VENTURA COUNTY WEEKEND : Anthology Will Build More Than Yule Spirit : Sales of ‘Home for the Holidays,’ a collection of celebrity Christmas stories, benefit Habitat for Humanity.

It elicited “bah humbugs” from Charles Dickens’ Scrooge. Strangers in the market ask if you’re ready for it. Pundits pontificate that it’s too commercial. The media bombard us with images of merry families feasting, gift-giving, singing carols, worshiping.

It’s jingle bells time. If you’re still making gift lists may I suggest “Home for the Holidays,” a charming, illustrated anthology of Christmas stories created to benefit Habitat for Humanity, which builds low-cost housing with and for families in need. Among the 60 contributors who share their Christmas memories are Jimmy Carter, John Grisham, Charles Kuralt, Mickey Mantle, Coretta Scott King, Charlton Heston and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

“A Christmas Story” by Jay Frankston is a slim volume describing the Jewish author’s feeling of being left out of Christmas as a child and his years of playing anonymous Santa Claus to poor children. Order from Whole Loaf Publications, Little River, CA 95456. (707) 937-0208.

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Oxnard residents who have overdue library books will be forgiven their fines if they donate canned food to Food Share to help needy families. The Oxnard Public Library has sponsored Amnesty ’95 since Dec. 9, and today is the final day to bring in overdue books and canned goods to the main library at 251 South A St. or 200 E. Bard Road.

“The library really needs the books returned and our neighbors really need the food,” said librarian Sandra Vose. Call her at 385-7526 to find out if the deadline can be extended.

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An open house and Christmas tree ornament craft session for children is scheduled from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at the Ojai Library, 111 E. Ojai Ave.

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Poets are welcome to share their work at open readings at 8 tonight at Cafe Voltaire, 34 N. Palm St., Ventura.

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The annual presentation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” starring Lionel Barrymore, will air at 6 p.m. Saturday on National Public Radio’s flagship station KCRW-FM. Tune in 89.1 FM for KCRU/Oxnard-Ventura; 102.3 FM in Santa Paula, Moorpark and Fillmore; and 102.1 FM in Ojai.

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Children are invited to participate in fun and games based on R.L. Stine’s “Goosebumps” books beginning at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Barnes & Noble, 4360 E. Main St., Ventura.

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Daniel Hedrick of Ojai has won the local write-like-Raymond Chandler competition sponsored by the Library of America and the Ventura Bookstore. Hedrick’s prize was a two-volume set of the collected works of Chandler just published by the Library of America.

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Art/Life, the limited edition monthly, which features the work of visual artists and writers, is celebrating its 15th anniversary this month. Anyone interested in submitting articles, essays, poetry and art should contact editor Joe Cardella, P.O. Box 23020, Ventura, 93002. Call 648-4331 for details.

Information on literary events should be sent to Frances Halpern at least two weeks in advance. Write to her at 93 S. Chestnut St., Ventura 93001, or send faxes to 653-7576.