Skipping Christmas
Author: John Grisham
Publisher: Doubleday
Publication Date: November 6, 2001
Pages: 177
About the Author
John Grisham is an American bestselling writer, attorney, politician, and activist best known for his popular legal thrillers. His books have been translated into 42 languages and published worldwide.
"And it's just for one year. Let's take a break."
Luther and Nora Krank decide to skip all the traditional Christmas activities and take a ten day Caribbean cruise. Their daughter leaves the Sunday after Thanksgiving for a year-long stint in a Peruvian village as a Peace Corp volunteer. Christmas will not be the same without Blair, so the Kranks plan to take a break from Christmas decorating, gift giving, parties, etc. and enjoy a much-needed vacation. They will leave at noon on Christmas day.
Unfortunately, the peer pressure from the Krank's neighbors is sometimes hilarious and sometimes downright scary. This upscale suburban neighborhood demands unquestioned conformity. It does not go over very well when Luther Krank refuses to mount a Frosty the Snowman decoration on his roof.
Things really get interesting when the Kranks get a phone call from Blair on Christmas Eve saying she is on her way home with her new fiancé and is expecting a traditional Christmas like the ones she remembers from her childhood.
Will Luther and Nora tell Blair about their plan to skip Christmas and go on a cruise or will they give their daughter the old-fashioned Christmas that she is dreaming about?
My Thoughts
This book has been setting on a shelf in our house for many years. I decided that my husband and I would both read the book and then watch the movie "Christmas with the Kranks." My husband is a huge John Grisham fan and has read all of his legal thrillers, but he never read this book. On the other hand, I am not much of a fiction reader and have only read one Grisham book..."The Firm."
Dean and I read the book last week and then got up early yesterday morning and watched the movie on Amazon Prime. We both got some good laughs from both the book and movie. We could relate with many of the feelings the Kranks expressed about commercialism during the Christmas season. We could also understand the peer pressure from the neighborhood leaders (bullies) when the Kranks refuse to live up to the unspoken expectations and rules that were long-standing and deeply ingrained.
The real value of this book comes to light at the end of the book. The Kranks have some serious decisions to make. Will they put their vacation plans on hold and go all out to give their daughter the kind of Christmas she is dreaming about? The answer to the question is YES!
However, what will happen to the cruise? It is not possible to get a refund, so will that money be thrown away OR will the real meaning of Christmas shine through all the frivolity?
This is a light-hearted and humorous Christmas read that will put a smile on your face and remind you of the spirit of generosity and love during the holiday season. The movie is a nice bonus after you read the book.
MY RATING: 4 STARS OUT OF 5
FYI - I purchased a print copy of this book with my own funds.
Thank you for reading this book review. Please share your thoughts in the comments section below or tweet me @JanetteFuller.
A non-traditional Santa Claus is coming to town in a high-tech helicopter. How will he choose the perfect present for each boy and girl?
Title: Presents Through the Window: A Taro Gomi Christmas Book
Author/Illustrator: Taro Gomi
Publisher: Chronicle Books, LLC
Year of Publication: 2016
(Originally published in Japan in 1983 by Kaisei-Sha Publishing. Copyright 1983 by Taro Gomi.)
About the Author
Taro Gomi is an internationally renowned author and illustrator who has created more than 350 books for readers of all ages. He lives in Tokyo, Japan.
Santa Peeks In the Window and Picks a Present!
Santa has a big bag of presents to deliver but no time to go inside the house.
So, he peeks in the window and observes a child sleeping in the bed. He picks a present out of his bag and tosses it through the window.
Sometimes looks can be deceiving. Things are not always as they seem.
Will the children be happy with their presents on Christmas morning?
My Thoughts
"Presents Through the Window" is an interactive picture book that includes die-cut windows to see into a sleeping child's bedroom.
The text is very brief but the beautiful illustrations really make this book a WINNER!
Young children will have a blast looking in the windows and guessing who is inside. Does Santa choose the correct present?
When one child accidentally gets two presents and another gets nothing, the story illustrates the joy of sharing.
This book is a wonderful gift to all Taro Gomi fans. Children have been enjoying his stories for over 30 years. This book is available in print and Kindle editions. Recommended!
My Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5
FYI - I purchased this print book for $0.79 at Goodwill. An awesome thrift shop find!
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Title: Santa's Tree Topper
Author: Shannon Glenn
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Date: August 19, 2012
About The Author
Shannon Glenn lives in Oklahoma with his wife and two preschool
boys. Shannon is passionate about writing children's
stories that children will want to read or have read to them.
The Spirit Of Christmas
Every year there is a huge contest at the North Pole. All of Santa's elves make ornaments for the Christmas tree. Each year the best ornament is chosen by Santa to sit at the top of his tree in the center of the workshop.
Brody is a young elf and Santa asks him to enter an ornament in the contest for the very first time. Brody chooses a simple blue glass bulb to enter in the contest. It is not even a tree topper but Brody knows this ornament is very special. When he stares at the blue ornament, he sees the Christmas star shining within.
Santa sees the true beauty in this simple ornament and reminds the elves that this Star announced the birth of the Creator of the Universe. Brody's ornament expresses the true meaning of Christmas.
The second story in this ebook is "Grandma's Christmas Cookies". This story tells how Mrs. Claus discovers the secret ingredient in Santa's favorite chocolate chip cookies. The recipe is included at the end of the story.
My Thoughts
It is the time of year to break out the Christmas books. Many people are so busy that they don't take time to enjoy the wonderful books that are available to enrich and enhance the Christmas season.
"Santa's Tree Topper" was written for children but will be enjoyed by all ages. I really liked the way the author took a story about Santa and his elves and used it to share the real meaning of Christmas. The stories are well written, original and poignant. These are the kind of stories that you will remember and want to pass on to loved ones.
The only illustration that is included in this ebook is the cover. I would encourage the author to connect with a book illustrator and add some pictures to both of these stories. I love the cover illustration and would like to see pictures through-out the story.
This ebook will make a memorable addition to your Christmas book collection.
My Rating: 4 Stars Out Of 5
FYI ~ I received this ebook as a free
download during a special promotion on Amazon.Com. Please check the current price before
ordering.
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"Christmas Jars", a New York Times Bestselling novella by Jason Wright, first became a phenomenon during the 2005 holiday season. Readers across America reacted to the message of daily giving and sacrifice by creating their own Christmas Jars.
Today, thousands of glass jars rest on kitchen counter tops, slowly collecting the spare change generated each and every day. On Christmas Eve, each jar, now overflowing with both money and goodwill, will anonymously find a new home. In turn, the grateful recipients will put the money to good use in their lives and begin their own jar. Thus hearts and lives are changed and the cycle continues.
About The Author
Jason Wright is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USAToday bestselling author. He is also a political commentator and the co-founder of http://www.politicalderby.com, a popular website for political junkies.
A Very Special Santa Claus
This short story begins with some background information about a man who would become a popular and beloved Santa Claus. He served in the Korean War and came home to marry Pauline. They wanted to have children of their own, but that wasn't to be. After working in a factory for many years, he retired and began his new job as a Christmas Santa Claus.
It started when Jake Carnahan, the church Santa took ill. The demand for his services grew over the years. He and Pauline loved the children. They went to churches, hospitals, shopping malls and many other places...always delivering presents and spreading the joy of Christmas. His job as Santa Claus occupied most of his time for over 20 years.
When Pauline died of cancer, he was able to carry on his Santa Claus tradition with the help of some friends. Last Christmas, Santa came home from his last Christmas event of the season. He saw a plate of cookies, a glass of milk and a Christmas jar on his kitchen table. This was not an ordinary Christmas jar full of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. This jar was filled with some very special silver-colored wooden coins that touched Santa's heart in a special way.
This story will take you about 15 minutes to read and it's message will bless you throughout the Christmas season. Santa does not have the easiest job in the world, but it is surely the most rewarding. This book was a delight to read. Highly recommended for the entire family!
FYI ~ I purchased this ebook from Amazon.Com. It was available as a FREE digital download when I received it. Please check the price before ordering.
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A 9-year-old Alaskan boy finds two large packages in the middle of a snowy field.
Did they fall from Santa's sleigh?
"Santa Flies A Bushplane; a Christmas Revelation", by Lance Brodie, is a touching story about a young boy's quest to find Santa Claus....and the real meaning of Christmas.
Where Is Santa?
A young Alaskan boy's sister tells him that Santa Claus does not exist. The boy is determined to prove her wrong.
Lance finds two large Christmas packages in the middle of a snowy field. The packages are right out in the open and have large red ribbons on them. He believes these presents must have fallen from Santa's sleigh and some unfortunate children would be very disappointed on Christmas morning.
The boy decides to open the boxes to see if he could find out where the packages came from. There are no toys in these packages. Instead, he finds baby bottles, infant formula, a disassembled wheelchair, old eyeglasses, some pills and metal leg braces.
Lance knows that these packages must have been going to a hospital or orphanage where they will be urgently needed. He knows that he has to chase Santa Claus down and get these packages back into his hands, or die in the attempt.
My Thoughts
The boy embarks on an amazing adventure to find Santa and return the packages before it is too late. He displays perseverance, courage and determination in his quest to return these packages to the original owner.
This short Christmas story is a FANTASTIC read for the entire family. It proves that Santa Claus really does exist and he has many helpers. I highly recommend this book for your reading enjoyment.
FYI ~ I ordered this ebook from Amazon.Com ~ I received the book while it was offered as a FREE digital download. Please check the price before ordering.
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The Christmas lights are mysteriously disappearing from the streets and homes of Porterlance.
Will Santa be able to find the town in the dark?
"A Stranger At Christmas (Porterlance Series)", written by James McCullough and illustrated by Dennis Cox, is a delightful rhyming Christmas story for kids.
This book has just been published for the Kindle and the color illustrations will look great on the new Kindle Fire!
Who Took The Lights?
On Christmas Eve, a wicked stranger comes to Porterlance with a plan to ruin Christmas. He cuts the colorful Christmas lights on all the houses in town. He hopes that Santa will not be able to find the town in the dark.
Ben and Sarah get a glimpse of the stranger cutting the lights on their house. The stranger runs and hides but the kids have an idea that will save Christmas.
Thanks to these quick-thinking children, Santa found the town of Porterlance and all the children received their presents.
But that is not the end of the story. Santa confronts the evil stranger and the story has a very nice surprise ending!
My Thoughts
Kids will love the rhyming text and colorful illustrations in this book. I read this book on my Kindle and viewed the color illustrations on my Kindle for PC application (no, I don't have a Kindle Fire....yet.) The formatting looks great with a color picture and two lines of text on each screen view.
This is a great book for Santa to leave on Mom or Dad's ereader. I promise you the kids will love it! Recommended for ages three to eight.
FYI ~ I ordered this book from Amazon.Com when it was offered as a free digital download. Please check the current price before ordering.
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