October 1, 2015
PreS-Gr 2-On December 9, 1965, the animated special A Charlie Brown Christmas was originally aired on CBS, and a tradition was born. The book version of the story has been published many times over the last 50 years, with different authors taking on the challenge of adapting it to the page. This 50th anniversary edition presents a very streamlined tale, told in the present tense. Readers never find out, for example, that the play Charlie Brown is supposed to direct is a Nativity play. Still, the main points are all there-Snoopy's well-decorated dog house, little Sally's avaricious letter to Santa, Linus's brief but powerful reminder of the original Christmas story, and Charlie Brown's sad little tree, which becomes something special when the gang works together to decorate it. This paperback edition with glitter on the cover may not last for 50 years, but it hits the important notes and might do better with younger readers/listeners. VERDICT Buy a few extra copies of this perennial favorite.-Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library
Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.