I love the premise of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. The author examines the Christmas story as seen and heard for the first time by tough, sinful children. Through the perspective of a child narrator, the reader observes the Herdman's natural responses to the conditions surrounding the nativity that have become unreal and sanitized to many more familiar with the events. The children are incensed, for example, at the thought of Herod getting away with killing babies.
The contrast with the "nice religious folks," for whom the Christmas story is familiar and even dull, may be uncomfortable for some — and if you feel it is wrong to treat sacred matters less than reverently, this will not be a story for you.
The Herdman children are perfectly horrid without being explicit (talk "dirty", smoke cigars, swear, etc.) . The author expertly portrays "the rottenest kids in the history of earth," just as another child might imagine such children to be. Some parents may not want their children exposed to the Herdman's antics. For just this reason, we waited until our children were older before having them read/listen to this story.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is short, so the wonder of the Herdman children and the new eyes with which the narrator sees Jesus is not developed as much as I would have liked, but the concept is unique and touching. The religious folks are remarkably ignorant of scripture and unthinking about their faith; nonetheless, all Christians will likely recognize themselves and others in parts of the portrayal. Sometimes outrageous, often funny and with a sentimental twist to remind us that no one is hopeless, this book would, in my opinion, be best read aloud to older children. Entertaining and definitely not sappy sweet, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever does not make my list of favorite Christmas stories ever, but it is certainly worth at least one read and provides some great material for thought and discussion. Even better, it might help change the way you and your family (and I and mine) view "those kids" the next time you run into them at church or anywhere else. Since loving God and loving others are the most important things in life, this alone would make reading the book worthwhile.