Holiday reads at bookstores near you

Bad economy, says who?

Americans opened the holiday season by going shopping, with the National Retail Federation reporting that “shoppers headed to stores and Web sites in droves” over the Thanksgiving weekend. Total spending: an estimated $41 billion, up 7.2 percent over last year.

That confirms one of two things.

Either shopping is America’s true meaning of Christmas.

Or pop culture is playing a joke on God.

Either way, there is a perennial quest for meaning in Christmas. And no wonder. Who wouldn’t be confused when a religious holiday becomes a source of stress, debt, overwork, family tension and, not to mention, terror for small children who don’t want to sit on Santa’s lap.

When it comes to understanding the meaning of Christmas, books can help. Here are some 2008 titles that are catching attention:

“Holidays on Ice” by best-selling author David Sedaris. Ten years ago, this book helped bring Sedaris’ humor to prominence. Now a new edition includes new tales. One is titled “Season’s Greetings to Our Friends And Family!!!” It’s the parody of a Christmas newsletter, in which a family breaks down after the arrival of a half-child from overseas.

So which is closer to the truth? The fluffy letters you really get, or a greedy foreign kid (you can substitute another character of choice, such as your depressed aunt) wrecking havoc?

If you like Sedaris, you might also like Denise Joyce and Nancy Watkins. Their book is “Scared of Santa: Scenes of Terror in Toyland.” It is a collection of photos of screaming toddlers forced to have a picture taken with Santa.

For children, in calmer moments, here are some recommendations from About.com, a news Web site that is unit of The New York Times Co: “The Story of Christmas: Storybook Set & Advent Calendar,” from Workman Publishing. The set includes miniature books that recount parts of the Christmas story.

“Christmas Cookies Bite-Size Holiday Lessons,” the second in a series by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and illustrated by Jane Dyer. Children learn about Christmas through the context of making cookies.

“A Present for Santa Claus” by David Wood. This is a pop-up book featuring a boy named Sam who wonders whether anyone gives Santa a gift. The story leads to a three-dimensional rendition of Santa’s cottage.

Finally, here are a few holiday titles recommended by the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch: “Amazing Peace: A Celebration by Maya Angelou,” in which she calls for peace at all times. She first read this poem in 2005 at the White House tree-lighting ceremony.

“The Miracle Jar: A Hanukkah Story” by Audrey Penn and illustrated by Lea Lyon. It tells history and traditions of the Jewish Festival of Lights through an old country family.

“Celebrate Kwanzaa” by Carolyn Otto, including photographs and recipes about the holiday of harvest and black heritage.

XDiane Evans, a former Knight Ridder columnist, is president of DelMio.com, an interactive online magazine on books.

McClatchy Tribune