*Easter Stories: Classic Tales for the Holy Season

Easter Stories is a lovely—and literary—collection of short stories from authors both old and new.

*Easter Stories: Classic Tales for the Holy Season. Plough Publishing House, 2015. 374 pages.

Reading Level: Teens, Ages 12 and up

Recommended For: Ages 8 and up as a family read aloud

Easter stories are about redemption. They’re about mankind’s need for that redemption. And they’re about sacrifice, suffering, and sorrow, too. In this particular anthology, a ragman takes on the suffering of those around him. A selfish giant learns what it means to love. A peasant named Ivan and a little boy named Peter begin to appreciate beauty. A barge-master defends the church bells, the “voice of God.” Plus many more….

Easter Stories: Classic Tales for the Holy Season is a marvelous collection, full of literary tales that span more than a hundred years. Stories from recent authors such as Walter Wangerin (The Book of the Dun Cow and many others) and Clarence Jordan (of The Cotton Patch Gospel fame) live happily alongside tales from the likes of Oscar Wilde, Leo Tolstoy, Elizabeth Goudge, and C. S. Lewis. Thus, the collection as a whole is a fresh offering, different from the many (excellent) anthologies that already house the older works. Pastoral tales mix with urban tales, old with the new, European with American. This is a book to read aloud and savor, pulling it out each year to re-read old favorites and perhaps read a new story or two.

Considerations:

• Maturity: As with many literary anthologies, stories will vary in their maturity level; most seem to be accessible to a broad audience range, but parents with younger children may wish to preview stories before reading them aloud.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

• Worldview/Moral Rating: 5 out of 5
• Literary/Artistic Rating: 5 out of 5

Read more about our ratings here. *indicates a starred review

This is a book to buy for your home library; we doubt it will be in local libraries. As of this post, the best (and only place) to purchase the book is directly from the publisher, Plough Publishing. You can find out more information about the authors and stories included from their website. Should you decide to purchase, you may also wish to check out Home for Christmas, a similar short story collection.

Related Reading From Redeemed Reader

• A Review: Faerie Gold, edited by Lindskoog and Hunsicker, is another lovely anthology
• A Resource: Fairy Tales List (not your typical fairy tales list, this is full of similar anthologies and works to the one above)
• A Resource: Christian Easter Gifts for Kids and Teens (coming soon!)