The Teachers' Night Before Christmas - Hardcover

by Steven L. Layne (Author)

"Teachers, and students and parents will laugh out loud at this parody of the frenetic pace of holiday happenings at schools."--Copley News Service

What do excited students, craft projects, room mothers, nursing home visits, harried shopping, and near-disastrous pageants have in common? They are all a part of a teacher's pre-Christmas experience. In this energetic romp through a school's last days before the Christmas break, the students are full of energy and are up to all manners of mischief. The teachers are pulling out their hair trying to keep the students busy, while they despair over their own Christmas preparations.

Who should come to the rescue? Santa himself, of course! He arrives at the helm of a flying school bus, with presents for all the teachers and a promise to take care of their shopping for them. The fantastic illustrations work with the text to make this a fast-paced, high-energy comedic interpretation of Clement C. Moore's classic poem. The book is sure to be a read-aloud favorite at Christmas parties in schools everywhere.

Front Jacket

A 2002 INTERNATIONAL READING ASSOCIATION/CHILDREN'S BOOK COUNCIL CHILDREN'S CHOICE SELECTION

"Rice is especially good with facial expressions, whether they are on a Texas jackrabbit, a longhorn steer, a dusty cowboy, or the green and long-nosed alligator named Gastonï¿1/2."
-Library Journal

Pop quiz: How does Santa deliver his presents to good educators on Christmas Eve? Keep your eyes on your own book and find the answer!
Nothing compares to the excitement of children as Christmas approaches. Imagine the havoc in classrooms across the country on the last days of school before the holiday!
This pedagogical twist on the Christmas classic will delight teachers (and even students) everywhere. The traditional trappings of Christmas at school-the Christmas pageant, a visit to a local nursing home, crafts, and the room mothers' party-all end in chaos, while the teachers struggle to maintain order, and, after school, get their own shopping done. In a whimsical touch, Santa Claus arrives in his flying school bus to save the day. Teachers are sure to see themselves in this humorous parody based on the true stories of their peers.

Back Jacket

An energetic romp through a school's last days before the Christmas break, in the style of the Clement C. Moore poem.

Author Biography

Named to the 2001 All-Teacher Team by USA Today 2001 Recipient of the Milken Family Foundation's National Award for Teaching Excellence Steven L. Layne serves as director of the master of education in literacy program at Judson University in Elgin, Illinois, where he is also a professor of literacy education. He is a fifteen-year veteran of public education, serving as a classroom teacher and reading specialist for grades two through three and five through eight. A respected literacy consultant, motivational keynote speaker, and featured author, Layne works with large numbers of educators and children during school visits and at conferences held throughout the world each year. His work has been recognized with awards for outstanding contributions to the fields of educational research, teaching, and writing from organizations such as USA Today, the Milken Family Foundation, the Illinois Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the National Council of Teachers of English, the Illinois Reading Council, and the International Reading Association. A prolific and talented writer, his young-adult thriller This Side of Paradise was the 2002 winner of the Hal Clement Award for Young Adults and the 2003-2004 Texas Lone Star Award. He is also the author of the International Reading Association/Children's Choice selections My Brother Dan's Delicious and The Teachers' Night Before Christmas, the latter of which is also a best-seller in Pelican's Night Before Christmas Series. Layne lives with his wife, Debbie, their four children, and an adorable Collie named Shelby in St. Charles, Illinois. For more information about the author, please visit his website, www.stevelayne.com