Auntie Claus and the Key to Christmas

 

Shirley J.                           Juvenile Fiction                Disbelief, Naughty List, Family Business, Keys

Auntie Claus and the Key to Christmas by Elise Primavera    40 pages

When Sophie's little brother Christopher has a question of faith in Santa Claus hence the family business, he goes on a quest to get on the naughty list to prove whether or not there really is a Santa Claus because he has been bad every year and still got presents, no lump of coal.    Turns out his sister and Aunt had been running interference for him with Santa and that is why he got presents not through ay effort of his own.  A lot happens and like Pinocchio, Christopher falls in with a bad crowd of bad people but luckily his sister, Aunt and Santa have his back.   A good story with teachable moments.  I recommend this one to listeners to young readers.

Auntie Claus

 Shirley J.                        Juvenile Fiction                        Santa's Sister, Hotel Living, Christmas All Year

Auntie Claus by Elise Primavera    40 pages

There is a lady who dresses in red and white, much like Santa's outfit, who eats Christmas cookies all year round and lives in the penthouse of the Bing Cherry Hotel.   She goes on mysterious business trips every fall and doesn't return till after the first of the year.   Curious.   Turns out "Auntie Claus" is Santa's sister and he couldn't do Christmas without her invaluable help every year.  A cute story.  I recommend it for listeners and young readers.

The Truth About Mrs. Claus

 

Shirley J.                             Juvenile Fiction                       Family Tradition and finding your niche

The Truth About Mrs. Claus by Meena Harris    40 pages

Amalia is an elf and she was born into a long line of teddy bear making elves.   The trouble is every female elf in her family tree has something special about the teddy bears they make, shiny, soft, etc. but Amalia just can't seem to find what would make the teddy bears she makes stand out.    She goes to see Mrs. Claus for help with her situation.   A cute story about secrets, about being a legacy and following in your forebears' career path and about finding that special quality that makes you special in your own way.   Good story.   The author says she came from strong female forebears so perhaps there is a story within a story here.      I recommend this book to listeners and young readers.                                         

                                                             

Santa Claus: The Magical World of Father Christmas

 Shirley J.      Juvenile Literature        Everything about Santa, the elves, reindeer, north pole, etc.

Santa Claus: The Magical World of Father Christmas by Rod Green    32 pages    

Everything you could possibly think of about Santa, the North Pole, the elves, Santa's house, his workshop, the reindeer, the village where the elves live not to mention the mailroom where those naughty or nice sortings get done.  So lifelike it is hard to know whether the illustrations are amazingly realistic looking drawings or photographs.   You will learn the tools Santa uses to make it around the world in one night and other secrets will be revealed.   An amazing look into all things Santa Claus.  I recommend this one for listeners on up to 1st grade and of course for family reads and discussions.

Little Owl and the Big Tree: A Christmas Story

 Shirley J.     Juvenile Literature        A true story of the little owl in the tree chosen for Rockefeller Ctr.

Little Owl and the Big Tree: A Christmas Story by Jonah Winter  32 pages

A true and heart wrenching story of a little owl living inside a tree in a forest who finds itself the victim of men coming in and cutting the tree down.   The owl managed to survive the fall of the tree to the ground and was so small that the people cutting down and loading the tree did not even see.   The tree was taken to Rockefeller Center for the Christmas holiday display.   The poor little owl was not discovered until they began decorating the tree.  It had tried to hunt a few times at night, but, was so disoriented by being out of the forest and in the city, the traffic, the noise, the pollution all did a number on the poor dear.   By the time it was taken to a wildlife rescue center it was severely dehydrated and starving.   The staff there nursed it back to health and released it near their location in a forested area.   I hope all alone the poor thing was able to survive.   I recommend this story to listeners on up to 3rd graders.  I think beyond that kids would question the whole scenario.

The Gift of Ramadan

 Shirley J.            Juvenile literature                             Explains Ramadan customs and fasting    

The Gift of Ramadan by Rabiah York Lumbard  32 pages

This book tells the story of Sophia, her family and particularly her relationship with her grandmother.  Sophia wants to fast for Ramadan but she is little and it is hard for her to fast from water and food from sunrise to sunset.  Children, the elderly or infirm and pregnant/nursing mothers are not expected to observe the whole fast as are older children and adults.   Ramadan is observed for 30 days with no food or water taken throughout the day.  Families can rise early and have breakfast before the sun comes up and they can have dinner together once the sun goes down but during daylight hours nothing no water and no food must be eaten nor drank.   It is a very informative story of Ramadan and I, as an adult, learned a lot.  I recommend this story to listeners on up to 3rd grade, though, it would be a good family story time read with discussion after.   

Auntie Claus: Home for the holidays

 

Shirley J.                Juvenile Literature                     Sophie Kringle's Aunt (Sister to Chris Kringle)

Usually every year Sophie Kringle's Auntie Claus goes on a business trip to the North Pole to help her brother Santa Claus prepare for his Christmas run.   This year, Sophie has won the coveted role of the Sugar Plum fairy in her school play, so, Auntie Claus decides to move Santa's whole operation to New York, specifically to the Bing Cherry Hotel where Sophie's family and Auntie Claus reside, so everything can still be achieved at the same time and everyone will get to attend Sophie's performance.  A sweet story, I recommend it to babies, listeners on up to 3rd graders.

Everything is Mama

 

Shirley J.               Juvenile Literature                                   A baby penguin calls everything Mama    

Everything is Mama by Jimmy Fallon   32 pages

Jimmy Fallon has written a series of 3 books: Dada, Mama and Baby.  In this book, animals try to teach their babies that there are other words for things and activities but all the babies say is, "Mama!"  No matter what they are looking at or doing - everything is mama.  An adorable book with cute illustrations.  I recommend this one to babies and listeners.  

The Porcelain Maker

The Porcelain Maker by Sarah Freethy 384 pages

 

There is a plethora of World War II novels on the bookshelves, and I expect a plethora more to appear as 100 years start to creep up on us. One hundred years since Hitler rose to power, one hundred years since he invaded Poland and the list goes on and on. The way time flies for me anymore, 2045 will be here in a week.

 

Many of the WWII books I have read center on the citizen soldier, the more formal Resistance the concentration camps, etc. with the goal of beating the Germans, Italians and Japanese. But The Porcelain Maker is different. It has a different tone and feel that made this novel. Debut novelist Freethy takes one item from the history books: the porcelain factory that was located near Dachau. The novel also has a structure that I so love: dual narratives.

 

It's 1993. Clara Vogel has never known who her biological father was. Now that her mother, the world-renown artist, Bettina, has passed away, Clara feels she can begin her search. Although she doesn’t hold much hope, she wants to try. Her mother refused to talk about the past, but Clara understands that there is a connection between Bettina’s art and the porcelain factory that I mentioned above. It’s all she has to go on.

 

The other narrative, 1925-1946, is Bettina’s story. A budding, talented artist, Bettina is making a name for herself in a Germany that didn’t know Hitler and his thugs. She falls in love with Max and the two begin to plan a life together. Max is an Austrian Jew who is also gaining respect from his peers around the world.

 

This book is about three voyages. Clara’s journey to learn her father’s name. Bettina’s is about to survive the war and keep her child safe, no matter what it takes. Max’s journey is also to survive the war and find his way back to Bettina so they can live they dreamed.

 

It’s also about faith, perseverance and the juxtaposition of beauty and unimaginable horrors. Readers will know the ultimate outcome of the novel before the end of the first chapter, but the journeys captured my heart. The Porcelain Maker gets 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.