. The book almost seems like it was old and the paper weak. Perhaps that is why the price. I also want this for my daughter-in-law because she is a teacher. May be a good holiday read for her class, however I will be looking for a hardback copy because of this condition.

Loved, loved, this story accompanied by much laughter and amusement reading this story. A true classic!

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever makes us all laugh, but also brings tears to our eyes as the true meaning of Christmas is beautifully captured in Barbara Robinson's simple words. My father has read me this book every Christmas. I have the words memorized. It has also created a bond between us and is a tradition that strengthens family ties.

Good book! I read this when I was younger and read it to my child. Recently found out it’s also a movie.

The best Christmas read! I read this book out loud with my kids and what fun we had. The kids were vaguely aware of the Christmas story, but hadn't ever thought of it the way the Herdmans did. So when it did come up, we did stop and ponder on it.. Saying 'thats actually right!' Smaran says - it was a great book telling us about the story of Jesus and explained about deep feelings about Christmas Avni says - the books is about the spirit of Christmas and you can always change.. It's never too late to become loving and grateful for the spirit of Christmas.

I wanted to read this with my 10 yr old and 5 yr old sons, to share one of my happiest childhood memories with them. Much to my delight, they both got right into the story and cheered with happiness at the end. And now we have a new family tradition, reading this on Christmas Eve. So happy. :-)

Una bonita y optimista historia navideña, perfecta para leer en familia o para practicar el inglés. La edición de Harper Collins es muy sencilla y el papel tiene aspecto de reciclado (aspecto tosco y color grisáceo).

I read this book when I was in grade 3 and it still holds the same magic. It's a great story that will appeal to the whole family. The book is about a down on their luck family with a group of "bad" kids, who are the town terrors. After a comment made by the narrator's brother, they attend Sunday school and take over the Christmas pageant. The end result is both hilarious and touching. My 2 kids are 10 and 12 and loved it. We also watched the movie on YouTube, and even the grandparents enjoyed it!

Love this book. Little grand children love it.