The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Author: Barbara Robinson
Copyright Date: 1972
Publisher: Harper & Row
Number of Pages: 80
Reading Level: Ages 9 & Up
Genre: Fiction

Summary
"The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" is about six children--the Herdmans--who end up being in the Christmas Program. Imogene, Ralph, Leroy, Claude, Ollie, and Gladys Herdman are troublemakers and always cause pain and mischief. One Sunday, they end up coming to Sunday School. Beth, the narrator, and her brother Charlie always go to church. The Herdmans heard Charlie say that they always had refreshments in Sunday School, so they decided to come. The next Sunday, Beth's mom made the announcement about the Christmas Pageant, and when Imogene asked Beth what that was about she told her it was about Jesus. She didn't think Imogene cared, but she was wrong. When they met for the first rehearsal, all of the Herdman children were there, and they were the only ones who volunteered for a main role in the Pageant. Through all the practices, Beth's mom encountered many struggles and setbacks in trying to work with the Herdmans, but in the end it all worked out. When the children and congregation sang "Silent Night", Beth looked at Imogene and noticed she was crying. She could not stop crying. All the Herdman children were mischievous and didn't care about anything until the Christmas Pageant, and finally they understood the importance and meaning of Christmas and Christ's birth.

Reaction
I loved this book! When I first picked it up off the shelf, I didn't really know what it was about or anything about the book, but once I finished it, I was happy I came across it. It has such a good message--what the true meaning of Christmas is. It's so wonderful to see how the story of Christ's birth can change people's lives.

Recommendations
I would recommend this book to anyone--it has such a powerful message. I think it's also a good book to read around Christmastime, because it is about Christ's birth.

Problems/Conflicts
The only problems I saw in this book is that all of the Herdman children cause mischief and say mean things and are not very good examples. Parents might be worried that their children would follow that example. Luckily, the Herdmans change in the end.