Armed with a surplus book he picked up from the Library to Congress, Rep. Jeff Denham announced to Virginia Parks Elementary School first-graders that he was about to read them "Aliens Celebrating Christmas." No sooner than he could flip the cover open, he was promptly reminded by one open student of Megan Silveira's that "aliens don't celebrate Christmas," which cracked a wide smile on the face of the Republican lawmaker.

Denham, 46, bantered about the book as he read it, and then delivered the work by Virginia Apelian to the school library, along with approximately 15 other books.

"I enjoy doing this for schools," said Denham after his brief Wednesday visit to the school in north Ceres. "It's so hard to get these kind of surplus for schools in my district."

Denham said that he misses reading to his own children, who are now 15 and 17.

The school stop was the second Ceres visit in four days. Denham and other members of Congress are on their recess. On Sunday, Nov. 3 Denham made an appearance at St. Jude's Catholic Church to speak to Latino Catholics about pressuring other lawmakers to support H.R. 15 for immigration reform and a pathway to citizenship.

Denham, who was elected to the California State Senate in 2002 and to Congress in 2010, is being opposed for re-election by Turlock farmer and beekeeper Michael Eggman.