The words "Christmas pageant" will either fill with a nostalgic glow or make you break out into a cold sweat. 

Donald Davis knows that the holidays you remember aren't the ones where everything goes as expected; instead, you remember the ones that bring an element of surprise—if not outright disaster.

The Davis household had its fair share of these incidents, including: the time the bear stole the family's Christmas dinner; the time the boys' Christmas gifts got "repossessed;" the time Joe-brother was cured once and for all of opening his presents early; the time Donald and his friend Larry Leatherwood laid a trap for their little brothers... and snagged some unfriendly wild game instead.

The arc that these stories create follow a family in rural Appalachia from the horse-and-wagon days through the family's first car, new "modern" house with its gas stove, and first television—and reflects the revolving ways extended and immediate families observe, embrace, and celebrate the holidays.

These humorous Yule tales will put readers in the holiday spirit as well as teach them about the importance of fairness, resourcefulness, and respect.