If you’re planning to use Barbara Robinson’s hilarious classic The Best Christmas Pageant Ever with your students this holiday season, you’re in the right place. Below you’ll find teaching ideas, student projects, and cross‑curricular activities that pair perfectly with this crowd‑pleasing December read‑aloud.
Reading Level
Lexile 760L
Interest Level
Grades 3-5
Length
150 pages
Award
ALA Notable Children’s Book
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About the Book
When the always‑in‑charge Mrs. Armstrong breaks her leg, the responsibility of directing the annual Christmas pageant suddenly falls to Mother. At first, she feels confident she can handle it — until the Herdmans show up. Known as “the worst kids in the history of the world,” the six Herdman siblings have a reputation for causing chaos wherever they go.
To everyone’s shock, the Herdmans volunteer for all the main roles in the pageant: Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men, and even the Angel of the Lord. Their lack of church experience, combined with their wild behavior, turns rehearsals into a series of disasters. From misunderstandings about the Christmas story to arguments over costumes and props, nothing goes according to plan.
Despite the chaos, Mother refuses to give up. As the Herdmans learn the meaning behind the nativity story, something unexpected begins to happen — the pageant takes on a sincerity and heart no one anticipated. What starts as a potential disaster becomes one of the most memorable Christmas performances the town has ever seen.
Read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever to discover how Mother manages to pull everything together and how the Herdmans transform the pageant in ways no one could have imagined.
⭐ Book Details
| Publication Date | 1971 |
| Reading Level | Lexile 760L • Scholastic Guided Reading Level K |
| Interest Level | Grades 3–5 |
| Major Awards | ALA Notable Children’s Book |
| Length | 150 pages (approx. 39,040 words) |
| Estimated Reading Time | About 2 hours and 36 minutes |
| Audiobook Length | 1 hour, 26 minutes |
| Genre | Humorous Fiction |
| Setting | Woodrow Wilson School • The church • The community |
| Point of View | First person (Beth Bradley) |
| Themes | Character Change • Poverty • Appropriate vs. Inappropriate Behavior |
| Memorable Quote | “I've got the baby here,” Imogene barked at the Wise Men. “Don't touch him! I named him Jesus. Hey! Hey! Unto you a child is born! It's Jesus, and he's in the barn. Go see him! Go on! Go! … SHAZAM!” |
| First Line | “The Herdmans were absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world.” |
Activities for The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Novel Study Samples
I want to let everyone try a sample of this book unit. This download includes the multiple-choice comprehension questions plus the constructed response question for Chapter 1. Following each constructed response question, you’ll find a full-page answer key. You can see the variety of skills and activities included in the unit with the “Table of Contents” and “Lesson Plans at a Glance” page.
You can get the free book unit sample by clicking the button.
Interactive Notebook Activity
In this activity, students summarize the two events in the book where the fire department comes to put out a fire. Students then contrast the two events from the story using a T-Chart. The activity makes a small four-page shape book that can be glued into an interactive notebook. Two versions of the cover are provided: a full-color version like the one pictured and a blackline version.
Applesauce Cake in the Classroom
In Chapter 6, the church ladies are busy getting ready for Christmas. They are baking applesauce cakes in the kitchen. At the same time, students are having a dress rehearsal for the Christmas pageant. Imogene decides to smoke a cigar in the bathroom during a short break. One of the ladies making cakes notices the smoke. The fire department is called, and the church is evacuated in a panic. After a thorough inspection of the church by the fire department, the only thing that is found burning is the cakes that were left baking in the ovens. Our class wanted to bake applesauce cake during this chapter. The only way to bake in the classroom was using a crockpot. Students had a blast. The cake was delicious, and students learned about measuring ingredients accurately.
Comparing Different Versions of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Have students compare different versions of the story. These YouTube videos will help. The first video is the 1983 made-for-TV movie. This 48-minute-length film stars Loretta Swit, Jackson Davies, and Antony Holland.
The second video shows a song montage. The film contains the songs only from the musical version of the story. Select one or two of your favorite songs and compare how the songs enhance the story. The full length of this video is 34:25.
Many audio versions of the story are available on YouTube. Mrs. Morris Reads is excellent.
Watch the Movie
You can watch the entire made-for-tv moviestarring Loretta Swit, Jackson Davies, and Anthony Holland on YouTube. This movie was created in 1983 and is 48 minutes long.
Song Montage
Merry Christmas!
See the product that inspired this post.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Book Unit contains graphic organizers for an interactive notebook and game activities covering vocabulary, comprehension questions, constructed response writing, and skill practice.
