The stress of gift giving, forced family visits, and too much bad food shouldn’t keep one from enjoying a good book. These are some of my favorites. Most of them have become classics. Some may be new to you.

1. The irresistible "Deke n’ Me" series by...

In my family, the tradition of the Fourth of July is a cherished memory. While my father read aloud from P.G. Wodehouse, my mother supervised the children as we colored pictures of Sacco and Vanzetti that had been traced from a magazine. Today, my family and I blend in, I...