Review: The Essential Christmas Classics Collection

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the essential Christmas classics collection

Most of us are familiar with the stories of the major Christmas classics. We may have seen The Nutcracker performed as a ballet, watched one of the many versions of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, or listened to a reading of A Visit From St. Nicholas (better known as The Night Before Christmas). But reading the stories as they were written, and other well-known stories, can be a delight. Simon and Schuster has made it easy for families to do just that, with its release of The Essential Christmas Classics Collection.

The three-book set is easy for young readers to read on their own or perfect for a family read-aloud on a December night. Included is a book for E. T. A. Hoffmann’s The Nutcracker, the original story that became the basis of Tchaikovsky’s ballet. Reading the story brings the tale of magic and dreams to life in a whole different way than when it’s told through dance and music.

Likewise, Scrooge’s tale as Charles Dickens wrote it brings more richness than what’s found in adaptations for the screen. There’s also something fun about comparing a well-known story to the way it was written by the author (particularly if you are fans of The Muppet Christmas Carol like we are in my house).

The third book in the collection presents twelve shorter tales, most of them unfamiliar to modern audiences. I certainly didn’t know that L Frank Baum, who wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, also published a story called A Kidnapped Santa Claus. The Brothers Grimm are featured with The Elves and the Shoemaker, and Louisa May Alcott has a story called Tilly’s Christmas.

Other tales among the group are by author’s famous for other works, like F. Scott Fitzgerald, L. M. Montgomery, and those who are not as recognized, such as Georgene Faulkner and Reuben Saillens. Every story is a delight, and as they are all short, can be read rather quickly on their own or grouped together for longer reading time.

The Essential Christmas Classics makes a great edition to any family’s bookshelf, to be taken out and read seasonally for many years.

The publisher provided a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Moon Cat by Casi Cole

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When a grandchild asks PawPaw for a bedtime story from when the old man was little, he starts by having his grandchild settle in and relax. Then he weaves the tale of Moon Cat, saying:

“When night falls, Moon Cat wakes from sleep. He stretches and yawns, slinking down from the sky.

“Landing quietly, softly on his feet, his pink paw pads knead the earth. He comes through the night sky to your window.”

As PawPaw weaves the tale, his grandchild imagines going on a nighttime adventure with Moon Cat, flying through the sky, resting in a meadow, learning about the stars, and finally traveling to the moon. Moon Cat’s gentle purr and his glow feels safe and warm.

Back on Earth the two visit the ocean until the child’s eyes grow heavy and they return home. Finally, PawPaw tucks the child under the covers, a stuffed kitty peeking out from the sheets. “Sweet dreams little one,” PawPaw whispers.

Moon Cat by Casi Cole is a sweet picture book that’s perfect to be read at bedtime. It highlights the special relationship between a grandfather and his grandchild. And it also educates just a little about the night sky and how the moon affects the ocean tides on Earth. Art by Amanda Romanick fits the dreamy quality of the story, with soft brushstrokes and muted colors.

The publisher provided a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Tales From The Half Continent by D. M. Cornish

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Tales From The Half Continent is book #4 in the Monster Blood Tattoo series by D. M. Cornish. With the saga of Rossamund Bookchild either complete or moving in a different direction, Cornish has turned his attention to other inhabitants of the half continent. There are two tales, each about 100 pages, so shortened from the longer narratives from before.

The Corsers’ Hinge tells of a corpse collector who happens upon a rescue in progress and gets pulled into the action. The Fuller and the Bogle recounts the adventure of a young woman who leaves the countryside after the death of her father to be a servant in the city.

The first of these switched perspectives a couple of times, and while I found the corser interesting, he was not a character I could cheer on. By contrast, Virtue Bland in the second story has a more traditional arc as a heroine in the making. I enjoyed watching her transform from someone afraid to act into a person who decided to confront evil.

Fans of the series will appreciate the way Cornish continues to build out the inhabitants of this world.

The publisher provided a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Limelight by Renée M. LaTulippe

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Theater provides not only entertainment, but also, for many kids, a place to be creative and find friends who enjoy the same things they do. Limelight: Curtain Up On Poetry Comics! by Renée M. LaTulippe delves deep into the theater world from the perspective of each element.

For instance, there’s the audition from the perspective of the actors and the director. But there are also unexpected viewpoints, like from the costumes, the stage curtains and the theater seats. Readers get to learn about the buildup to a show until opening night.

Even more fun, is that each element gets the spotlight with a bit of poetry. A guide at the back tells which kind of poem was used in each case. There are well known forms, such as rhyming couplet, abstract, and concrete poems. But there are also many that are not common known, such as reverso, echo, monorhyme, and pregunta, which is described as “the first stanza asks one or more questions that are answered in the second stanza.

Illustrations by Chuck Gonzales provide the graphic interface that helps readers pull it all together. It’s a great way to hooked on poetry as well as theater. I recommend Limelight for anyone ages 9 to 12. It’s sure to appeal not just to budding actors, but to anyone who likes attending performances or who may be interested in working behind the scenes on the stage crew.

The publisher provided a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Rock Star by Sandra Neil Wallace

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Ursula Marvin wanted to study rocks, but her male professor wouldn’t let her major in geology. That didn’t stop her. She switched schools, graduated, and became one of the first geologists to study rocks brought back from the moon.

Her discoveries about the minerals she found in the rocks, and later in meteorites, changed what scientists know about the moon and the solar system. Marvin’s passion for her studies and her tenacity in continuing to pursue them despite obstacles in her path are the subject of Rock Star: How Ursula Marvin Mapped Moon Rocks and Meteorites.

Author Sandra Neil Wallace shines the light on this pioneering scientist who braved extreme conditions in Antarctica to collect rock samples. Nancy Carpenter’s illustrations show Marvin as curious and dynamic, excited by her ability to advance the research.

Over a fifty year career, Marvin continued to make discoveries that helped researchers understand how the universe began. Also, she paved the way for more women to become scientists. It’s an inspiring story, and more information about Marvin is included at the back of the book.

The publisher provided a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Just In Case by Megan Clendenan

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Much of the food we eat, the flowers that bloom, the trees that shade, grow from seed. A seed pit becomes an avocado, a seed sliver becomes a marigold, a seed acorn becomes an oak. With so many things around us growing and producing seeds, it seems people wouldn’t have to worry about saving them.

And yet they do. Changing climate and favorite varieties of plants like corn, mean that some plants are not growing the way they have throughout much of history. So people created a seed bank, a place to save millions of these tiny bringers of life, where they can be kept for future need.

Just in Case: Saving Seeds in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, is a picture book by Megan Clendenan that tells all about the Svalbard Global Seed Vault—which aims to save seeds from around the world—why it was created, and how it was built. The facts are astounding: the vault was built in the Arctic, deep in a mountain, where the treasures it holds are safe from earthquakes, fires, and asteroids. It protects more than 580 million seeds, and there’s plenty of room for more.

Illustrations by Brittany Cicchese perfectly capture the icy nature of the location, an island in Norway home to polar bears and Arctic foxes. The images set in Svalbard are mostly blue toned, giving the feeling of cold. In contrast, the illustrations of places where the seeds come from, shown in times of growth, are warm toned, with browns and mossy greens and rust reds.

Facts about seeds throughout the book are a great companion for learning. Also, there’s more information in the back about how the seeds are kept safe for the long term and what’s in the vault. It’s an interesting story that should have wide appeal for children who are drawn to stories about real life.

The publisher provided a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Press 1 For 1nvasion by J. A. Dauber

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Matt knew he should have turned in the cell phone when he found it on the ground. But he really wanted to see what using one would be like. And since his parents wouldn’t let him have one yet, he figured what could be the harm keeping it for just a bit. Turns out, finding the cell phone was the first step he took on the path to possibly thwarting an alien invasion of Earth.

Press 1 for 1nvasion by J.A. Dauber is the enchanting middle-grade story of how Matt goes from being a normal kid with normal concerns to potential civilization-saver. And it all starts with the cell phone. Which, it turns out, was left for him to find by one of the aliens, his lunch lady Mrs. MacGillicuddy. When Matt looks through the camera, he can see any alien as they really look instead of the disguise they wear to appear human. This lets him start a conversation with the lunch lady.

Mrs. MacGillicuddy has had a change of heart about conquering Earth with her species, and she believes Matt can help her convince her fellow aliens to leave it be. But trouble comes in all sorts of places, including from the school crossing guard, Mr. Mackintosh. He also lives on Mrs. MacGillicuddy’s planet, and he has no qualms about wiping out humans. Matt will need all his courage and determination, plus the help of his crush Marcela, to save the day.

Press 1 For 1Invasion weaves a fun and imaginative tale while taking readers on lots of twists and turns until a satisfying ending. It’s premise that humans are tasty and aliens want to eat them reads more like Hansel and Gretel than a horror story, making it a good book to read pre-Halloween, but also any time. I recommend it for ages 9 to 13.

The publisher provided a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Review: Factotum by D. M. Cornish

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Factotum, book three of the Monster Blood Tattoo series, finds Rossamund Bookchild settling into life with Europe in her home in Brandenbrass. He has a much to worry about, including the accusations that question his origin and what he is, as well as the life of violence killing monsters he has signed up for as Europe’s factotum.

While his life in the household is comfortable, he feels threats all around, and when he once again comes to the aid of the powerless, he is targeted by a powerful nemesis intent on destroying those he loves.

While I ultimately enjoyed this installment of Rossamund’s story, I found it a bit slow to start, with a lot of what was to come being set up in the first couple of hundred pages, but not much action in that time. Also, the use of terms specific to the created world sometimes strung together in ways that made it difficult to follow. I would have preferred simpler language throughout.

That said, once action picked up I enjoyed the story and felt that the trilogy came to a satisfying closure for Rossamund, or it raises the possibility for his tale to continue in another direction. Either way, I think the fantasy series takes readers on a fun ride through an imaginative world, while having them ponder the question of what makes a monster.

The publisher provided a copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

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