It's
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday
at
at
and #IMWAYR day
at
Happy Christmas! Have you reduced children to tears? We had odd Christmases when my children were young. There were family elves named Jeek and Glendle who put he gifts under the tree in the front yard, took gift tags off and scattered them around, and one year put all of the gifts in a large LABELED box on the dining room table that the children had to pass multiple times during the morning in order to get their waffles. There was sadness until this was pointed out, and gifts were finally found.
When my children wrote to Santa, they got brochures about Santa Claus, Inc. in return. I was so distraught when my father told me there was no Santa (using the unctuous Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus) that I refused to lie to my children. I maintained that while some people believed, I did not. As a result, my older daughter was in 6th grade before she realized the truth. She was crushed, but couldn't blame me!
October 12, 2023 by BBC Children's Books
Purchased copy
Had to buzz through this quickly because I bought it for a gift for a young fan and have to pass it along.
I've never seen an episode of the television program, so felt like I was dropped in medias res; maybe the stories are continuations of episodes? Everything I know about Dr. Who comes from Solomons' The Secret of Vault 13 (2018) and Cooper's What is the Story of Dr. Who (2019). There are a variety of settings and characters, and the stories stand alone fairly well, although I think this would be much more interesting with the background of the television show in mind.
One interesting thing about the book was that I really got a feel for the character of the tenth doctor. He was funny and acerbic, and ready to jump into any situation. I enjoyed reading the stories, and the Christmas connection to all of them was quite fun.
The book itself is very pretty, and I adored the amount of white space of the borders of the pages. It seemed so luxurious. I know that's silly, but it makes reading so much more pleasurable when the words aren't crammed onto the page. I'm not entirely sure why the first story had me turn to page 255, but since we are dealing with a time traveler, it makes an odd kind of sense. Another reviewer said that the last story ties into the new Doctor Who Annual 2024. The concept of annuals dealing with favorite literary characters sounds so delightful, and I'm rather sad that I didn't know about these when my own children were young; they would have loved having a Jacqueline Wilson annual. (If you have any Minecraft fans, there is one available!)
One Christmas in Our Building: A Very Merry Mystery
While most books about Christmas are cozy and festive, this book shows that sometimes, things go wrong despite plans being made. In this book, Emma realizes that while her father and stepmom Susan want Christmas to be perfect, there are some problems when traditions are different. Some families don't see presents under the tree until Christmas morning, and some times turkeys can be too be for the pan or even the refrigerator. When the family leaves the turkey outside in the hallway to stay cool, it is a disaster when it is gone the next morning. They ask their neighbors if anyone has seen it, but no one has. There's no other turkey to be found, so the family sits down to Christmas spaghetti. Luckily, the Singhs bring a lamb curry to share, the Wilson-Taylors show up with a cake, and the elderly Mrs. Angel brings some cookies. The neighbors get to know each other a little better through sharing their holiday, although the culprit, a shady gentleman who never talks to anyone, seems unrepentant.September 19, 2023 by Floris Books
E ARC provided Young Adult Books Central
Aside from the fact that I am concerned about the food safety of storing poultry in the hallway (Did their neighbor perhaps save everyone from food poisoning by stealing the bird?) this was a fun book about the importance of community over the holidays. Celebrations rarely go smoothly, and it's important for young readers to see that one can still be happy even when things go wrong. Sometimes people argue a bit about how the day should go. There's even a great picture of the father looking at his phone while Susan is struggling with the turkey that seemed very realistic!
The illustrations have a lot of good details about the celebrations others are having in their apartments, and have a quirky feel to them. They feel very current, with the family in loose sweaters and fuzzy socks, with elements like the aforementioned phone.
While this is a little bit of a mystery, there's not much investigation. It's more of a feel good stroy about the importance of community, especially around the holidays. Hand it to readers who enjoy big celebrations, like those in Ashford's A Winter Candle or Sharff's When Santa Came to Stay.
18 October 2022 by Dial Books
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
Copy provided by Young Adult Books Central
I'm a HUGE fan of Santa mythology and back story, and my own personal children may have been regaled with tales of Santa, Inc. and his global domination of the plaything market, as well as Jeek and Glendle, our own personal elves who had a checkered past with legal problems and personal issues! It's fun to think about Santa living in one's house and making himself at home. How does Santa live his daily life? What does Mrs. Claus do when she's not working at the North Pole? There's even a tantalizing glimpse of Santa's children! There is a lot of humor, but also a good message reminiscent of the 1892 short story "Christmas Every Day" by William Dean Howells.
The drawings are appropriately filled with shades of green and red, and become increasingly chaotic as more and more people fill up the house. The pages are rich with detail, and young readers will enjoy locating items and counting how many presents or Christmas baubles fill the pages.
There should be more "biographical" picture books explaining the details of Santa's life at the North Pole; perhaps I should work on Jeek and Glendle's sad, sad tale that still gets embellished every year, since they still visit and leave a scavenger hunt that always involves going outside into the snow at some point! When Santa Came to Stay is a fun backstory to read along with Hale's Super Santa, Berlin's Hey, You're Not Santa, Brockenbrough's Love, Santa, and Furman's A World of Cookies for Santa. Just make sure that you have a plate of cookies nearby!
September 12, 2023 by Dynamite Entertainment
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
My own personal children would have liked this, but some of the official comments in this book are at odds with what they believed. This is a great choice for children who are old enough to have a lot of questions about Santa but really just want to believe in him. My only quibble is that some of the text was in white on pale blue backgrounds, making the somewhat small print hard to read. I'll have to take a look at a physical copy; a larger page size than a Nook can support would help a lot.
From the Publisher:
Have you ever wondered what really goes on in Santa’s North Pole headquarters? Come along for a journey to a place like no other where you will experience all the innovation and wonder the North Pole has to offer. This insider’s guide gives you an unforgettable and unprecedented view into one of the most magical places on the planet. Dive in to learn about the state-of-the-art robot and drone technology, remarkable reindeer, enchanting elves, as well as the best places to visit, stay, and shop. Whimsical text and vivid illustrations make this a book you’ll want to return to again and again.
No comments:
Post a Comment