Barbara Robinson (1) (1927–2013)

This is one of the best Christmas books ever! The Herdman children sow chaos wherever they go, and they go everywhere except church. That is, until the narrator’s brother, Charlie, unthinkingly makes church sound like Willie Wonka’s chocolate factory. The Herdmans bully their way into the church’s annual nativity pageant, snagging all the major parts – Mary, Joseph, the wise men, and the angel of the Lord. At first, the Herdmans live up to expectations, but then something special show more happens.

The Herdmans didn’t hear the Christmas story from their parents or in Sunday School. They’re experiencing it for the first time. The pageant had become routine for those who reenacted it the same way every year, and the Herdmans forced them (and the readers) to reflect more deeply on the nativity. This book is both laugh-out-loud funny and inspirational, and it left me feeling the joy of Christmas. show less

This is a sweet story of a family of misfits largely despised by their local community for their unruliness (and they're bullies who may also be arsonists) who overtake a church's annual Christmas pageant that they only know about because they showed up to Sunday School for the refreshments. The refreshments that they were upset to find were NOT as good as they were told, but instead they land starring roles as Mary, Joseph, and an Angel.

G was cast in a musical adaptation at a local youth show more theatre so I bought a copy of the source material to find out what it was about (funny story, her character, Teddy, is not in the book!). G has been quoting the scene with Alice not being allowed to say *whispers* pregnant at home and now I'm even more excited to see these amazing kids put on a very fun show.

(Having been out of church for so long, I'd completely forgotten about how nothing was a snack at church, it was a refreshment (in the fellowship hall after the sermon) and I can hear my mom saying it. Memory is a funny thing.) show less

I love this book. I was introduced to it when Mrs. Stewart read it to my second grade class, and I've adored it ever since, though only recently, during an episode of insomnia, did I fully rediscover its goodness. I love how it brings out the earthiness, messiness, mystery, and beauty of the Incarnation in a totally non-preachy way. Theological without trying too hard to be; funny and touching.

I read this short, funny, episodic novel with my 12-year-old and we both enjoyed it thoroughly. Taking place over the course of their 6th grade year, the stories focus on the narrator Beth's classmate, Imogene, one of the Herdmans, who "told lies and smoked cigars and set fire to things and hit little kids and cursed and stayed away from school whenever they wanted to and wouldn't learn anything when they were there." In the 6th grade, the teacher assigns "Compliments for Classmates" and, show more while Beth is assigned to Imogene, the chapters relate the shenanigans and outlawry of the Herdmans, "one of them in each grade." Naturally, despite her canny scheming, Imogene eventually emerges as somewhat admirable ("Nobody else thought of buttering Boyd's head or washing their cat at the laundromat."), challenging Beth to see the good in her--not a bad assignment for any class. show less