Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Flyby Review: The Sparkle Box


I love, love, LOVE Christmas.  My family and friends give me a hard time about wanting to get ready for Christmas so early.  My husband usually holds me off from putting up decorations until the day after Thanksgiving.  A friend of mine said you'd better not stand still very long in my place, or I might hang an ornament on you.  So you can imagine my excitement when I received The Sparkle Box, a lovely Christmas book to review with my children a full two months before Christmas!!

The Sparkle Box is a simple story about taking some of the commercialism out of Christmas for our children, about learning how we can give something to Jesus for His birthday right here on earth.  I love doing service projects with my children and helping them learn to enjoy Christmas without all the materialism, and to remember the true meaning of Christmas, so I really loved this book.   And if you want to start your own "Sparkle Box" tradition in your own home, the Sparkle Box is included with the book!

I highly recommend this book for anyone with children ages 10 and under.  I read the book with all of my children so that they would know what the "Sparkle Box" under the tree was for, but I have to say that while my teenagers love Christmas traditions with which they've grown up, they are a bit cynical about starting new ones, especially those that involve a storybook.  My youngest, however, (age 8) was enthralled.  His eyes lit up when he saw the Sparkle Box inside.  "You mean they gave us our OWN Sparkle Box?  Do we get to KEEP it?!!"  This will be a fun project for him this Christmas, which hopefully will drive home an important lesson in a very tangible way.

If you would like an extra tool in your belt to teach your children about the meaning of Christmas without the materialism, may I suggest that you add The Sparkle Box into your holiday tradition.  Read the story right after Thanksgiving or around the beginning of December to start the season out on the right foot and to have plenty of time to fill your "Sparkle Box" before Christmas morning!

Of course, you can register here on the blog to win your free copy of The Sparkle Box in plenty of time for Christmas.  Leave a comment on this post or on my Facebook about a service project in which you are participating for the holidays (Thanksgiving or Christmas), or about something nice that has been done for you, by November 27.  Include an email address.  I will select a random winner and email you Thanksgiving Weekend!

About The Sparkle Box - A Gift with the Power to Change Christmas 
Sam is so excited about Christmas! He's thinking about his Christmas list, looking forward to holiday parties, and puzzling over one very mysterious gift: a sparkly box sitting on the mantel. In the midst of the festivities, Sam and his family participate in various acts of kindness to others. On Christmas morning, when Sam finally opens the Sparkle Box, he finds only slips of paper that record the family's good deeds. Sam's mom explains that the things that they've been doing are, in fact, a gift for Jesus, for Jesus said that whatever we do for those in need, we do for Him. 

Written by Jill Hardie
Illustrated by Christine Kornacki
Available now!
Hardcover with jacket, 10 x 10, 32 pages, with a fold-out sparkle box included!
ages 4 to 8 




4 comments:

  1. What a beautiful tradition to start. My kids are in their 30's when they were young I started the tradition on Christmas Eve we had a cake and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus. I hope one day if they have kids of their own they continue the tradition

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  2. We will donate toys. This is so much better than the elf on a shelf...I may stay off facebook during the holidays. I dislike seeing all the elf pics. Susan Houston

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  3. I love this tradition. We have been doing at our home and also at church in the past. My kids are adults now and they are not into gifts at all. They give and celebrate Christmas as Jesus' Birthday. For that I am so thankful.

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  4. The winner is Solitaire F (entry from Facebook). Congratulations and Merry Christmas! :-)

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