Christmas in New York City |
New York City has to be one of the greatest places in America, if not the world.
Luckily for us, many authors have chronicled The Big Apple's antics in a way just right
for kids.
Here are some of
the books available. This is not yet a complete list, but I'm adding
books to the list daily. If you wish to purchase any of these books, click on either the title or the book cover to be directed to Amazon.com. As a warning, I have put up pictures of the book covers to give you somewhat an idea of the style of each book (I know, I know. "Don't judge a book by its cover") so the pages may load slowly, depending on the speed of your internet connection.
The categories below are sorted by approximate age group and topical categories. Feel free to browse around. The same links are located on the left side of your screen. To return back to this page, simply click on the "Welcome" link on the left.
If this website came up without frames, click here to see the complete "New York City Books for Kids" website with frames.
Other Pages of Interest:
Fiction & Historical Fiction:
General Books About New York City (Nonfiction) |
Fiction NYC Picture Books and "Easy Reader" Stories (Ages 4-8) |
Fiction NYC Books (Ages 9-12) |
New York Fiction for Young Adults |
New York Historical Fiction (Colonial Period and Revolutionary War) |
New York Historical Fiction (Ellis Island & Immigration) |
New York Historical Fiction (Life in the 1800s) |
New York Historical Fiction (Life in the 1900s)
NYC History:
New York Biographies |
Native Americans from New York (History and Historical Fiction) |
New York History (Colonial Period and Revolutionary War) |
New York History (Immigration and Ellis Island) |
New York History (The 1800s) |
New York History (The 1900s) |
The World Trade Center and September 11, 2001 |
NYC Locations:
The Statue of Liberty |
The Empire State Building |
Central Park |
NYC Art Museums (Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, etc.) |
NYC's American Museum of Natural History |
Harlem Books (Including books about the Harlem Renaissance) |
Chinatown Books |
Little Italy Books |
The New York City Subway System |
Brooklyn Books |
The Bronx Books |
Queens Books |
Staten Island Books |
Long Island Books |
Upstate New York Books |
New York State Books
Life and Travel in NYC:
Thanksgiving in New York City |
Christmas in New York City |
New York Sports Teams and Players
The NYC Fire Department (FDNY) and NY Police Department (NYPD) |
General Books About Cities |
New York City and New York State Test Preparation and Study Guides |
New York Regents Review Books |
Parenting in New York City |
New York Travel Guides for Families with Children
NYC Toys, Puzzles, and Games (For Kids & Adults) |
Amazon.com Coupon Codes
Beginning Readers
Auntie Claus
(Gift Set)
By Elise Primavera
Also Available as Individual Book
It's Christmas at the North Pole, and Sophie Kringle's great-aunt, Auntie Claus, is off on her annual business trip. Auntie Claus is so mysterioso! Is she just another eccentric New Yorker? This Christmas, Sophie goes along to find out what her beloved auntie is up to.
Straight from Santa's workshop, this brilliant Christmas package features Oscar-winning actress Ellen Burstyn's dramatic reading of Elise Primavera's beloved story on CD, a magical key ornament, and the bestselling book. Join the Kringle family and celebrate Christmas with everyone's favorite great-aunt-Auntie Claus! Full-color illustrations
Description from Publisher
Spoiled Sophie Kringle is bound and determined to find out the truth, once and for all, about her mysterioso Auntie Claus, who serves Christmas cookies in July and fills her penthouse with glittery Christmas lights all year long. In this lavish gift edition of the bestselling picture book, Auntie Claus, by Elise Primavera, Oscar-, Tony-, and Golden Globe-winning actress Ellen Burstyn provides a dramatic reading of the story in a CD, while mesmerized children can read along in the handsome hardcover book. Even more festive, a sparkly gold key ornament is also included, adding the perfect touch for the Christmas tree. For all those children who stay off the B-B-and-G Christmas List (bad boys and girls), here is a terrific holiday treat that lets the true spirit of giving shine through.
Description from Amazon.com
Auntie Claus and the Key to Christmas
By Elise Primavera
The companion book to Elise Primavera's much-celebrated Auntie Claus, Auntie Claus and the Key to Christmas, gives Sophie Kringle's younger brother, Christopher, a turn in the starring role. Finally, Chris will learn the Kringle family secret--that his great-aunt Auntie Claus, inhabitant of penthouse 25C of New York City's Bing Cherry Hotel, is Santa Claus's older sister! When Chris overhears someone say that only babies believe in Santa Claus--and then repeats the rumor!--he is immediately summoned by Auntie Claus for tea, marmalade cake, and a talking-to. During teatime he learns of the PRUNES--Parade Rainers United National Elite Society (people who would dare to say there's no Santa) as well as the B-B-and-G List (Bad-Boys-and-Girls) that Santa makes each year. Taking it all with a grain of salt, Chris decides to use the scientific method: he'll behave so boorishly that he'll get on the List--if he still gets presents, he'll know it's all a hoax. Sophie attempts to demystify Christmas for him once and for all, sending him up in a magical elevator to the North Pole where he discovers (1) he made the List, (2) PRUNES exist, and (3) Santa exists. Sharing some of the smart-alecky humor of Jon Scieszka's Time Warp Trio series (Ozzie and Pam Spam are on tour promoting their new book We're Geniuses and Yer Not!, for instance), Auntie Claus then dashes the comparison with a sweet-as-cherry-pie maxim--"the best things are invisible"--which also happens to be the key to Christmas. Once again the whimsical, grand, richly colored paintings steal the limelight in this o'er complicated holiday tale. Still, those enchanted by the first Auntie won't want to miss it.
Description from Amazon.com
Santa's big sister is back! This time, Auntie Claus's grand-nephew Christopher Kringle is front and center, wreaking havoc at the Bing Cherry Hotel when he repeats the rumor that Santa doesn't exist. Summoned to his great-aunt's penthouse suite, Chris learns of the "B-B-and-G List" (bad boys and girls), and arranges to get himself onto it in order to get to the bottom of the family secret. While the plot is overwrought in places, it's great fun nonetheless, with Auntie Claus's larger-than-life presence presiding over Primavera's vibrant, richly saturated gouaches and pastels.
Description from Publishers Weekly
This lighthearted sequel to Auntie Claus continues the adventures of Santa's extended family, the Kringles, who enjoy a life of luxury in the Bing Cherry Hotel in New York City. This time it is her nephew, Kris, who is the focus of the story. After hearing the precocious Spam twins declare that there is no Santa Claus, he, too, begins to doubt and goes on a campaign to be listed on the dreaded Bad Boys and Girls List. His sister Sophie sends him to the North Pole on Auntie's magic elevator, where he encounters the other Bad Boys and Girls, PRUNES (members of the Parade Rainers United National Elite Society) disguised as Snowboys, and ultimately declares his belief in Santa Claus after all. The wordplay and stylish jewel-toned illustrations will appeal to sophisticated adults as well as to kids who, like Kris, say, "I'll believe it when I see it."
Description from School Library Journal
Christmas in the City
By Loretta Krupinski
"Look, my dear, we have our very own Christmas tree," said Mr. Mouse.
"And, the very biggest!" said Mrs. Mouse.
Hundreds of people looked back up at the tree, while the mice watched the skaters below. They were country mice. The tree was their home. Now they found themselves in the heart of New York City, Rockefeller Center. When Mr. And Mrs. Mouse's tree is chosen to be the very special Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, the two little country mice find themselves in the bustling world of great big New York City.
There they experience all of the wonder of their lively new home, go ice-skating at Rockefeller Center, window-shopping at FAO Schwarz, eat pretzels and chestnuts, hitch a ride on a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park— they do it all! And then they receive the most precious gift of all—a family.
Description from Publisher
An Ellis Island Christmas
By Maxinne Rhea Leighton
Kyrsia and her brothers leave Poland with their mother to join their father in America. After an arduous ocean voyage, they arrive at Ellis Island on Christmas Eve. Sepia-toned and soft-edged, the illustrations convey a young immigrant's hopes and fears.
Description fromHorn Book
Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus
By Francis Pharcellus Church
A beautifully illustrated gift edition based on the legendary letter and essay that appeared in 1897 in The New York Sun. That letter and its editorial response have become a Christmastime legend. Little did F.P. Church know back in 1897 that his response would come to stand for the affirmation of all the joy and magic of the holiday season.
Description from Publisher
Santa's Snow Cat
By Sue Stainton and Anne Mortimer
On the magical eve before Christmas, Santa's favorite cat falls from his sleigh high in the winter sky into the bustling world of New York below.As Snow Cat wanders the sparkling city, she encounters many "nearly" Santas, but not her beloved Santa.
With a huff from the North Wind, and the light of the big Lemon Moon, Snow Cat's true Santa can't be far away.
Description from Publisher
Snow Cat's secret ride in Santa's pocket on Christmas Eve is suddenly halted when she falls out into the hectic bustle of New York City which is filled with lights, people, and strange other Santas who are not "hers." Cold and frightened, she falls asleep by a fireplace in a house she has entered. Luckily it's a chimney down which her Santa comes, searching for her. So there's a happy ending to this lyrical appreciation of the beauty of a Christmas night. Mortimer's illustrations have the quality of fine miniature paintings in their naturalistic renderings and complex designs. The large and small scenes are rich with saturated colors and festive with snowflakes and holiday lights. They convey both the anxiety of the lost cat and the happy spirit of the holiday in the city. The World Trade Center Towers are still standing here.
Description from Children's Literature
This book is a must for Christmas, and anyone who loves New York. Snow Cat falls out of Santa's sleigh one Christmas and is dropped into New York. Unhurt she visits different landmarks such as the Twin Towers, Rockefeller Center, and more. Snow Cat meets up with many "look-alike" Santa's, but never hers. Eventually Santa finds Snow Cat and brings her back to the North Pole. This book is beautifully illustrated, and a must for any cat lovers or anyone looking for a new Christmas story.
Description from Amazon.com Customer Review
Christmastime in New York City
By Roxie Munro
Holiday time in Manhattan is full of wondrous things to see--the ThanksgivingDay Parade, store windows filled with marvelous toys and decorations, the bigtree in Rockefeller Center, and the exciting New Year's Eve in Times Square.
Description from Publisher
A charming and energetic invitation to the pleasures of the Christmas season in one of the world's most exciting cities. As with her The Inside-Outside Book of New York City, Munro has chosen locations and scenes that capture the essence of New York: the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, Park Avenue lights, Christmas icons like the Medieval Court Christmas Tree in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lord & Taylor's windows and the wreathed lions at the entrance to the public library. From a panoramic cover view of Rockefeller Center's famous Christmas tree, to a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the lighted Times Square apple, ready to usher in the New Year for the crowds below, Munro's paintings are magic and memorable.
Description from Publishers Weekly
Mim's Christmas Jam
By Andrea Davis Pinkney
The best part of Christmas is the whole family savoring Mim's belly-hum jam together. But this Christmas, Pap is far away in New York City, digging a hole for something called the subway, and his family is missing him something awful. Pap aches to be home, but the heartless foremen of his dig site have decided there will be no break, not even for Christmas. It looks like it's going to be one lonely holiday for everyone.until young Saraleen and Royce send their pap a gift that may just inspire a Christmas miracle.
The recipient of a Coretta Scott King Author Honor and a two-time Caldecott Honor illustrator have created a warm and magical holiday classic about the power of love, complete with the recipe for Mim's Christmas jam. Full-color illustrations
Description from Publisher
In the Pinkneys' (Duke Ellington) hands, a tasty family tradition and New York City history make a flavorsome pairing. It's 1915, and Christmas just isn't the same when Pap must be away from Mim and their children while he works to build the New York City subway system. But a jar of Mim's "belly-hum jam" unexpectedly works its own small miracles. Vibrant scratchboard compositions skillfully contrast the dank underground construction site with the warmth of home.
Description from Publishers Weekly
Eloise at Christmastime
By Kay Thompson
Eloise has always had a rather festive air about her, but when Christmastime rolls around, well, it's "Fa la la la fa la la la lolly ting tingledy here and there," of course. The bunchy-bloused, spindly-legged scamp is speaking in rhyme this time, and in typical Eloise fashion, the verse simply can't be perfectly metered, for what would be the point? She rushes around New York's Plaza Hotel on Christmas Eve, jingling, spreading Christmas cheer, tying tassels on the thermostats, and writing "Merry Christmas" on all the walls. And of course there are gifts to be delivered and wrapped:
For Weenie a roastbeef bone deluxe
For Skipperdee raisin milk
I'm giving the valet a beehive of course
made of safety pins and silk
Her asides, printed in red, are as priceless as ever: "Sometimes there is so much to do that/ I get sort of a headache around the sides and partially under it." Or in a rare vulnerable moment, "For when you are a child of six/ it's difficult to know/ if you deserve a present or not/ at Christmastime/ or so." But enough of that. "We sang Noel for 506/ Silent Night for 507/ We didn't sing for 509/ at the request of 511."
Hilary Knight's pen and ink pink-and-black illustrations are perfect--particularly of the "sugar plums" dancing in Eloise's head on Christmas Eve, complete with crazed elves, Nanny-as-angel, reindeer with glasses, and of course Santa's sleigh with one giant package in it... for Eloise. Kay Thompson's Eloise at Christmastime, first published in 1958 with a different cover, joins Eloise in Paris and The Absolutely Essential Eloise (with additional historical scrapbook) as a much welcomed reissue of the original. And there's always just Eloise.
Description from Amazon.com
Jingle Bells
By Maryann Kovalski
Jenny and Joanna's holiday trip to New York City with Grandma is the framework for this lively contemporary version of the song favorite -- by the creator of The Wheels on the Bus.
Description from Publishers Weekly
A grandmother and grandchildren sing the title song while taking a carriage ride through Central Park in New York.
Description from Publisher
Milly and the Macy's Parade
By Shana Corey & Brett Helquist
Inspired by the true story behind the first Macy's Day Parade in 1924, this heartwarming tale celebrates a treasured American passion. When a spirited girl named Milly imagines a way to combine her family's old country traditions with their new American heritage, the result is a holiday season filled with mirth and magic - and the creation of a uniquely American event. Told with facility and flair, and illustrated with exquisite jewel-like paintings, this joyful picture book is a must-have for every American family.
Description from Publisher
The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a highlight of the New York City holiday season with its marching bands and big balloons. In this story, set in 1924, Corey envisions a little girl whose immigrant Polish father works for Mr. Macy himself. Milly has the run of the store and can fly through the revolving doors and ride up and down the escalators and the elevators. She and all the fashionably dressed customers think that the Christmas merchandise is "gorgeous." But while Milly and her family are growing accustomed to America, they miss one wonderful custom from the old country: strolling from house to house singing Christmas carols. The child determinedly proposes to Mr. Macy a parade as an alternative. The marchers begin in Harlem with festive costumes, bands, and animals from the Central Park Zoo and end up on 34th Street. And so the annual festivity takes root. Helquist's acrylic-and-oil paintings feature colorfully dressed people with angular faces and bodies outlined in black. The author's note gives a history of the parade and acknowledges that while R. H. Macy himself died in 1877, he is a known character "-immortalized in the 1947 classic book and film Miracle on 34th Street-." While the references to the Follies and the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts may be lost on children, this is an entertaining and lively variation on holiday stories.
Description from School Library Journal
A Taxi Dog Christmas
By Debra and Sal Barracca
Jim and Maxi, the taxi-driving duo popularized in
The Adventures of Taxi Dog,
Maxi, the Hero, and
Maxi, the Star, awake to a snowy Christmas Eve. After trimming their tree and building a "snow dog" replica of Maxi, the two come to the rescue of six abandoned kittens, which they take to the taxi garage. "Each lucky tabbie went home with a cabbie" while one kitty joins Jim and Maxi as they shuttle last-minute shoppers around New York City. Suddenly, Santa, his reindeer, his load of toys, and remnants of his sled crash to the ground before them: "`I lost flight control / When I left the North Pole,' Santa said. `What on earth shall I do?'" The solution--of course--hitch the reindeer to Jim and Maxi's taxi. Ayers' luminous oil paintings delight in the holiday sights and lights of New York City--particularly when the skybound taxi leaves the glowing city below to continue Santa's route. Such fanciful touches as a jar of seasonal green and red dog biscuits atop the kitchen counter and a penguin perched on a city curb give punctuations of humor to an already winning holiday read.
Description from Booklist
The Harlem Nutcracker: Based on the Ballet
By Susan Kuklin (Photographer) and Donald Byrd
Forget the Sugar Plum Fairy and those syrupy waltzes you can't get out of your head each December. This is a new Nutcracker, with jazz by Ellington, African-American and Dominican children as party guests, and a Harlem nightclub of the '20s as the fantasy destination for Clara and her prince. Byrd created his innovative version of the classic Christmas ballet for his own dance company, and the production was skillfully photographed by co-author Kuklin (Hoops with Swoopes). Here, Clara is an African-American grandmother facing her first Christmas without her beloved husband Gus, who returns to her in dream sequences and again as the transformed nutcracker. The story mirrors the basic plot of the ballet, with the theme here of an aging grandmother's acceptance of her husband's passing and her own impending death rather than a young girl's awakening. The antagonist is not the Mouse King, but a rather terrifying specter of death, who comes for Clara with his accompanying hounds, death maidens, and ghouls. At first, Clara repels the figure of death, but at the end, she is no longer afraid of him, and she exits on the arm of her husband-prince as they "climb the stairway to eternity." Kuklin, an experienced dance photographer, captures both the expressive movement of the dancers and their subtle emotions in superb photographs with black backgrounds framed in jewel tones of ruby, emerald, and lapis. This powerful story is not just another retold fairy tale; it stands on its own, dancing in the reader's imagination.
Description from Kirkus Reviews
Is There a Santa Claus: A Little Girl's Question Answered
By Francis Church
In 1897 an eight year old girl named Virginia O¹Hanlon wrote a letter to The New York Sun in which she asked, "some of my little friends say there is no Santa ClausŠPlease tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?" The editor¹s famous answer reads, in part, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity exist."
This booklet reprints an attractively designed and illustrated version made by Augustus Kaiser in the 1920s. It is 24 pages long, and is accompanied by an decorative envelope, as it is our intention that people will send it as an elaborate Christmas Card.
Description from Publisher
Gargoyles' Christmas
By Louisa Campbell
Soured on Christmas, three New York City gargoyles begin to change their mind about the holiday after Santa Claus helps them out of a mess of their own making.
Description from Publisher
Older Readers
(Ages 9-12)
Miracle on 34th Street
By Valentine Davies
(Ornament and Book Gift Set)
Single Book Also Available
Several reissues make a reappearance this season. Leading the list is a facsimile edition of Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies. The handsome volume re-creates the 1947 edition with heavy cream-colored paper and a font that emulates the original hot-metal type.
Description from Publishers Weekly
Trimming the tree and revisiting favorite holiday stories are cherished Christmas traditions in small towns and big cities across the country. This beloved book celebrating the powers of kindness and faith, restored to its original 1947 design, is paired for the first time with an old-fashioned wooden ornament, perfect for handing down-along with warm memories--through generations of believers.
A white-bearded gentleman who appears at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade fills in for an unfit Santa Claus-and is asked to become the store's resident Santa. This Kris Kringle believes he is Santa, as do children from all over the city, and reindeer at the zoo nearby. A few skeptical souls try to have him declared insane, but miraculously, the State of New York, with the help of the U. S. Postal Service, come to the gent's rescue by declaring that he is indeed Santa Claus. Since its first publication in 1947, this tale has been treasured by generations of believers, making this Academy Award-winning story part of holiday traditions all across America. This facsimile edition faithfully re-creates the first hardcover publication, inviting new families or readers to celebrate both the story and the charm of the original design. A brief historical note, new in this edition, details the simultaneous development of the book and film.
Description from Publisher
Samantha's Surprise: A Christmas Story
By Maxine Rose Schur
Samantha's Surprise is the third book in a series of books about Samantha. Samantha is invited to A Christmas party put on by her good friend Ida Dean. At the same time she plans to make a large gingerbread house with Mrs. Hawkins, and decorate the house herself. But Samantha's Christmas plans start to fall when her Uncle Gard announces that he plans on bringing his friend Cornelia along for this Christmas. Now, it seems that all of Samantha's plans are destroyed--and Samantha blames Cornelia for ruining everthing. But there's more than one surprise in store for Samantha on Christmas day!
Description from Amazon.com Customer Review
When Christmas Comes Again: The World War I Diary of Simone Spencer (Dear America: New York City, 1917)
By Beth Seidel Levine
In April of 1917, Simone Spencer's world changes. Her beloved brother Will goes off to war, and Simone seeks a way to help. The passionate daughter of a feisty French mother and a rebellious upper-class father, Simone is not cut out for the society life she is meant to lead. So, when General Pershing calls for French-speaking American girls to operate the switchboards on the Western Front, Simone becomes one of the first brave "Hello Girls" whose courage helps lead the Allies to victory. In the end, Christmas brings the Spencers back together again.
Description from Publisher
The Christmas Tree
By Julie Salamon
The Christmas Tree is the tale of a little girl named Anna, who is orphaned and sent to live in a convent. The lonely girl befriends, as only a child can, a tiny fir tree. Anna and Tree, as she calls him, grow up together, unlocking the secrets of friendship and sharing the wonders of nature. It is this same profound appreciation and love of nature that the grown-up Anna, now Sister Anthony, passes on to her students.
When Tree is threatened by a winter storm, Sister Anthony, by now an old woman, decides to give up her dearest friend, allowing him to become the most enjoyed and famous tree of all: the tree at Rockefeller Center in New York City.
A perennial holiday favorite, The Christmas Tree is about learning to love and, ultimately, being able to share that love with others.
Description from Publisher
The Trees Kneel at Christmas
By Maud Hart Lovelace
Written by the author of the well-loved Betsy-Tacy books, this Christmas story originally appeared in 1951. Today, with new artwork, it is historical fiction that brings to life the immigrant experience. Lovelace portrays an extended family that treasures its Lebanese traditions, takes pride in its adaptation to American ways, and celebrates religious faith as its guiding principle. After seven-year-old Afify and her younger brother, Hanna, hear a story about the trees kneeling down to worship on Christmas Eve, Afify decides they will go to their Brooklyn park to see the trees bow down. Praying to be worthy of seeing the miracle, Afify tries to be saintlike all day, though she finds the going rough. Finally, after their relatives have left for midnight mass, Afify takes Hanna to the park, where they find their special trees, heavy with ice, bowing down. Their parents are upset, but when Afify and Hanna tell of the miracle they've seen, the whole family draws together in the grace of that moment. What shines here is the mystery of religious experience and the notion of religion as the central guiding principle of a family's life. While some aspects of the story would undoubtedly be told differently today (the family's veneration of the father, two uncles smoking a water pipe, the idea of leaving children alone at night), the book seems true to its time. Better yet, Lovelace's ability to portray children, their thoughts, emotions, and, in this case, their faith, has a timeless quality that makes this a refreshing Christmas story.
Description from Booklist
Santa Paws Come Home
By Nicholas Edwards
Stolen!
The door slammed shut.
Before Santa Paws knew what was happening, he was being driven far away from his home in a stranger's car. He didn't know where he was being taken--all he knew was he had to escape. But when he breaks free he find himself all alone in New York City, a very big and very unfamiliar place. Will Santa Paws find his way back home to the Callahans in time for Christmas?
Description from Publisher
A Child's Christmas in Brooklyn
By Frank Crocitto
Revised Edition includes holiday recipes
Christmas enthusiasts young and old will enjoy Frank Crocitto's nostalgic, near-magic realist take on Christmas in the hazy recesses of the mid-20th century, A Child's Christmas in Brooklyn. Evoking the breathless, wide-eyed wonder of childhood, Crocitto (Insight Is Better Than Ice Cream) describes the interminable wait throughout the fall, homework in November, parents and grandparents' delightfully suspicious preholiday behaviors and the incomprehensibly somber Christmas Eve service. While it offers little new in terms of holiday spirit (following in the stylistic and thematic footsteps of A Christmas Story, though less comical), readers will be pleased by the classic, cozy quality of this reminiscence.
Description from Publishers Weekly
Frank Crocitto's A Child's Christmas in Brooklyn is a wonderful memoir of growing up in Brooklyn in the 1940s. What is particularly striking is not just the wonderful anecdotal stories but the way they are physically and visually laid out for the reader in a line-on-the-page format that is almost lyrically poetic in its presentation. A Child's Christmas in Brooklyn is marvelous reading for any Christmas season and a delight for anytime of the year - especially for that 'window in time' feeling taking us back on a nostalgic tour of Brooklyn through a child's eyes.
Description from Midwest Book Review
The Night Before Christmas in New York City
By Francis Morrone
In a case of mistaken identity, Santa is jailed in New York City until the ghost of Clement Clarke Moore helps find the true criminal.
Description from Publisher
A Crime for Christmas (Nancy Drew Hardy Boys Super Mystery)
By Carolyn Keene
Nancy Drew is in New York to join the Hardy Boys on an important case. They're conducting an intense manhunt for a pair of big-time cat burglars. And they're sure the daring criminal duo will try to scoop up a special prize--the spectacular crown jewels of Sarconne, which are on display at a museum.
Description from Publisher
Yes, Virginia There Is a Santa Claus
By Cyndy Szekeres
Virginia O'Hanlon, a young cat, questions a major New York newspaper about the existence of Santa Claus and she receives an answer from the paper's editor that reaffirms the spirit of Christmas.
Description from Publisher
In 1897, the editor of the New York Sun received a letter from Virginia O'Hanlon asking if there really was a Santa Claus. His response has been adapted by Szekeres, and illustrated in her well know style. In this version, Virginia is a cute yellow cat in a bright red dress with yellow hair ribbons and little blue earrings on her pointed ears. Virginia and the audience learn about the true spirit of Christmas and what Santa Claus represents to the children of the world.
Description from Children's Literature
Santa & Pete: A Novel of Christmas Present and Past
By Christopher Moore
Who would ever guess that the beloved legend of Santa Claus involves a seldom-told tale of faith and friendship between two men -- one white and one black? Long ago, Santa Claus had an African partner named Pete and together they brought the spirit of Christmas to America's first settlers. These two forever changed the way families celebrate the holiday. But through the years, Pete's contribution was forgotten.
Now Santa & Pete restores the legacy in delightful style and delivers an inspiring message of hope and harmony among people. The story starts with a bus driver who takes his grandson along on Saturdays as he travels a historical route in New York City. What unfolds is a series of wonderful adventures that culminate on Christmas Eve, when the bus gets stuck in a snowstorm. That's when the grandfather's running genealogy lesson, based on author Christopher Moore's own family history, arrives at its final destination: the story of Santa and Pete.
A truly magical tale, Santa & Pete will take you and your family back to the heart of Christmas.
Description from Publisher
This fictional story based on a young African American boy in New York City is grounded in history (co-writer Christopher Moore is the Commissioner of New York City Landmarks) and decorated with the whimsy of imagination and magic. When Terrence was seven years old, he was forced to spend Saturdays riding alongside his grandfather, a Metro bus driver, through the streets of the city. At first Terrence is resentful, but then he begins to listen to his grandfather's stories--the stories of the settling of New York, how the city belongs to all people of all races. Driving down St. Nicholas Avenue, his grandfather begins the story of "Santa & Pete." He tells how St. Nicholas was imprisoned as a spy during the Inquisition, but was eventually rescued by Pete, a former slave in Spain under the Moors. The duo found their way to New York and began the long-standing tradition of giving gifts to the needy. When Terrence eventually discovers his connection to Pete, the story suggests that all who celebrate Christmas can be the rescuers and helpers of St. Nicholas.
Description from Amazon.com
The Witch of Fourth Street and Other Stories
By Myron Levoy
Cathy Dunn knew that if shed id not give her penny to the witch, the old lady would turn her into a lizard. Ora goat. Or a spider so small Cathy's mother would step on her. But one day Cathy decided that she would not give up her penny, and that was the day she came down with a fever.Cathy is just one of the many children who came to New York City with their parents seekin g a better life. There is Keplik the Match Man, who builds masterpieces from used matchsticks; Noreen Callahan, who is ashamed to work in her father's smelly fish store; and even a Hanukkah Santa Claus!
Descripiton from Publisher
What makes this such a good book is the author'scompassion, imagination, and humor. A first book forchildren by a first-rate writer.
Description from Book World
The Haunting at Stratton Falls
By Brenda Seabrooke
For 11-year-old Abby, adjusting to Stratton Falls, New York, is even more difficult than anticipated. She misses her father, in Germany fighting the war, and her warm Florida home; her cousin Chad is more mean than friendly; and she's often lonely. One night mysterious wet footprints appear in the hall, and Abby wonders if the ghost stories about the house are true. Enlisting Chad's help, Abby discovers a long-ago tragedy involving a young girl, and on Christmas Day, past and present dramatically come together, unexpectedly resulting in positive changes and realizations. Although the climactic scene is fairly intense (it details the emotional and physical struggles of Abby's accidental near-drowning), fans of history and mystery up to the challenge will enjoy the novel's diverse characters (Abby is likable and sympathetically portrayed), well-paced suspense, period detail, and descriptive, expressive prose. As a bonus, the author supplies some easy-to-do craft ideas by describing Abby's dollhouse furniture project, which uses common household items in creative ways.
Description from Booklist
With her father missing in action in WWII, Abby must live with her pesky cousin Chad's family. As Christmas nears, Abby sees mysterious wet footprints in the hallway and hears the story of a girl who drowned eighty years ago. What is the ghost trying to tell her? The 1940s setting is as intriguing as the not-too-scary chills this well-told tale delivers.
Description from Horn Book
A ghost story at Christmas? 'Tis the season for this novel set in upstate New York during World War II. Elevenyearold Abby and her mother relocate from Florida to her cousin Chad's home in Stratton Falls after learning her father has been reported missing in Europe. It's a home with a secret that Abby wishes to discover. While everyone has heard rumors the house is haunted, not everyone is willing to believe it—especially mischievous Chad, who seems to revel in taunting his cousin—even to the extent of pretending he is a ghost! When a ghost does manifest itself in full view of Chad and Abby, the pace quickens and Abby is intent on learning why "Felicia" returns to the house at Christmas, believing "she" has a purpose for coming there. Is it a message from afar about Abby's father? A warning to her? Readers sense the confusion Abby feels as Christmas Day approaches. She is caught in a conflict between reality and fantasy, while finally learning the reason "Felicia" has returned—and it is for her. Brenda Seabrooke presents a glimpse into civilian life during the war and realistically portrays family life in an intense era.
Description from Children's Literature
New York Classic Christmas Trivia!
By Carole Marsh
On what day does the sun rise twice, water flow backward and the poke salad flower? Christmas, of course! This book is bursting with interesting trivia, games and recipes and PLENTY of ideas for easy inexpensive gifts for kids to make. Free teacher's guide gives specific suggestions and instructions on how to get max educational value from this book. Bring the holiday home to your students!
Description from Publisher
The Annoyance Bureau
By Lucy Frank
A maverick bureaucrat becomes a mentor of sorts for an unhappy lad in this offbeat fantasy. Spending an uncomfortable Christmas week with his dad and stepfamily in New York City, 12-year-old Lucas notices an unusual number of pedestrians in greenish overcoats, muttering urgently into cell phones. An irascible Santa named Izzy Gribitz clues him in: like Izzy, they’re employees of the Annoyance Bureau, a little-known agency charged with removing or disabling life’s petty peeves. Only, Izzy claims, the Bureau is wasting much of its effort—a situation he aims to remedy with the Irkostat, a remote-control-like device of his own invention that "inspects, detects, protects, and corrects" annoyances with the push of a button. Gladly agreeing to become Izzy’s apprentice, Lucas begins compiling a list of personal annoyances—topped by his waspish stepsister Phoebe. As Lucas is more absorbed in fretting about his own situation and Izzy’s uncertain status in the Bureau than actually doing anything, this is stronger on premise than plot or character. Near the end, he does take a more active role, ultimately working out better relationships with his dad and, perhaps, even Phoebe, but what is more likely to engage readers are his rib-tickling encounters with distracted Bureau workers, as they scuttle about with bins of confiscated Tickle Me Elmos, self-help books, and the like. Tongue-in-cheek to the max.
Description from Kirkus Reviews
In the fifteen hours since Lucas Graham arrived in New York City, his own annoyance level has skyrocketed. For starters, he'd rather be spending his Christmas week at the beach with Mom instead of visiting Dad and Claire in the cold and slush. He'd rather not be sharing a bathroom with his critical stepsister, Phoebe, and her disapproving cat. He'd rather not be threatened with a haircut at Trims for Tykes by his little stepbrother's unspeakable baby-sitter, Gladys.
And he wishes the strange Santa in front of Book World had not slipped this beeping, buzzing device into his backpack for safekeeping, even if it does seem to have entertaining effects on cats and baby-sitters. And who are these strange, green-coated guys milling around, muttering into walkie-talkies -- guys only twelve-year-old Lucas and this Santa seem to see? Lucas overhears the words "annoyance removal," as if they're attuned to his innermost wishes. Something weird is going on. Weird, but irresistible.
Now this old man, Izzy Gribitz, is talking about bungling agents, secret passages, this mysterious remote control-like device, and something called the Annoyance Bureau. What does it all mean?
"That," says Izzy, "is for me to know and you to find out."
Description from Publisher
The Great Christmas Kidnapping Caper
By Jean Van Leeuwen
Awards:
- South Carolina Children's Book Award
- The William Allen White Children's Book Award
Marvin the Mouse and his two pals move into a dollhouse located in Macy’s toy department at Christmas time. The store Santa secretly befriends them, leaving them food to find. One day Santa doesn’t come to work, and talk is that he was kidnapped. The mice set about plotting to get Santa back for the children of New York City.
Description from Publisher
The Lion in the Box: A Christmas Story
By Marguerite De Angeli
A meager Christmas seems to be in store for a turn-of-the-century New York family when its widowed mother is able to get work only occasionally, until a wonderful event occurs in her absence.
Description from Publisher
When my sisters and I were small children, my mother began to read us this story just before Christmas. We heard it read aloud each year as we grew up, and it became an important and special part of our holiday celebration. Now as a middle school teacher, I read this book to my students each December. It's a charming (and true!) tale of a loving family who experience a very special holiday. Simple but sincere, heartwarming and gentle, Lion in the Box is a book to treasure. Sharing this story each year is a wonderful tradition to start in your own family.
Description from Amazon.com Customer Review
Home Alone Two: Lost in New York
By Todd Strasser
A novelization of the sequel to the hugely popular Twentieth Century Fox motion picture, Home Alone, finds Kevin McCallister having the time of his life in Manhattan while his family is in Florida. Movie tie-in.
Description from Publisher
Home Alone Two: Lost in New York
Kevin's Christmas Vacation Scrapbook
By Nancy E. Krulik
Kevin McCallister tells his own story in this easy-to-read picture scrapbook from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. His hilarious account of his unexpected New York vacation will delight readers and movie fans of all ages. Full-color movie stills.
Description from Publisher
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Beginning Readers
Auntie Claus
(Gift Set)
By Elise Primavera
Also Available as Individual Book
It's Christmas at the North Pole, and Sophie Kringle's great-aunt, Auntie Claus, is off on her annual business trip. Auntie Claus is so mysterioso! Is she just another eccentric New Yorker? This Christmas, Sophie goes along to find out what her beloved auntie is up to.
Straight from Santa's workshop, this brilliant Christmas package features Oscar-winning actress Ellen Burstyn's dramatic reading of Elise Primavera's beloved story on CD, a magical key ornament, and the bestselling book. Join the Kringle family and celebrate Christmas with everyone's favorite great-aunt-Auntie Claus! Full-color illustrations
Description from Publisher
Spoiled Sophie Kringle is bound and determined to find out the truth, once and for all, about her mysterioso Auntie Claus, who serves Christmas cookies in July and fills her penthouse with glittery Christmas lights all year long. In this lavish gift edition of the bestselling picture book, Auntie Claus, by Elise Primavera, Oscar-, Tony-, and Golden Globe-winning actress Ellen Burstyn provides a dramatic reading of the story in a CD, while mesmerized children can read along in the handsome hardcover book. Even more festive, a sparkly gold key ornament is also included, adding the perfect touch for the Christmas tree. For all those children who stay off the B-B-and-G Christmas List (bad boys and girls), here is a terrific holiday treat that lets the true spirit of giving shine through.
Description from Amazon.com
Auntie Claus and the Key to Christmas
By Elise Primavera
The companion book to Elise Primavera's much-celebrated Auntie Claus, Auntie Claus and the Key to Christmas, gives Sophie Kringle's younger brother, Christopher, a turn in the starring role. Finally, Chris will learn the Kringle family secret--that his great-aunt Auntie Claus, inhabitant of penthouse 25C of New York City's Bing Cherry Hotel, is Santa Claus's older sister! When Chris overhears someone say that only babies believe in Santa Claus--and then repeats the rumor!--he is immediately summoned by Auntie Claus for tea, marmalade cake, and a talking-to. During teatime he learns of the PRUNES--Parade Rainers United National Elite Society (people who would dare to say there's no Santa) as well as the B-B-and-G List (Bad-Boys-and-Girls) that Santa makes each year. Taking it all with a grain of salt, Chris decides to use the scientific method: he'll behave so boorishly that he'll get on the List--if he still gets presents, he'll know it's all a hoax. Sophie attempts to demystify Christmas for him once and for all, sending him up in a magical elevator to the North Pole where he discovers (1) he made the List, (2) PRUNES exist, and (3) Santa exists. Sharing some of the smart-alecky humor of Jon Scieszka's Time Warp Trio series (Ozzie and Pam Spam are on tour promoting their new book We're Geniuses and Yer Not!, for instance), Auntie Claus then dashes the comparison with a sweet-as-cherry-pie maxim--"the best things are invisible"--which also happens to be the key to Christmas. Once again the whimsical, grand, richly colored paintings steal the limelight in this o'er complicated holiday tale. Still, those enchanted by the first Auntie won't want to miss it.
Description from Amazon.com
Santa's big sister is back! This time, Auntie Claus's grand-nephew Christopher Kringle is front and center, wreaking havoc at the Bing Cherry Hotel when he repeats the rumor that Santa doesn't exist. Summoned to his great-aunt's penthouse suite, Chris learns of the "B-B-and-G List" (bad boys and girls), and arranges to get himself onto it in order to get to the bottom of the family secret. While the plot is overwrought in places, it's great fun nonetheless, with Auntie Claus's larger-than-life presence presiding over Primavera's vibrant, richly saturated gouaches and pastels.
Description from Publishers Weekly
This lighthearted sequel to Auntie Claus continues the adventures of Santa's extended family, the Kringles, who enjoy a life of luxury in the Bing Cherry Hotel in New York City. This time it is her nephew, Kris, who is the focus of the story. After hearing the precocious Spam twins declare that there is no Santa Claus, he, too, begins to doubt and goes on a campaign to be listed on the dreaded Bad Boys and Girls List. His sister Sophie sends him to the North Pole on Auntie's magic elevator, where he encounters the other Bad Boys and Girls, PRUNES (members of the Parade Rainers United National Elite Society) disguised as Snowboys, and ultimately declares his belief in Santa Claus after all. The wordplay and stylish jewel-toned illustrations will appeal to sophisticated adults as well as to kids who, like Kris, say, "I'll believe it when I see it."
Description from School Library Journal
Christmas in the City
By Loretta Krupinski
"Look, my dear, we have our very own Christmas tree," said Mr. Mouse.
"And, the very biggest!" said Mrs. Mouse.
Hundreds of people looked back up at the tree, while the mice watched the skaters below. They were country mice. The tree was their home. Now they found themselves in the heart of New York City, Rockefeller Center. When Mr. And Mrs. Mouse's tree is chosen to be the very special Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, the two little country mice find themselves in the bustling world of great big New York City.
There they experience all of the wonder of their lively new home, go ice-skating at Rockefeller Center, window-shopping at FAO Schwarz, eat pretzels and chestnuts, hitch a ride on a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park— they do it all! And then they receive the most precious gift of all—a family.
Description from Publisher
An Ellis Island Christmas
By Maxinne Rhea Leighton
Kyrsia and her brothers leave Poland with their mother to join their father in America. After an arduous ocean voyage, they arrive at Ellis Island on Christmas Eve. Sepia-toned and soft-edged, the illustrations convey a young immigrant's hopes and fears.
Description fromHorn Book
Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus
By Francis Pharcellus Church
A beautifully illustrated gift edition based on the legendary letter and essay that appeared in 1897 in The New York Sun. That letter and its editorial response have become a Christmastime legend. Little did F.P. Church know back in 1897 that his response would come to stand for the affirmation of all the joy and magic of the holiday season.
Description from Publisher
Santa's Snow Cat
By Sue Stainton and Anne Mortimer
On the magical eve before Christmas, Santa's favorite cat falls from his sleigh high in the winter sky into the bustling world of New York below.As Snow Cat wanders the sparkling city, she encounters many "nearly" Santas, but not her beloved Santa.
With a huff from the North Wind, and the light of the big Lemon Moon, Snow Cat's true Santa can't be far away.
Description from Publisher
Snow Cat's secret ride in Santa's pocket on Christmas Eve is suddenly halted when she falls out into the hectic bustle of New York City which is filled with lights, people, and strange other Santas who are not "hers." Cold and frightened, she falls asleep by a fireplace in a house she has entered. Luckily it's a chimney down which her Santa comes, searching for her. So there's a happy ending to this lyrical appreciation of the beauty of a Christmas night. Mortimer's illustrations have the quality of fine miniature paintings in their naturalistic renderings and complex designs. The large and small scenes are rich with saturated colors and festive with snowflakes and holiday lights. They convey both the anxiety of the lost cat and the happy spirit of the holiday in the city. The World Trade Center Towers are still standing here.
Description from Children's Literature
This book is a must for Christmas, and anyone who loves New York. Snow Cat falls out of Santa's sleigh one Christmas and is dropped into New York. Unhurt she visits different landmarks such as the Twin Towers, Rockefeller Center, and more. Snow Cat meets up with many "look-alike" Santa's, but never hers. Eventually Santa finds Snow Cat and brings her back to the North Pole. This book is beautifully illustrated, and a must for any cat lovers or anyone looking for a new Christmas story.
Description from Amazon.com Customer Review
Christmastime in New York City
By Roxie Munro
Holiday time in Manhattan is full of wondrous things to see--the ThanksgivingDay Parade, store windows filled with marvelous toys and decorations, the bigtree in Rockefeller Center, and the exciting New Year's Eve in Times Square.
Description from Publisher
A charming and energetic invitation to the pleasures of the Christmas season in one of the world's most exciting cities. As with her The Inside-Outside Book of New York City, Munro has chosen locations and scenes that capture the essence of New York: the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, Park Avenue lights, Christmas icons like the Medieval Court Christmas Tree in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lord & Taylor's windows and the wreathed lions at the entrance to the public library. From a panoramic cover view of Rockefeller Center's famous Christmas tree, to a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the lighted Times Square apple, ready to usher in the New Year for the crowds below, Munro's paintings are magic and memorable.
Description from Publishers Weekly
Mim's Christmas Jam
By Andrea Davis Pinkney
The best part of Christmas is the whole family savoring Mim's belly-hum jam together. But this Christmas, Pap is far away in New York City, digging a hole for something called the subway, and his family is missing him something awful. Pap aches to be home, but the heartless foremen of his dig site have decided there will be no break, not even for Christmas. It looks like it's going to be one lonely holiday for everyone.until young Saraleen and Royce send their pap a gift that may just inspire a Christmas miracle.
The recipient of a Coretta Scott King Author Honor and a two-time Caldecott Honor illustrator have created a warm and magical holiday classic about the power of love, complete with the recipe for Mim's Christmas jam. Full-color illustrations
Description from Publisher
In the Pinkneys' (Duke Ellington) hands, a tasty family tradition and New York City history make a flavorsome pairing. It's 1915, and Christmas just isn't the same when Pap must be away from Mim and their children while he works to build the New York City subway system. But a jar of Mim's "belly-hum jam" unexpectedly works its own small miracles. Vibrant scratchboard compositions skillfully contrast the dank underground construction site with the warmth of home.
Description from Publishers Weekly
Eloise at Christmastime
By Kay Thompson
Eloise has always had a rather festive air about her, but when Christmastime rolls around, well, it's "Fa la la la fa la la la lolly ting tingledy here and there," of course. The bunchy-bloused, spindly-legged scamp is speaking in rhyme this time, and in typical Eloise fashion, the verse simply can't be perfectly metered, for what would be the point? She rushes around New York's Plaza Hotel on Christmas Eve, jingling, spreading Christmas cheer, tying tassels on the thermostats, and writing "Merry Christmas" on all the walls. And of course there are gifts to be delivered and wrapped:
For Weenie a roastbeef bone deluxe
For Skipperdee raisin milk
I'm giving the valet a beehive of course
made of safety pins and silk
Her asides, printed in red, are as priceless as ever: "Sometimes there is so much to do that/ I get sort of a headache around the sides and partially under it." Or in a rare vulnerable moment, "For when you are a child of six/ it's difficult to know/ if you deserve a present or not/ at Christmastime/ or so." But enough of that. "We sang Noel for 506/ Silent Night for 507/ We didn't sing for 509/ at the request of 511."
Hilary Knight's pen and ink pink-and-black illustrations are perfect--particularly of the "sugar plums" dancing in Eloise's head on Christmas Eve, complete with crazed elves, Nanny-as-angel, reindeer with glasses, and of course Santa's sleigh with one giant package in it... for Eloise. Kay Thompson's Eloise at Christmastime, first published in 1958 with a different cover, joins Eloise in Paris and The Absolutely Essential Eloise (with additional historical scrapbook) as a much welcomed reissue of the original. And there's always just Eloise.
Description from Amazon.com
Jingle Bells
By Maryann Kovalski
Jenny and Joanna's holiday trip to New York City with Grandma is the framework for this lively contemporary version of the song favorite -- by the creator of The Wheels on the Bus.
Description from Publishers Weekly
A grandmother and grandchildren sing the title song while taking a carriage ride through Central Park in New York.
Description from Publisher
Milly and the Macy's Parade
By Shana Corey & Brett Helquist
Inspired by the true story behind the first Macy's Day Parade in 1924, this heartwarming tale celebrates a treasured American passion. When a spirited girl named Milly imagines a way to combine her family's old country traditions with their new American heritage, the result is a holiday season filled with mirth and magic - and the creation of a uniquely American event. Told with facility and flair, and illustrated with exquisite jewel-like paintings, this joyful picture book is a must-have for every American family.
Description from Publisher
The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a highlight of the New York City holiday season with its marching bands and big balloons. In this story, set in 1924, Corey envisions a little girl whose immigrant Polish father works for Mr. Macy himself. Milly has the run of the store and can fly through the revolving doors and ride up and down the escalators and the elevators. She and all the fashionably dressed customers think that the Christmas merchandise is "gorgeous." But while Milly and her family are growing accustomed to America, they miss one wonderful custom from the old country: strolling from house to house singing Christmas carols. The child determinedly proposes to Mr. Macy a parade as an alternative. The marchers begin in Harlem with festive costumes, bands, and animals from the Central Park Zoo and end up on 34th Street. And so the annual festivity takes root. Helquist's acrylic-and-oil paintings feature colorfully dressed people with angular faces and bodies outlined in black. The author's note gives a history of the parade and acknowledges that while R. H. Macy himself died in 1877, he is a known character "-immortalized in the 1947 classic book and film Miracle on 34th Street-." While the references to the Follies and the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts may be lost on children, this is an entertaining and lively variation on holiday stories.
Description from School Library Journal
A Taxi Dog Christmas
By Debra and Sal Barracca
Jim and Maxi, the taxi-driving duo popularized in
The Adventures of Taxi Dog,
Maxi, the Hero, and
Maxi, the Star, awake to a snowy Christmas Eve. After trimming their tree and building a "snow dog" replica of Maxi, the two come to the rescue of six abandoned kittens, which they take to the taxi garage. "Each lucky tabbie went home with a cabbie" while one kitty joins Jim and Maxi as they shuttle last-minute shoppers around New York City. Suddenly, Santa, his reindeer, his load of toys, and remnants of his sled crash to the ground before them: "`I lost flight control / When I left the North Pole,' Santa said. `What on earth shall I do?'" The solution--of course--hitch the reindeer to Jim and Maxi's taxi. Ayers' luminous oil paintings delight in the holiday sights and lights of New York City--particularly when the skybound taxi leaves the glowing city below to continue Santa's route. Such fanciful touches as a jar of seasonal green and red dog biscuits atop the kitchen counter and a penguin perched on a city curb give punctuations of humor to an already winning holiday read.
Description from Booklist
The Harlem Nutcracker: Based on the Ballet
By Susan Kuklin (Photographer) and Donald Byrd
Forget the Sugar Plum Fairy and those syrupy waltzes you can't get out of your head each December. This is a new Nutcracker, with jazz by Ellington, African-American and Dominican children as party guests, and a Harlem nightclub of the '20s as the fantasy destination for Clara and her prince. Byrd created his innovative version of the classic Christmas ballet for his own dance company, and the production was skillfully photographed by co-author Kuklin (Hoops with Swoopes). Here, Clara is an African-American grandmother facing her first Christmas without her beloved husband Gus, who returns to her in dream sequences and again as the transformed nutcracker. The story mirrors the basic plot of the ballet, with the theme here of an aging grandmother's acceptance of her husband's passing and her own impending death rather than a young girl's awakening. The antagonist is not the Mouse King, but a rather terrifying specter of death, who comes for Clara with his accompanying hounds, death maidens, and ghouls. At first, Clara repels the figure of death, but at the end, she is no longer afraid of him, and she exits on the arm of her husband-prince as they "climb the stairway to eternity." Kuklin, an experienced dance photographer, captures both the expressive movement of the dancers and their subtle emotions in superb photographs with black backgrounds framed in jewel tones of ruby, emerald, and lapis. This powerful story is not just another retold fairy tale; it stands on its own, dancing in the reader's imagination.
Description from Kirkus Reviews
Is There a Santa Claus: A Little Girl's Question Answered
By Francis Church
In 1897 an eight year old girl named Virginia O¹Hanlon wrote a letter to The New York Sun in which she asked, "some of my little friends say there is no Santa ClausŠPlease tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?" The editor¹s famous answer reads, in part, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity exist."
This booklet reprints an attractively designed and illustrated version made by Augustus Kaiser in the 1920s. It is 24 pages long, and is accompanied by an decorative envelope, as it is our intention that people will send it as an elaborate Christmas Card.
Description from Publisher
Gargoyles' Christmas
By Louisa Campbell
Soured on Christmas, three New York City gargoyles begin to change their mind about the holiday after Santa Claus helps them out of a mess of their own making.
Description from Publisher
Older Readers
(Ages 9-12)
Miracle on 34th Street
By Valentine Davies
(Ornament and Book Gift Set)
Single Book Also Available
Several reissues make a reappearance this season. Leading the list is a facsimile edition of Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies. The handsome volume re-creates the 1947 edition with heavy cream-colored paper and a font that emulates the original hot-metal type.
Description from Publishers Weekly
Trimming the tree and revisiting favorite holiday stories are cherished Christmas traditions in small towns and big cities across the country. This beloved book celebrating the powers of kindness and faith, restored to its original 1947 design, is paired for the first time with an old-fashioned wooden ornament, perfect for handing down-along with warm memories--through generations of believers.
A white-bearded gentleman who appears at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade fills in for an unfit Santa Claus-and is asked to become the store's resident Santa. This Kris Kringle believes he is Santa, as do children from all over the city, and reindeer at the zoo nearby. A few skeptical souls try to have him declared insane, but miraculously, the State of New York, with the help of the U. S. Postal Service, come to the gent's rescue by declaring that he is indeed Santa Claus. Since its first publication in 1947, this tale has been treasured by generations of believers, making this Academy Award-winning story part of holiday traditions all across America. This facsimile edition faithfully re-creates the first hardcover publication, inviting new families or readers to celebrate both the story and the charm of the original design. A brief historical note, new in this edition, details the simultaneous development of the book and film.
Description from Publisher
Samantha's Surprise: A Christmas Story
By Maxine Rose Schur
Samantha's Surprise is the third book in a series of books about Samantha. Samantha is invited to A Christmas party put on by her good friend Ida Dean. At the same time she plans to make a large gingerbread house with Mrs. Hawkins, and decorate the house herself. But Samantha's Christmas plans start to fall when her Uncle Gard announces that he plans on bringing his friend Cornelia along for this Christmas. Now, it seems that all of Samantha's plans are destroyed--and Samantha blames Cornelia for ruining everthing. But there's more than one surprise in store for Samantha on Christmas day!
Description from Amazon.com Customer Review
When Christmas Comes Again: The World War I Diary of Simone Spencer (Dear America: New York City, 1917)
By Beth Seidel Levine
In April of 1917, Simone Spencer's world changes. Her beloved brother Will goes off to war, and Simone seeks a way to help. The passionate daughter of a feisty French mother and a rebellious upper-class father, Simone is not cut out for the society life she is meant to lead. So, when General Pershing calls for French-speaking American girls to operate the switchboards on the Western Front, Simone becomes one of the first brave "Hello Girls" whose courage helps lead the Allies to victory. In the end, Christmas brings the Spencers back together again.
Description from Publisher
The Christmas Tree
By Julie Salamon
The Christmas Tree is the tale of a little girl named Anna, who is orphaned and sent to live in a convent. The lonely girl befriends, as only a child can, a tiny fir tree. Anna and Tree, as she calls him, grow up together, unlocking the secrets of friendship and sharing the wonders of nature. It is this same profound appreciation and love of nature that the grown-up Anna, now Sister Anthony, passes on to her students.
When Tree is threatened by a winter storm, Sister Anthony, by now an old woman, decides to give up her dearest friend, allowing him to become the most enjoyed and famous tree of all: the tree at Rockefeller Center in New York City.
A perennial holiday favorite, The Christmas Tree is about learning to love and, ultimately, being able to share that love with others.
Description from Publisher
The Trees Kneel at Christmas
By Maud Hart Lovelace
Written by the author of the well-loved Betsy-Tacy books, this Christmas story originally appeared in 1951. Today, with new artwork, it is historical fiction that brings to life the immigrant experience. Lovelace portrays an extended family that treasures its Lebanese traditions, takes pride in its adaptation to American ways, and celebrates religious faith as its guiding principle. After seven-year-old Afify and her younger brother, Hanna, hear a story about the trees kneeling down to worship on Christmas Eve, Afify decides they will go to their Brooklyn park to see the trees bow down. Praying to be worthy of seeing the miracle, Afify tries to be saintlike all day, though she finds the going rough. Finally, after their relatives have left for midnight mass, Afify takes Hanna to the park, where they find their special trees, heavy with ice, bowing down. Their parents are upset, but when Afify and Hanna tell of the miracle they've seen, the whole family draws together in the grace of that moment. What shines here is the mystery of religious experience and the notion of religion as the central guiding principle of a family's life. While some aspects of the story would undoubtedly be told differently today (the family's veneration of the father, two uncles smoking a water pipe, the idea of leaving children alone at night), the book seems true to its time. Better yet, Lovelace's ability to portray children, their thoughts, emotions, and, in this case, their faith, has a timeless quality that makes this a refreshing Christmas story.
Description from Booklist
Santa Paws Come Home
By Nicholas Edwards
Stolen!
The door slammed shut.
Before Santa Paws knew what was happening, he was being driven far away from his home in a stranger's car. He didn't know where he was being taken--all he knew was he had to escape. But when he breaks free he find himself all alone in New York City, a very big and very unfamiliar place. Will Santa Paws find his way back home to the Callahans in time for Christmas?
Description from Publisher
A Child's Christmas in Brooklyn
By Frank Crocitto
Revised Edition includes holiday recipes
Christmas enthusiasts young and old will enjoy Frank Crocitto's nostalgic, near-magic realist take on Christmas in the hazy recesses of the mid-20th century, A Child's Christmas in Brooklyn. Evoking the breathless, wide-eyed wonder of childhood, Crocitto (Insight Is Better Than Ice Cream) describes the interminable wait throughout the fall, homework in November, parents and grandparents' delightfully suspicious preholiday behaviors and the incomprehensibly somber Christmas Eve service. While it offers little new in terms of holiday spirit (following in the stylistic and thematic footsteps of A Christmas Story, though less comical), readers will be pleased by the classic, cozy quality of this reminiscence.
Description from Publishers Weekly
Frank Crocitto's A Child's Christmas in Brooklyn is a wonderful memoir of growing up in Brooklyn in the 1940s. What is particularly striking is not just the wonderful anecdotal stories but the way they are physically and visually laid out for the reader in a line-on-the-page format that is almost lyrically poetic in its presentation. A Child's Christmas in Brooklyn is marvelous reading for any Christmas season and a delight for anytime of the year - especially for that 'window in time' feeling taking us back on a nostalgic tour of Brooklyn through a child's eyes.
Description from Midwest Book Review
The Night Before Christmas in New York City
By Francis Morrone
In a case of mistaken identity, Santa is jailed in New York City until the ghost of Clement Clarke Moore helps find the true criminal.
Description from Publisher
A Crime for Christmas (Nancy Drew Hardy Boys Super Mystery)
By Carolyn Keene
Nancy Drew is in New York to join the Hardy Boys on an important case. They're conducting an intense manhunt for a pair of big-time cat burglars. And they're sure the daring criminal duo will try to scoop up a special prize--the spectacular crown jewels of Sarconne, which are on display at a museum.
Description from Publisher
Yes, Virginia There Is a Santa Claus
By Cyndy Szekeres
Virginia O'Hanlon, a young cat, questions a major New York newspaper about the existence of Santa Claus and she receives an answer from the paper's editor that reaffirms the spirit of Christmas.
Description from Publisher
In 1897, the editor of the New York Sun received a letter from Virginia O'Hanlon asking if there really was a Santa Claus. His response has been adapted by Szekeres, and illustrated in her well know style. In this version, Virginia is a cute yellow cat in a bright red dress with yellow hair ribbons and little blue earrings on her pointed ears. Virginia and the audience learn about the true spirit of Christmas and what Santa Claus represents to the children of the world.
Description from Children's Literature
Santa & Pete: A Novel of Christmas Present and Past
By Christopher Moore
Who would ever guess that the beloved legend of Santa Claus involves a seldom-told tale of faith and friendship between two men -- one white and one black? Long ago, Santa Claus had an African partner named Pete and together they brought the spirit of Christmas to America's first settlers. These two forever changed the way families celebrate the holiday. But through the years, Pete's contribution was forgotten.
Now Santa & Pete restores the legacy in delightful style and delivers an inspiring message of hope and harmony among people. The story starts with a bus driver who takes his grandson along on Saturdays as he travels a historical route in New York City. What unfolds is a series of wonderful adventures that culminate on Christmas Eve, when the bus gets stuck in a snowstorm. That's when the grandfather's running genealogy lesson, based on author Christopher Moore's own family history, arrives at its final destination: the story of Santa and Pete.
A truly magical tale, Santa & Pete will take you and your family back to the heart of Christmas.
Description from Publisher
This fictional story based on a young African American boy in New York City is grounded in history (co-writer Christopher Moore is the Commissioner of New York City Landmarks) and decorated with the whimsy of imagination and magic. When Terrence was seven years old, he was forced to spend Saturdays riding alongside his grandfather, a Metro bus driver, through the streets of the city. At first Terrence is resentful, but then he begins to listen to his grandfather's stories--the stories of the settling of New York, how the city belongs to all people of all races. Driving down St. Nicholas Avenue, his grandfather begins the story of "Santa & Pete." He tells how St. Nicholas was imprisoned as a spy during the Inquisition, but was eventually rescued by Pete, a former slave in Spain under the Moors. The duo found their way to New York and began the long-standing tradition of giving gifts to the needy. When Terrence eventually discovers his connection to Pete, the story suggests that all who celebrate Christmas can be the rescuers and helpers of St. Nicholas.
Description from Amazon.com
The Witch of Fourth Street and Other Stories
By Myron Levoy
Cathy Dunn knew that if shed id not give her penny to the witch, the old lady would turn her into a lizard. Ora goat. Or a spider so small Cathy's mother would step on her. But one day Cathy decided that she would not give up her penny, and that was the day she came down with a fever.Cathy is just one of the many children who came to New York City with their parents seekin g a better life. There is Keplik the Match Man, who builds masterpieces from used matchsticks; Noreen Callahan, who is ashamed to work in her father's smelly fish store; and even a Hanukkah Santa Claus!
Descripiton from Publisher
What makes this such a good book is the author'scompassion, imagination, and humor. A first book forchildren by a first-rate writer.
Description from Book World
The Haunting at Stratton Falls
By Brenda Seabrooke
For 11-year-old Abby, adjusting to Stratton Falls, New York, is even more difficult than anticipated. She misses her father, in Germany fighting the war, and her warm Florida home; her cousin Chad is more mean than friendly; and she's often lonely. One night mysterious wet footprints appear in the hall, and Abby wonders if the ghost stories about the house are true. Enlisting Chad's help, Abby discovers a long-ago tragedy involving a young girl, and on Christmas Day, past and present dramatically come together, unexpectedly resulting in positive changes and realizations. Although the climactic scene is fairly intense (it details the emotional and physical struggles of Abby's accidental near-drowning), fans of history and mystery up to the challenge will enjoy the novel's diverse characters (Abby is likable and sympathetically portrayed), well-paced suspense, period detail, and descriptive, expressive prose. As a bonus, the author supplies some easy-to-do craft ideas by describing Abby's dollhouse furniture project, which uses common household items in creative ways.
Description from Booklist
With her father missing in action in WWII, Abby must live with her pesky cousin Chad's family. As Christmas nears, Abby sees mysterious wet footprints in the hallway and hears the story of a girl who drowned eighty years ago. What is the ghost trying to tell her? The 1940s setting is as intriguing as the not-too-scary chills this well-told tale delivers.
Description from Horn Book
A ghost story at Christmas? 'Tis the season for this novel set in upstate New York during World War II. Elevenyearold Abby and her mother relocate from Florida to her cousin Chad's home in Stratton Falls after learning her father has been reported missing in Europe. It's a home with a secret that Abby wishes to discover. While everyone has heard rumors the house is haunted, not everyone is willing to believe it—especially mischievous Chad, who seems to revel in taunting his cousin—even to the extent of pretending he is a ghost! When a ghost does manifest itself in full view of Chad and Abby, the pace quickens and Abby is intent on learning why "Felicia" returns to the house at Christmas, believing "she" has a purpose for coming there. Is it a message from afar about Abby's father? A warning to her? Readers sense the confusion Abby feels as Christmas Day approaches. She is caught in a conflict between reality and fantasy, while finally learning the reason "Felicia" has returned—and it is for her. Brenda Seabrooke presents a glimpse into civilian life during the war and realistically portrays family life in an intense era.
Description from Children's Literature
New York Classic Christmas Trivia!
By Carole Marsh
On what day does the sun rise twice, water flow backward and the poke salad flower? Christmas, of course! This book is bursting with interesting trivia, games and recipes and PLENTY of ideas for easy inexpensive gifts for kids to make. Free teacher's guide gives specific suggestions and instructions on how to get max educational value from this book. Bring the holiday home to your students!
Description from Publisher
The Annoyance Bureau
By Lucy Frank
A maverick bureaucrat becomes a mentor of sorts for an unhappy lad in this offbeat fantasy. Spending an uncomfortable Christmas week with his dad and stepfamily in New York City, 12-year-old Lucas notices an unusual number of pedestrians in greenish overcoats, muttering urgently into cell phones. An irascible Santa named Izzy Gribitz clues him in: like Izzy, they’re employees of the Annoyance Bureau, a little-known agency charged with removing or disabling life’s petty peeves. Only, Izzy claims, the Bureau is wasting much of its effort—a situation he aims to remedy with the Irkostat, a remote-control-like device of his own invention that "inspects, detects, protects, and corrects" annoyances with the push of a button. Gladly agreeing to become Izzy’s apprentice, Lucas begins compiling a list of personal annoyances—topped by his waspish stepsister Phoebe. As Lucas is more absorbed in fretting about his own situation and Izzy’s uncertain status in the Bureau than actually doing anything, this is stronger on premise than plot or character. Near the end, he does take a more active role, ultimately working out better relationships with his dad and, perhaps, even Phoebe, but what is more likely to engage readers are his rib-tickling encounters with distracted Bureau workers, as they scuttle about with bins of confiscated Tickle Me Elmos, self-help books, and the like. Tongue-in-cheek to the max.
Description from Kirkus Reviews
In the fifteen hours since Lucas Graham arrived in New York City, his own annoyance level has skyrocketed. For starters, he'd rather be spending his Christmas week at the beach with Mom instead of visiting Dad and Claire in the cold and slush. He'd rather not be sharing a bathroom with his critical stepsister, Phoebe, and her disapproving cat. He'd rather not be threatened with a haircut at Trims for Tykes by his little stepbrother's unspeakable baby-sitter, Gladys.
And he wishes the strange Santa in front of Book World had not slipped this beeping, buzzing device into his backpack for safekeeping, even if it does seem to have entertaining effects on cats and baby-sitters. And who are these strange, green-coated guys milling around, muttering into walkie-talkies -- guys only twelve-year-old Lucas and this Santa seem to see? Lucas overhears the words "annoyance removal," as if they're attuned to his innermost wishes. Something weird is going on. Weird, but irresistible.
Now this old man, Izzy Gribitz, is talking about bungling agents, secret passages, this mysterious remote control-like device, and something called the Annoyance Bureau. What does it all mean?
"That," says Izzy, "is for me to know and you to find out."
Description from Publisher
The Great Christmas Kidnapping Caper
By Jean Van Leeuwen
Awards:
- South Carolina Children's Book Award
- The William Allen White Children's Book Award
Marvin the Mouse and his two pals move into a dollhouse located in Macy’s toy department at Christmas time. The store Santa secretly befriends them, leaving them food to find. One day Santa doesn’t come to work, and talk is that he was kidnapped. The mice set about plotting to get Santa back for the children of New York City.
Description from Publisher
The Lion in the Box: A Christmas Story
By Marguerite De Angeli
A meager Christmas seems to be in store for a turn-of-the-century New York family when its widowed mother is able to get work only occasionally, until a wonderful event occurs in her absence.
Description from Publisher
When my sisters and I were small children, my mother began to read us this story just before Christmas. We heard it read aloud each year as we grew up, and it became an important and special part of our holiday celebration. Now as a middle school teacher, I read this book to my students each December. It's a charming (and true!) tale of a loving family who experience a very special holiday. Simple but sincere, heartwarming and gentle, Lion in the Box is a book to treasure. Sharing this story each year is a wonderful tradition to start in your own family.
Description from Amazon.com Customer Review
Home Alone Two: Lost in New York
By Todd Strasser
A novelization of the sequel to the hugely popular Twentieth Century Fox motion picture, Home Alone, finds Kevin McCallister having the time of his life in Manhattan while his family is in Florida. Movie tie-in.
Description from Publisher
Home Alone Two: Lost in New York
Kevin's Christmas Vacation Scrapbook
By Nancy E. Krulik
Kevin McCallister tells his own story in this easy-to-read picture scrapbook from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. His hilarious account of his unexpected New York vacation will delight readers and movie fans of all ages. Full-color movie stills.
Description from Publisher
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Beginning Readers
Auntie Claus
(Gift Set)
By Elise Primavera
Also Available as Individual Book
It's Christmas at the North Pole, and Sophie Kringle's great-aunt, Auntie Claus, is off on her annual business trip. Auntie Claus is so mysterioso! Is she just another eccentric New Yorker? This Christmas, Sophie goes along to find out what her beloved auntie is up to.
Straight from Santa's workshop, this brilliant Christmas package features Oscar-winning actress Ellen Burstyn's dramatic reading of Elise Primavera's beloved story on CD, a magical key ornament, and the bestselling book. Join the Kringle family and celebrate Christmas with everyone's favorite great-aunt-Auntie Claus! Full-color illustrations
Description from Publisher
Spoiled Sophie Kringle is bound and determined to find out the truth, once and for all, about her mysterioso Auntie Claus, who serves Christmas cookies in July and fills her penthouse with glittery Christmas lights all year long. In this lavish gift edition of the bestselling picture book, Auntie Claus, by Elise Primavera, Oscar-, Tony-, and Golden Globe-winning actress Ellen Burstyn provides a dramatic reading of the story in a CD, while mesmerized children can read along in the handsome hardcover book. Even more festive, a sparkly gold key ornament is also included, adding the perfect touch for the Christmas tree. For all those children who stay off the B-B-and-G Christmas List (bad boys and girls), here is a terrific holiday treat that lets the true spirit of giving shine through.
Description from Amazon.com
Auntie Claus and the Key to Christmas
By Elise Primavera
The companion book to Elise Primavera's much-celebrated Auntie Claus, Auntie Claus and the Key to Christmas, gives Sophie Kringle's younger brother, Christopher, a turn in the starring role. Finally, Chris will learn the Kringle family secret--that his great-aunt Auntie Claus, inhabitant of penthouse 25C of New York City's Bing Cherry Hotel, is Santa Claus's older sister! When Chris overhears someone say that only babies believe in Santa Claus--and then repeats the rumor!--he is immediately summoned by Auntie Claus for tea, marmalade cake, and a talking-to. During teatime he learns of the PRUNES--Parade Rainers United National Elite Society (people who would dare to say there's no Santa) as well as the B-B-and-G List (Bad-Boys-and-Girls) that Santa makes each year. Taking it all with a grain of salt, Chris decides to use the scientific method: he'll behave so boorishly that he'll get on the List--if he still gets presents, he'll know it's all a hoax. Sophie attempts to demystify Christmas for him once and for all, sending him up in a magical elevator to the North Pole where he discovers (1) he made the List, (2) PRUNES exist, and (3) Santa exists. Sharing some of the smart-alecky humor of Jon Scieszka's Time Warp Trio series (Ozzie and Pam Spam are on tour promoting their new book We're Geniuses and Yer Not!, for instance), Auntie Claus then dashes the comparison with a sweet-as-cherry-pie maxim--"the best things are invisible"--which also happens to be the key to Christmas. Once again the whimsical, grand, richly colored paintings steal the limelight in this o'er complicated holiday tale. Still, those enchanted by the first Auntie won't want to miss it.
Description from Amazon.com
Santa's big sister is back! This time, Auntie Claus's grand-nephew Christopher Kringle is front and center, wreaking havoc at the Bing Cherry Hotel when he repeats the rumor that Santa doesn't exist. Summoned to his great-aunt's penthouse suite, Chris learns of the "B-B-and-G List" (bad boys and girls), and arranges to get himself onto it in order to get to the bottom of the family secret. While the plot is overwrought in places, it's great fun nonetheless, with Auntie Claus's larger-than-life presence presiding over Primavera's vibrant, richly saturated gouaches and pastels.
Description from Publishers Weekly
This lighthearted sequel to Auntie Claus continues the adventures of Santa's extended family, the Kringles, who enjoy a life of luxury in the Bing Cherry Hotel in New York City. This time it is her nephew, Kris, who is the focus of the story. After hearing the precocious Spam twins declare that there is no Santa Claus, he, too, begins to doubt and goes on a campaign to be listed on the dreaded Bad Boys and Girls List. His sister Sophie sends him to the North Pole on Auntie's magic elevator, where he encounters the other Bad Boys and Girls, PRUNES (members of the Parade Rainers United National Elite Society) disguised as Snowboys, and ultimately declares his belief in Santa Claus after all. The wordplay and stylish jewel-toned illustrations will appeal to sophisticated adults as well as to kids who, like Kris, say, "I'll believe it when I see it."
Description from School Library Journal
Christmas in the City
By Loretta Krupinski
"Look, my dear, we have our very own Christmas tree," said Mr. Mouse.
"And, the very biggest!" said Mrs. Mouse.
Hundreds of people looked back up at the tree, while the mice watched the skaters below. They were country mice. The tree was their home. Now they found themselves in the heart of New York City, Rockefeller Center. When Mr. And Mrs. Mouse's tree is chosen to be the very special Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, the two little country mice find themselves in the bustling world of great big New York City.
There they experience all of the wonder of their lively new home, go ice-skating at Rockefeller Center, window-shopping at FAO Schwarz, eat pretzels and chestnuts, hitch a ride on a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park— they do it all! And then they receive the most precious gift of all—a family.
Description from Publisher
An Ellis Island Christmas
By Maxinne Rhea Leighton
Kyrsia and her brothers leave Poland with their mother to join their father in America. After an arduous ocean voyage, they arrive at Ellis Island on Christmas Eve. Sepia-toned and soft-edged, the illustrations convey a young immigrant's hopes and fears.
Description fromHorn Book
Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus
By Francis Pharcellus Church
A beautifully illustrated gift edition based on the legendary letter and essay that appeared in 1897 in The New York Sun. That letter and its editorial response have become a Christmastime legend. Little did F.P. Church know back in 1897 that his response would come to stand for the affirmation of all the joy and magic of the holiday season.
Description from Publisher
Santa's Snow Cat
By Sue Stainton and Anne Mortimer
On the magical eve before Christmas, Santa's favorite cat falls from his sleigh high in the winter sky into the bustling world of New York below.As Snow Cat wanders the sparkling city, she encounters many "nearly" Santas, but not her beloved Santa.
With a huff from the North Wind, and the light of the big Lemon Moon, Snow Cat's true Santa can't be far away.
Description from Publisher
Snow Cat's secret ride in Santa's pocket on Christmas Eve is suddenly halted when she falls out into the hectic bustle of New York City which is filled with lights, people, and strange other Santas who are not "hers." Cold and frightened, she falls asleep by a fireplace in a house she has entered. Luckily it's a chimney down which her Santa comes, searching for her. So there's a happy ending to this lyrical appreciation of the beauty of a Christmas night. Mortimer's illustrations have the quality of fine miniature paintings in their naturalistic renderings and complex designs. The large and small scenes are rich with saturated colors and festive with snowflakes and holiday lights. They convey both the anxiety of the lost cat and the happy spirit of the holiday in the city. The World Trade Center Towers are still standing here.
Description from Children's Literature
This book is a must for Christmas, and anyone who loves New York. Snow Cat falls out of Santa's sleigh one Christmas and is dropped into New York. Unhurt she visits different landmarks such as the Twin Towers, Rockefeller Center, and more. Snow Cat meets up with many "look-alike" Santa's, but never hers. Eventually Santa finds Snow Cat and brings her back to the North Pole. This book is beautifully illustrated, and a must for any cat lovers or anyone looking for a new Christmas story.
Description from Amazon.com Customer Review
Christmastime in New York City
By Roxie Munro
Holiday time in Manhattan is full of wondrous things to see--the ThanksgivingDay Parade, store windows filled with marvelous toys and decorations, the bigtree in Rockefeller Center, and the exciting New Year's Eve in Times Square.
Description from Publisher
A charming and energetic invitation to the pleasures of the Christmas season in one of the world's most exciting cities. As with her The Inside-Outside Book of New York City, Munro has chosen locations and scenes that capture the essence of New York: the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, Park Avenue lights, Christmas icons like the Medieval Court Christmas Tree in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lord & Taylor's windows and the wreathed lions at the entrance to the public library. From a panoramic cover view of Rockefeller Center's famous Christmas tree, to a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the lighted Times Square apple, ready to usher in the New Year for the crowds below, Munro's paintings are magic and memorable.
Description from Publishers Weekly
Mim's Christmas Jam
By Andrea Davis Pinkney
The best part of Christmas is the whole family savoring Mim's belly-hum jam together. But this Christmas, Pap is far away in New York City, digging a hole for something called the subway, and his family is missing him something awful. Pap aches to be home, but the heartless foremen of his dig site have decided there will be no break, not even for Christmas. It looks like it's going to be one lonely holiday for everyone.until young Saraleen and Royce send their pap a gift that may just inspire a Christmas miracle.
The recipient of a Coretta Scott King Author Honor and a two-time Caldecott Honor illustrator have created a warm and magical holiday classic about the power of love, complete with the recipe for Mim's Christmas jam. Full-color illustrations
Description from Publisher
In the Pinkneys' (Duke Ellington) hands, a tasty family tradition and New York City history make a flavorsome pairing. It's 1915, and Christmas just isn't the same when Pap must be away from Mim and their children while he works to build the New York City subway system. But a jar of Mim's "belly-hum jam" unexpectedly works its own small miracles. Vibrant scratchboard compositions skillfully contrast the dank underground construction site with the warmth of home.
Description from Publishers Weekly
Eloise at Christmastime
By Kay Thompson
Eloise has always had a rather festive air about her, but when Christmastime rolls around, well, it's "Fa la la la fa la la la lolly ting tingledy here and there," of course. The bunchy-bloused, spindly-legged scamp is speaking in rhyme this time, and in typical Eloise fashion, the verse simply can't be perfectly metered, for what would be the point? She rushes around New York's Plaza Hotel on Christmas Eve, jingling, spreading Christmas cheer, tying tassels on the thermostats, and writing "Merry Christmas" on all the walls. And of course there are gifts to be delivered and wrapped:
For Weenie a roastbeef bone deluxe
For Skipperdee raisin milk
I'm giving the valet a beehive of course
made of safety pins and silk
Her asides, printed in red, are as priceless as ever: "Sometimes there is so much to do that/ I get sort of a headache around the sides and partially under it." Or in a rare vulnerable moment, "For when you are a child of six/ it's difficult to know/ if you deserve a present or not/ at Christmastime/ or so." But enough of that. "We sang Noel for 506/ Silent Night for 507/ We didn't sing for 509/ at the request of 511."
Hilary Knight's pen and ink pink-and-black illustrations are perfect--particularly of the "sugar plums" dancing in Eloise's head on Christmas Eve, complete with crazed elves, Nanny-as-angel, reindeer with glasses, and of course Santa's sleigh with one giant package in it... for Eloise. Kay Thompson's Eloise at Christmastime, first published in 1958 with a different cover, joins Eloise in Paris and The Absolutely Essential Eloise (with additional historical scrapbook) as a much welcomed reissue of the original. And there's always just Eloise.
Description from Amazon.com
Jingle Bells
By Maryann Kovalski
Jenny and Joanna's holiday trip to New York City with Grandma is the framework for this lively contemporary version of the song favorite -- by the creator of The Wheels on the Bus.
Description from Publishers Weekly
A grandmother and grandchildren sing the title song while taking a carriage ride through Central Park in New York.
Description from Publisher
Milly and the Macy's Parade
By Shana Corey & Brett Helquist
Inspired by the true story behind the first Macy's Day Parade in 1924, this heartwarming tale celebrates a treasured American passion. When a spirited girl named Milly imagines a way to combine her family's old country traditions with their new American heritage, the result is a holiday season filled with mirth and magic - and the creation of a uniquely American event. Told with facility and flair, and illustrated with exquisite jewel-like paintings, this joyful picture book is a must-have for every American family.
Description from Publisher
The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a highlight of the New York City holiday season with its marching bands and big balloons. In this story, set in 1924, Corey envisions a little girl whose immigrant Polish father works for Mr. Macy himself. Milly has the run of the store and can fly through the revolving doors and ride up and down the escalators and the elevators. She and all the fashionably dressed customers think that the Christmas merchandise is "gorgeous." But while Milly and her family are growing accustomed to America, they miss one wonderful custom from the old country: strolling from house to house singing Christmas carols. The child determinedly proposes to Mr. Macy a parade as an alternative. The marchers begin in Harlem with festive costumes, bands, and animals from the Central Park Zoo and end up on 34th Street. And so the annual festivity takes root. Helquist's acrylic-and-oil paintings feature colorfully dressed people with angular faces and bodies outlined in black. The author's note gives a history of the parade and acknowledges that while R. H. Macy himself died in 1877, he is a known character "-immortalized in the 1947 classic book and film Miracle on 34th Street-." While the references to the Follies and the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts may be lost on children, this is an entertaining and lively variation on holiday stories.
Description from School Library Journal
A Taxi Dog Christmas
By Debra and Sal Barracca
Jim and Maxi, the taxi-driving duo popularized in
The Adventures of Taxi Dog,
Maxi, the Hero, and
Maxi, the Star, awake to a snowy Christmas Eve. After trimming their tree and building a "snow dog" replica of Maxi, the two come to the rescue of six abandoned kittens, which they take to the taxi garage. "Each lucky tabbie went home with a cabbie" while one kitty joins Jim and Maxi as they shuttle last-minute shoppers around New York City. Suddenly, Santa, his reindeer, his load of toys, and remnants of his sled crash to the ground before them: "`I lost flight control / When I left the North Pole,' Santa said. `What on earth shall I do?'" The solution--of course--hitch the reindeer to Jim and Maxi's taxi. Ayers' luminous oil paintings delight in the holiday sights and lights of New York City--particularly when the skybound taxi leaves the glowing city below to continue Santa's route. Such fanciful touches as a jar of seasonal green and red dog biscuits atop the kitchen counter and a penguin perched on a city curb give punctuations of humor to an already winning holiday read.
Description from Booklist
The Harlem Nutcracker: Based on the Ballet
By Susan Kuklin (Photographer) and Donald Byrd
Forget the Sugar Plum Fairy and those syrupy waltzes you can't get out of your head each December. This is a new Nutcracker, with jazz by Ellington, African-American and Dominican children as party guests, and a Harlem nightclub of the '20s as the fantasy destination for Clara and her prince. Byrd created his innovative version of the classic Christmas ballet for his own dance company, and the production was skillfully photographed by co-author Kuklin (Hoops with Swoopes). Here, Clara is an African-American grandmother facing her first Christmas without her beloved husband Gus, who returns to her in dream sequences and again as the transformed nutcracker. The story mirrors the basic plot of the ballet, with the theme here of an aging grandmother's acceptance of her husband's passing and her own impending death rather than a young girl's awakening. The antagonist is not the Mouse King, but a rather terrifying specter of death, who comes for Clara with his accompanying hounds, death maidens, and ghouls. At first, Clara repels the figure of death, but at the end, she is no longer afraid of him, and she exits on the arm of her husband-prince as they "climb the stairway to eternity." Kuklin, an experienced dance photographer, captures both the expressive movement of the dancers and their subtle emotions in superb photographs with black backgrounds framed in jewel tones of ruby, emerald, and lapis. This powerful story is not just another retold fairy tale; it stands on its own, dancing in the reader's imagination.
Description from Kirkus Reviews
Is There a Santa Claus: A Little Girl's Question Answered
By Francis Church
In 1897 an eight year old girl named Virginia O¹Hanlon wrote a letter to The New York Sun in which she asked, "some of my little friends say there is no Santa ClausŠPlease tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?" The editor¹s famous answer reads, in part, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity exist."
This booklet reprints an attractively designed and illustrated version made by Augustus Kaiser in the 1920s. It is 24 pages long, and is accompanied by an decorative envelope, as it is our intention that people will send it as an elaborate Christmas Card.
Description from Publisher
Gargoyles' Christmas
By Louisa Campbell
Soured on Christmas, three New York City gargoyles begin to change their mind about the holiday after Santa Claus helps them out of a mess of their own making.
Description from Publisher
Older Readers
(Ages 9-12)
Miracle on 34th Street
By Valentine Davies
(Ornament and Book Gift Set)
Single Book Also Available
Several reissues make a reappearance this season. Leading the list is a facsimile edition of Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies. The handsome volume re-creates the 1947 edition with heavy cream-colored paper and a font that emulates the original hot-metal type.
Description from Publishers Weekly
Trimming the tree and revisiting favorite holiday stories are cherished Christmas traditions in small towns and big cities across the country. This beloved book celebrating the powers of kindness and faith, restored to its original 1947 design, is paired for the first time with an old-fashioned wooden ornament, perfect for handing down-along with warm memories--through generations of believers.
A white-bearded gentleman who appears at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade fills in for an unfit Santa Claus-and is asked to become the store's resident Santa. This Kris Kringle believes he is Santa, as do children from all over the city, and reindeer at the zoo nearby. A few skeptical souls try to have him declared insane, but miraculously, the State of New York, with the help of the U. S. Postal Service, come to the gent's rescue by declaring that he is indeed Santa Claus. Since its first publication in 1947, this tale has been treasured by generations of believers, making this Academy Award-winning story part of holiday traditions all across America. This facsimile edition faithfully re-creates the first hardcover publication, inviting new families or readers to celebrate both the story and the charm of the original design. A brief historical note, new in this edition, details the simultaneous development of the book and film.
Description from Publisher
Samantha's Surprise: A Christmas Story
By Maxine Rose Schur
Samantha's Surprise is the third book in a series of books about Samantha. Samantha is invited to A Christmas party put on by her good friend Ida Dean. At the same time she plans to make a large gingerbread house with Mrs. Hawkins, and decorate the house herself. But Samantha's Christmas plans start to fall when her Uncle Gard announces that he plans on bringing his friend Cornelia along for this Christmas. Now, it seems that all of Samantha's plans are destroyed--and Samantha blames Cornelia for ruining everthing. But there's more than one surprise in store for Samantha on Christmas day!
Description from Amazon.com Customer Review
When Christmas Comes Again: The World War I Diary of Simone Spencer (Dear America: New York City, 1917)
By Beth Seidel Levine
In April of 1917, Simone Spencer's world changes. Her beloved brother Will goes off to war, and Simone seeks a way to help. The passionate daughter of a feisty French mother and a rebellious upper-class father, Simone is not cut out for the society life she is meant to lead. So, when General Pershing calls for French-speaking American girls to operate the switchboards on the Western Front, Simone becomes one of the first brave "Hello Girls" whose courage helps lead the Allies to victory. In the end, Christmas brings the Spencers back together again.
Description from Publisher
The Christmas Tree
By Julie Salamon
The Christmas Tree is the tale of a little girl named Anna, who is orphaned and sent to live in a convent. The lonely girl befriends, as only a child can, a tiny fir tree. Anna and Tree, as she calls him, grow up together, unlocking the secrets of friendship and sharing the wonders of nature. It is this same profound appreciation and love of nature that the grown-up Anna, now Sister Anthony, passes on to her students.
When Tree is threatened by a winter storm, Sister Anthony, by now an old woman, decides to give up her dearest friend, allowing him to become the most enjoyed and famous tree of all: the tree at Rockefeller Center in New York City.
A perennial holiday favorite, The Christmas Tree is about learning to love and, ultimately, being able to share that love with others.
Description from Publisher
The Trees Kneel at Christmas
By Maud Hart Lovelace
Written by the author of the well-loved Betsy-Tacy books, this Christmas story originally appeared in 1951. Today, with new artwork, it is historical fiction that brings to life the immigrant experience. Lovelace portrays an extended family that treasures its Lebanese traditions, takes pride in its adaptation to American ways, and celebrates religious faith as its guiding principle. After seven-year-old Afify and her younger brother, Hanna, hear a story about the trees kneeling down to worship on Christmas Eve, Afify decides they will go to their Brooklyn park to see the trees bow down. Praying to be worthy of seeing the miracle, Afify tries to be saintlike all day, though she finds the going rough. Finally, after their relatives have left for midnight mass, Afify takes Hanna to the park, where they find their special trees, heavy with ice, bowing down. Their parents are upset, but when Afify and Hanna tell of the miracle they've seen, the whole family draws together in the grace of that moment. What shines here is the mystery of religious experience and the notion of religion as the central guiding principle of a family's life. While some aspects of the story would undoubtedly be told differently today (the family's veneration of the father, two uncles smoking a water pipe, the idea of leaving children alone at night), the book seems true to its time. Better yet, Lovelace's ability to portray children, their thoughts, emotions, and, in this case, their faith, has a timeless quality that makes this a refreshing Christmas story.
Description from Booklist
Santa Paws Come Home
By Nicholas Edwards
Stolen!
The door slammed shut.
Before Santa Paws knew what was happening, he was being driven far away from his home in a stranger's car. He didn't know where he was being taken--all he knew was he had to escape. But when he breaks free he find himself all alone in New York City, a very big and very unfamiliar place. Will Santa Paws find his way back home to the Callahans in time for Christmas?
Description from Publisher
A Child's Christmas in Brooklyn
By Frank Crocitto
Revised Edition includes holiday recipes
Christmas enthusiasts young and old will enjoy Frank Crocitto's nostalgic, near-magic realist take on Christmas in the hazy recesses of the mid-20th century, A Child's Christmas in Brooklyn. Evoking the breathless, wide-eyed wonder of childhood, Crocitto (Insight Is Better Than Ice Cream) describes the interminable wait throughout the fall, homework in November, parents and grandparents' delightfully suspicious preholiday behaviors and the incomprehensibly somber Christmas Eve service. While it offers little new in terms of holiday spirit (following in the stylistic and thematic footsteps of A Christmas Story, though less comical), readers will be pleased by the classic, cozy quality of this reminiscence.
Description from Publishers Weekly
Frank Crocitto's A Child's Christmas in Brooklyn is a wonderful memoir of growing up in Brooklyn in the 1940s. What is particularly striking is not just the wonderful anecdotal stories but the way they are physically and visually laid out for the reader in a line-on-the-page format that is almost lyrically poetic in its presentation. A Child's Christmas in Brooklyn is marvelous reading for any Christmas season and a delight for anytime of the year - especially for that 'window in time' feeling taking us back on a nostalgic tour of Brooklyn through a child's eyes.
Description from Midwest Book Review
The Night Before Christmas in New York City
By Francis Morrone
In a case of mistaken identity, Santa is jailed in New York City until the ghost of Clement Clarke Moore helps find the true criminal.
Description from Publisher
A Crime for Christmas (Nancy Drew Hardy Boys Super Mystery)
By Carolyn Keene
Nancy Drew is in New York to join the Hardy Boys on an important case. They're conducting an intense manhunt for a pair of big-time cat burglars. And they're sure the daring criminal duo will try to scoop up a special prize--the spectacular crown jewels of Sarconne, which are on display at a museum.
Description from Publisher
Yes, Virginia There Is a Santa Claus
By Cyndy Szekeres
Virginia O'Hanlon, a young cat, questions a major New York newspaper about the existence of Santa Claus and she receives an answer from the paper's editor that reaffirms the spirit of Christmas.
Description from Publisher
In 1897, the editor of the New York Sun received a letter from Virginia O'Hanlon asking if there really was a Santa Claus. His response has been adapted by Szekeres, and illustrated in her well know style. In this version, Virginia is a cute yellow cat in a bright red dress with yellow hair ribbons and little blue earrings on her pointed ears. Virginia and the audience learn about the true spirit of Christmas and what Santa Claus represents to the children of the world.
Description from Children's Literature
Santa & Pete: A Novel of Christmas Present and Past
By Christopher Moore
Who would ever guess that the beloved legend of Santa Claus involves a seldom-told tale of faith and friendship between two men -- one white and one black? Long ago, Santa Claus had an African partner named Pete and together they brought the spirit of Christmas to America's first settlers. These two forever changed the way families celebrate the holiday. But through the years, Pete's contribution was forgotten.
Now Santa & Pete restores the legacy in delightful style and delivers an inspiring message of hope and harmony among people. The story starts with a bus driver who takes his grandson along on Saturdays as he travels a historical route in New York City. What unfolds is a series of wonderful adventures that culminate on Christmas Eve, when the bus gets stuck in a snowstorm. That's when the grandfather's running genealogy lesson, based on author Christopher Moore's own family history, arrives at its final destination: the story of Santa and Pete.
A truly magical tale, Santa & Pete will take you and your family back to the heart of Christmas.
Description from Publisher
This fictional story based on a young African American boy in New York City is grounded in history (co-writer Christopher Moore is the Commissioner of New York City Landmarks) and decorated with the whimsy of imagination and magic. When Terrence was seven years old, he was forced to spend Saturdays riding alongside his grandfather, a Metro bus driver, through the streets of the city. At first Terrence is resentful, but then he begins to listen to his grandfather's stories--the stories of the settling of New York, how the city belongs to all people of all races. Driving down St. Nicholas Avenue, his grandfather begins the story of "Santa & Pete." He tells how St. Nicholas was imprisoned as a spy during the Inquisition, but was eventually rescued by Pete, a former slave in Spain under the Moors. The duo found their way to New York and began the long-standing tradition of giving gifts to the needy. When Terrence eventually discovers his connection to Pete, the story suggests that all who celebrate Christmas can be the rescuers and helpers of St. Nicholas.
Description from Amazon.com
The Witch of Fourth Street and Other Stories
By Myron Levoy
Cathy Dunn knew that if shed id not give her penny to the witch, the old lady would turn her into a lizard. Ora goat. Or a spider so small Cathy's mother would step on her. But one day Cathy decided that she would not give up her penny, and that was the day she came down with a fever.Cathy is just one of the many children who came to New York City with their parents seekin g a better life. There is Keplik the Match Man, who builds masterpieces from used matchsticks; Noreen Callahan, who is ashamed to work in her father's smelly fish store; and even a Hanukkah Santa Claus!
Descripiton from Publisher
What makes this such a good book is the author'scompassion, imagination, and humor. A first book forchildren by a first-rate writer.
Description from Book World
The Haunting at Stratton Falls
By Brenda Seabrooke
For 11-year-old Abby, adjusting to Stratton Falls, New York, is even more difficult than anticipated. She misses her father, in Germany fighting the war, and her warm Florida home; her cousin Chad is more mean than friendly; and she's often lonely. One night mysterious wet footprints appear in the hall, and Abby wonders if the ghost stories about the house are true. Enlisting Chad's help, Abby discovers a long-ago tragedy involving a young girl, and on Christmas Day, past and present dramatically come together, unexpectedly resulting in positive changes and realizations. Although the climactic scene is fairly intense (it details the emotional and physical struggles of Abby's accidental near-drowning), fans of history and mystery up to the challenge will enjoy the novel's diverse characters (Abby is likable and sympathetically portrayed), well-paced suspense, period detail, and descriptive, expressive prose. As a bonus, the author supplies some easy-to-do craft ideas by describing Abby's dollhouse furniture project, which uses common household items in creative ways.
Description from Booklist
With her father missing in action in WWII, Abby must live with her pesky cousin Chad's family. As Christmas nears, Abby sees mysterious wet footprints in the hallway and hears the story of a girl who drowned eighty years ago. What is the ghost trying to tell her? The 1940s setting is as intriguing as the not-too-scary chills this well-told tale delivers.
Description from Horn Book
A ghost story at Christmas? 'Tis the season for this novel set in upstate New York during World War II. Elevenyearold Abby and her mother relocate from Florida to her cousin Chad's home in Stratton Falls after learning her father has been reported missing in Europe. It's a home with a secret that Abby wishes to discover. While everyone has heard rumors the house is haunted, not everyone is willing to believe it—especially mischievous Chad, who seems to revel in taunting his cousin—even to the extent of pretending he is a ghost! When a ghost does manifest itself in full view of Chad and Abby, the pace quickens and Abby is intent on learning why "Felicia" returns to the house at Christmas, believing "she" has a purpose for coming there. Is it a message from afar about Abby's father? A warning to her? Readers sense the confusion Abby feels as Christmas Day approaches. She is caught in a conflict between reality and fantasy, while finally learning the reason "Felicia" has returned—and it is for her. Brenda Seabrooke presents a glimpse into civilian life during the war and realistically portrays family life in an intense era.
Description from Children's Literature
New York Classic Christmas Trivia!
By Carole Marsh
On what day does the sun rise twice, water flow backward and the poke salad flower? Christmas, of course! This book is bursting with interesting trivia, games and recipes and PLENTY of ideas for easy inexpensive gifts for kids to make. Free teacher's guide gives specific suggestions and instructions on how to get max educational value from this book. Bring the holiday home to your students!
Description from Publisher
The Annoyance Bureau
By Lucy Frank
A maverick bureaucrat becomes a mentor of sorts for an unhappy lad in this offbeat fantasy. Spending an uncomfortable Christmas week with his dad and stepfamily in New York City, 12-year-old Lucas notices an unusual number of pedestrians in greenish overcoats, muttering urgently into cell phones. An irascible Santa named Izzy Gribitz clues him in: like Izzy, they’re employees of the Annoyance Bureau, a little-known agency charged with removing or disabling life’s petty peeves. Only, Izzy claims, the Bureau is wasting much of its effort—a situation he aims to remedy with the Irkostat, a remote-control-like device of his own invention that "inspects, detects, protects, and corrects" annoyances with the push of a button. Gladly agreeing to become Izzy’s apprentice, Lucas begins compiling a list of personal annoyances—topped by his waspish stepsister Phoebe. As Lucas is more absorbed in fretting about his own situation and Izzy’s uncertain status in the Bureau than actually doing anything, this is stronger on premise than plot or character. Near the end, he does take a more active role, ultimately working out better relationships with his dad and, perhaps, even Phoebe, but what is more likely to engage readers are his rib-tickling encounters with distracted Bureau workers, as they scuttle about with bins of confiscated Tickle Me Elmos, self-help books, and the like. Tongue-in-cheek to the max.
Description from Kirkus Reviews
In the fifteen hours since Lucas Graham arrived in New York City, his own annoyance level has skyrocketed. For starters, he'd rather be spending his Christmas week at the beach with Mom instead of visiting Dad and Claire in the cold and slush. He'd rather not be sharing a bathroom with his critical stepsister, Phoebe, and her disapproving cat. He'd rather not be threatened with a haircut at Trims for Tykes by his little stepbrother's unspeakable baby-sitter, Gladys.
And he wishes the strange Santa in front of Book World had not slipped this beeping, buzzing device into his backpack for safekeeping, even if it does seem to have entertaining effects on cats and baby-sitters. And who are these strange, green-coated guys milling around, muttering into walkie-talkies -- guys only twelve-year-old Lucas and this Santa seem to see? Lucas overhears the words "annoyance removal," as if they're attuned to his innermost wishes. Something weird is going on. Weird, but irresistible.
Now this old man, Izzy Gribitz, is talking about bungling agents, secret passages, this mysterious remote control-like device, and something called the Annoyance Bureau. What does it all mean?
"That," says Izzy, "is for me to know and you to find out."
Description from Publisher
The Great Christmas Kidnapping Caper
By Jean Van Leeuwen
Awards:
- South Carolina Children's Book Award
- The William Allen White Children's Book Award
Marvin the Mouse and his two pals move into a dollhouse located in Macy’s toy department at Christmas time. The store Santa secretly befriends them, leaving them food to find. One day Santa doesn’t come to work, and talk is that he was kidnapped. The mice set about plotting to get Santa back for the children of New York City.
Description from Publisher
The Lion in the Box: A Christmas Story
By Marguerite De Angeli
A meager Christmas seems to be in store for a turn-of-the-century New York family when its widowed mother is able to get work only occasionally, until a wonderful event occurs in her absence.
Description from Publisher
When my sisters and I were small children, my mother began to read us this story just before Christmas. We heard it read aloud each year as we grew up, and it became an important and special part of our holiday celebration. Now as a middle school teacher, I read this book to my students each December. It's a charming (and true!) tale of a loving family who experience a very special holiday. Simple but sincere, heartwarming and gentle, Lion in the Box is a book to treasure. Sharing this story each year is a wonderful tradition to start in your own family.
Description from Amazon.com Customer Review
Home Alone Two: Lost in New York
By Todd Strasser
A novelization of the sequel to the hugely popular Twentieth Century Fox motion picture, Home Alone, finds Kevin McCallister having the time of his life in Manhattan while his family is in Florida. Movie tie-in.
Description from Publisher
Home Alone Two: Lost in New York
Kevin's Christmas Vacation Scrapbook
By Nancy E. Krulik
Kevin McCallister tells his own story in this easy-to-read picture scrapbook from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. His hilarious account of his unexpected New York vacation will delight readers and movie fans of all ages. Full-color movie stills.
Description from Publisher
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Beginning Readers |
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Auntie Claus (Gift Set) By Elise Primavera Also Available as Individual Book |
It's Christmas at the North Pole, and Sophie Kringle's great-aunt, Auntie Claus, is off on her annual business trip. Auntie Claus is so mysterioso! Is she just another eccentric New Yorker? This Christmas, Sophie goes along to find out what her beloved auntie is up to.
Straight from Santa's workshop, this brilliant Christmas package features Oscar-winning actress Ellen Burstyn's dramatic reading of Elise Primavera's beloved story on CD, a magical key ornament, and the bestselling book. Join the Kringle family and celebrate Christmas with everyone's favorite great-aunt-Auntie Claus! Full-color illustrations Spoiled Sophie Kringle is bound and determined to find out the truth, once and for all, about her mysterioso Auntie Claus, who serves Christmas cookies in July and fills her penthouse with glittery Christmas lights all year long. In this lavish gift edition of the bestselling picture book, Auntie Claus, by Elise Primavera, Oscar-, Tony-, and Golden Globe-winning actress Ellen Burstyn provides a dramatic reading of the story in a CD, while mesmerized children can read along in the handsome hardcover book. Even more festive, a sparkly gold key ornament is also included, adding the perfect touch for the Christmas tree. For all those children who stay off the B-B-and-G Christmas List (bad boys and girls), here is a terrific holiday treat that lets the true spirit of giving shine through. | ||||||
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Auntie Claus and the Key to Christmas By Elise Primavera |
The companion book to Elise Primavera's much-celebrated Auntie Claus, Auntie Claus and the Key to Christmas, gives Sophie Kringle's younger brother, Christopher, a turn in the starring role. Finally, Chris will learn the Kringle family secret--that his great-aunt Auntie Claus, inhabitant of penthouse 25C of New York City's Bing Cherry Hotel, is Santa Claus's older sister! When Chris overhears someone say that only babies believe in Santa Claus--and then repeats the rumor!--he is immediately summoned by Auntie Claus for tea, marmalade cake, and a talking-to. During teatime he learns of the PRUNES--Parade Rainers United National Elite Society (people who would dare to say there's no Santa) as well as the B-B-and-G List (Bad-Boys-and-Girls) that Santa makes each year. Taking it all with a grain of salt, Chris decides to use the scientific method: he'll behave so boorishly that he'll get on the List--if he still gets presents, he'll know it's all a hoax. Sophie attempts to demystify Christmas for him once and for all, sending him up in a magical elevator to the North Pole where he discovers (1) he made the List, (2) PRUNES exist, and (3) Santa exists. Sharing some of the smart-alecky humor of Jon Scieszka's Time Warp Trio series (Ozzie and Pam Spam are on tour promoting their new book We're Geniuses and Yer Not!, for instance), Auntie Claus then dashes the comparison with a sweet-as-cherry-pie maxim--"the best things are invisible"--which also happens to be the key to Christmas. Once again the whimsical, grand, richly colored paintings steal the limelight in this o'er complicated holiday tale. Still, those enchanted by the first Auntie won't want to miss it.
Santa's big sister is back! This time, Auntie Claus's grand-nephew Christopher Kringle is front and center, wreaking havoc at the Bing Cherry Hotel when he repeats the rumor that Santa doesn't exist. Summoned to his great-aunt's penthouse suite, Chris learns of the "B-B-and-G List" (bad boys and girls), and arranges to get himself onto it in order to get to the bottom of the family secret. While the plot is overwrought in places, it's great fun nonetheless, with Auntie Claus's larger-than-life presence presiding over Primavera's vibrant, richly saturated gouaches and pastels. This lighthearted sequel to Auntie Claus continues the adventures of Santa's extended family, the Kringles, who enjoy a life of luxury in the Bing Cherry Hotel in New York City. This time it is her nephew, Kris, who is the focus of the story. After hearing the precocious Spam twins declare that there is no Santa Claus, he, too, begins to doubt and goes on a campaign to be listed on the dreaded Bad Boys and Girls List. His sister Sophie sends him to the North Pole on Auntie's magic elevator, where he encounters the other Bad Boys and Girls, PRUNES (members of the Parade Rainers United National Elite Society) disguised as Snowboys, and ultimately declares his belief in Santa Claus after all. The wordplay and stylish jewel-toned illustrations will appeal to sophisticated adults as well as to kids who, like Kris, say, "I'll believe it when I see it." | ||||||
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Christmas in the City By Loretta Krupinski |
"Look, my dear, we have our very own Christmas tree," said Mr. Mouse. "And, the very biggest!" said Mrs. Mouse. Hundreds of people looked back up at the tree, while the mice watched the skaters below. They were country mice. The tree was their home. Now they found themselves in the heart of New York City, Rockefeller Center. When Mr. And Mrs. Mouse's tree is chosen to be the very special Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, the two little country mice find themselves in the bustling world of great big New York City. There they experience all of the wonder of their lively new home, go ice-skating at Rockefeller Center, window-shopping at FAO Schwarz, eat pretzels and chestnuts, hitch a ride on a horse-drawn carriage in Central Park— they do it all! And then they receive the most precious gift of all—a family. | ||||||
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An Ellis Island Christmas By Maxinne Rhea Leighton |
Kyrsia and her brothers leave Poland with their mother to join their father in America. After an arduous ocean voyage, they arrive at Ellis Island on Christmas Eve. Sepia-toned and soft-edged, the illustrations convey a young immigrant's hopes and fears.
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Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus By Francis Pharcellus Church |
A beautifully illustrated gift edition based on the legendary letter and essay that appeared in 1897 in The New York Sun. That letter and its editorial response have become a Christmastime legend. Little did F.P. Church know back in 1897 that his response would come to stand for the affirmation of all the joy and magic of the holiday season.
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Santa's Snow Cat By Sue Stainton and Anne Mortimer |
On the magical eve before Christmas, Santa's favorite cat falls from his sleigh high in the winter sky into the bustling world of New York below.As Snow Cat wanders the sparkling city, she encounters many "nearly" Santas, but not her beloved Santa.
With a huff from the North Wind, and the light of the big Lemon Moon, Snow Cat's true Santa can't be far away. Snow Cat's secret ride in Santa's pocket on Christmas Eve is suddenly halted when she falls out into the hectic bustle of New York City which is filled with lights, people, and strange other Santas who are not "hers." Cold and frightened, she falls asleep by a fireplace in a house she has entered. Luckily it's a chimney down which her Santa comes, searching for her. So there's a happy ending to this lyrical appreciation of the beauty of a Christmas night. Mortimer's illustrations have the quality of fine miniature paintings in their naturalistic renderings and complex designs. The large and small scenes are rich with saturated colors and festive with snowflakes and holiday lights. They convey both the anxiety of the lost cat and the happy spirit of the holiday in the city. The World Trade Center Towers are still standing here. This book is a must for Christmas, and anyone who loves New York. Snow Cat falls out of Santa's sleigh one Christmas and is dropped into New York. Unhurt she visits different landmarks such as the Twin Towers, Rockefeller Center, and more. Snow Cat meets up with many "look-alike" Santa's, but never hers. Eventually Santa finds Snow Cat and brings her back to the North Pole. This book is beautifully illustrated, and a must for any cat lovers or anyone looking for a new Christmas story. | ||||||
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Christmastime in New York City By Roxie Munro |
Holiday time in Manhattan is full of wondrous things to see--the ThanksgivingDay Parade, store windows filled with marvelous toys and decorations, the bigtree in Rockefeller Center, and the exciting New Year's Eve in Times Square.
A charming and energetic invitation to the pleasures of the Christmas season in one of the world's most exciting cities. As with her The Inside-Outside Book of New York City, Munro has chosen locations and scenes that capture the essence of New York: the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, Park Avenue lights, Christmas icons like the Medieval Court Christmas Tree in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lord & Taylor's windows and the wreathed lions at the entrance to the public library. From a panoramic cover view of Rockefeller Center's famous Christmas tree, to a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the lighted Times Square apple, ready to usher in the New Year for the crowds below, Munro's paintings are magic and memorable. | ||||||
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Mim's Christmas Jam By Andrea Davis Pinkney |
The best part of Christmas is the whole family savoring Mim's belly-hum jam together. But this Christmas, Pap is far away in New York City, digging a hole for something called the subway, and his family is missing him something awful. Pap aches to be home, but the heartless foremen of his dig site have decided there will be no break, not even for Christmas. It looks like it's going to be one lonely holiday for everyone.until young Saraleen and Royce send their pap a gift that may just inspire a Christmas miracle.
The recipient of a Coretta Scott King Author Honor and a two-time Caldecott Honor illustrator have created a warm and magical holiday classic about the power of love, complete with the recipe for Mim's Christmas jam. Full-color illustrations In the Pinkneys' (Duke Ellington) hands, a tasty family tradition and New York City history make a flavorsome pairing. It's 1915, and Christmas just isn't the same when Pap must be away from Mim and their children while he works to build the New York City subway system. But a jar of Mim's "belly-hum jam" unexpectedly works its own small miracles. Vibrant scratchboard compositions skillfully contrast the dank underground construction site with the warmth of home. | ||||||
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Eloise at Christmastime By Kay Thompson |
Eloise has always had a rather festive air about her, but when Christmastime rolls around, well, it's "Fa la la la fa la la la lolly ting tingledy here and there," of course. The bunchy-bloused, spindly-legged scamp is speaking in rhyme this time, and in typical Eloise fashion, the verse simply can't be perfectly metered, for what would be the point? She rushes around New York's Plaza Hotel on Christmas Eve, jingling, spreading Christmas cheer, tying tassels on the thermostats, and writing "Merry Christmas" on all the walls. And of course there are gifts to be delivered and wrapped:
Her asides, printed in red, are as priceless as ever: "Sometimes there is so much to do that/ I get sort of a headache around the sides and partially under it." Or in a rare vulnerable moment, "For when you are a child of six/ it's difficult to know/ if you deserve a present or not/ at Christmastime/ or so." But enough of that. "We sang Noel for 506/ Silent Night for 507/ We didn't sing for 509/ at the request of 511." Hilary Knight's pen and ink pink-and-black illustrations are perfect--particularly of the "sugar plums" dancing in Eloise's head on Christmas Eve, complete with crazed elves, Nanny-as-angel, reindeer with glasses, and of course Santa's sleigh with one giant package in it... for Eloise. Kay Thompson's Eloise at Christmastime, first published in 1958 with a different cover, joins Eloise in Paris and The Absolutely Essential Eloise (with additional historical scrapbook) as a much welcomed reissue of the original. And there's always just Eloise. | ||||||
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Jingle Bells By Maryann Kovalski |
Jenny and Joanna's holiday trip to New York City with Grandma is the framework for this lively contemporary version of the song favorite -- by the creator of The Wheels on the Bus.
A grandmother and grandchildren sing the title song while taking a carriage ride through Central Park in New York. | ||||||
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Milly and the Macy's Parade By Shana Corey & Brett Helquist |
Inspired by the true story behind the first Macy's Day Parade in 1924, this heartwarming tale celebrates a treasured American passion. When a spirited girl named Milly imagines a way to combine her family's old country traditions with their new American heritage, the result is a holiday season filled with mirth and magic - and the creation of a uniquely American event. Told with facility and flair, and illustrated with exquisite jewel-like paintings, this joyful picture book is a must-have for every American family.
The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a highlight of the New York City holiday season with its marching bands and big balloons. In this story, set in 1924, Corey envisions a little girl whose immigrant Polish father works for Mr. Macy himself. Milly has the run of the store and can fly through the revolving doors and ride up and down the escalators and the elevators. She and all the fashionably dressed customers think that the Christmas merchandise is "gorgeous." But while Milly and her family are growing accustomed to America, they miss one wonderful custom from the old country: strolling from house to house singing Christmas carols. The child determinedly proposes to Mr. Macy a parade as an alternative. The marchers begin in Harlem with festive costumes, bands, and animals from the Central Park Zoo and end up on 34th Street. And so the annual festivity takes root. Helquist's acrylic-and-oil paintings feature colorfully dressed people with angular faces and bodies outlined in black. The author's note gives a history of the parade and acknowledges that while R. H. Macy himself died in 1877, he is a known character "-immortalized in the 1947 classic book and film Miracle on 34th Street-." While the references to the Follies and the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts may be lost on children, this is an entertaining and lively variation on holiday stories. | ||||||
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A Taxi Dog Christmas By Debra and Sal Barracca |
Jim and Maxi, the taxi-driving duo popularized in
The Adventures of Taxi Dog,
Maxi, the Hero, and
Maxi, the Star, awake to a snowy Christmas Eve. After trimming their tree and building a "snow dog" replica of Maxi, the two come to the rescue of six abandoned kittens, which they take to the taxi garage. "Each lucky tabbie went home with a cabbie" while one kitty joins Jim and Maxi as they shuttle last-minute shoppers around New York City. Suddenly, Santa, his reindeer, his load of toys, and remnants of his sled crash to the ground before them: "`I lost flight control / When I left the North Pole,' Santa said. `What on earth shall I do?'" The solution--of course--hitch the reindeer to Jim and Maxi's taxi. Ayers' luminous oil paintings delight in the holiday sights and lights of New York City--particularly when the skybound taxi leaves the glowing city below to continue Santa's route. Such fanciful touches as a jar of seasonal green and red dog biscuits atop the kitchen counter and a penguin perched on a city curb give punctuations of humor to an already winning holiday read.
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The Harlem Nutcracker: Based on the Ballet By Susan Kuklin (Photographer) and Donald Byrd
Forget the Sugar Plum Fairy and those syrupy waltzes you can't get out of your head each December. This is a new Nutcracker, with jazz by Ellington, African-American and Dominican children as party guests, and a Harlem nightclub of the '20s as the fantasy destination for Clara and her prince. Byrd created his innovative version of the classic Christmas ballet for his own dance company, and the production was skillfully photographed by co-author Kuklin (Hoops with Swoopes). Here, Clara is an African-American grandmother facing her first Christmas without her beloved husband Gus, who returns to her in dream sequences and again as the transformed nutcracker. The story mirrors the basic plot of the ballet, with the theme here of an aging grandmother's acceptance of her husband's passing and her own impending death rather than a young girl's awakening. The antagonist is not the Mouse King, but a rather terrifying specter of death, who comes for Clara with his accompanying hounds, death maidens, and ghouls. At first, Clara repels the figure of death, but at the end, she is no longer afraid of him, and she exits on the arm of her husband-prince as they "climb the stairway to eternity." Kuklin, an experienced dance photographer, captures both the expressive movement of the dancers and their subtle emotions in superb photographs with black backgrounds framed in jewel tones of ruby, emerald, and lapis. This powerful story is not just another retold fairy tale; it stands on its own, dancing in the reader's imagination.
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Is There a Santa Claus: A Little Girl's Question Answered By Francis Church
In 1897 an eight year old girl named Virginia O¹Hanlon wrote a letter to The New York Sun in which she asked, "some of my little friends say there is no Santa ClausŠPlease tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?" The editor¹s famous answer reads, in part, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity exist."
| This booklet reprints an attractively designed and illustrated version made by Augustus Kaiser in the 1920s. It is 24 pages long, and is accompanied by an decorative envelope, as it is our intention that people will send it as an elaborate Christmas Card.
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Gargoyles' Christmas By Louisa Campbell
Soured on Christmas, three New York City gargoyles begin to change their mind about the holiday after Santa Claus helps them out of a mess of their own making.
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Older Readers (Ages 9-12) |
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Miracle on 34th Street By Valentine Davies (Ornament and Book Gift Set)
Single Book Also Available |
Several reissues make a reappearance this season. Leading the list is a facsimile edition of Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies. The handsome volume re-creates the 1947 edition with heavy cream-colored paper and a font that emulates the original hot-metal type.
Trimming the tree and revisiting favorite holiday stories are cherished Christmas traditions in small towns and big cities across the country. This beloved book celebrating the powers of kindness and faith, restored to its original 1947 design, is paired for the first time with an old-fashioned wooden ornament, perfect for handing down-along with warm memories--through generations of believers. A white-bearded gentleman who appears at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade fills in for an unfit Santa Claus-and is asked to become the store's resident Santa. This Kris Kringle believes he is Santa, as do children from all over the city, and reindeer at the zoo nearby. A few skeptical souls try to have him declared insane, but miraculously, the State of New York, with the help of the U. S. Postal Service, come to the gent's rescue by declaring that he is indeed Santa Claus. Since its first publication in 1947, this tale has been treasured by generations of believers, making this Academy Award-winning story part of holiday traditions all across America. This facsimile edition faithfully re-creates the first hardcover publication, inviting new families or readers to celebrate both the story and the charm of the original design. A brief historical note, new in this edition, details the simultaneous development of the book and film. |
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Samantha's Surprise: A Christmas Story By Maxine Rose Schur |
Samantha's Surprise is the third book in a series of books about Samantha. Samantha is invited to A Christmas party put on by her good friend Ida Dean. At the same time she plans to make a large gingerbread house with Mrs. Hawkins, and decorate the house herself. But Samantha's Christmas plans start to fall when her Uncle Gard announces that he plans on bringing his friend Cornelia along for this Christmas. Now, it seems that all of Samantha's plans are destroyed--and Samantha blames Cornelia for ruining everthing. But there's more than one surprise in store for Samantha on Christmas day!
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When Christmas Comes Again: The World War I Diary of Simone Spencer (Dear America: New York City, 1917) By Beth Seidel Levine |
In April of 1917, Simone Spencer's world changes. Her beloved brother Will goes off to war, and Simone seeks a way to help. The passionate daughter of a feisty French mother and a rebellious upper-class father, Simone is not cut out for the society life she is meant to lead. So, when General Pershing calls for French-speaking American girls to operate the switchboards on the Western Front, Simone becomes one of the first brave "Hello Girls" whose courage helps lead the Allies to victory. In the end, Christmas brings the Spencers back together again.
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The Christmas Tree By Julie Salamon |
The Christmas Tree is the tale of a little girl named Anna, who is orphaned and sent to live in a convent. The lonely girl befriends, as only a child can, a tiny fir tree. Anna and Tree, as she calls him, grow up together, unlocking the secrets of friendship and sharing the wonders of nature. It is this same profound appreciation and love of nature that the grown-up Anna, now Sister Anthony, passes on to her students.
When Tree is threatened by a winter storm, Sister Anthony, by now an old woman, decides to give up her dearest friend, allowing him to become the most enjoyed and famous tree of all: the tree at Rockefeller Center in New York City. A perennial holiday favorite, The Christmas Tree is about learning to love and, ultimately, being able to share that love with others. |
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The Trees Kneel at Christmas By Maud Hart Lovelace |
Written by the author of the well-loved Betsy-Tacy books, this Christmas story originally appeared in 1951. Today, with new artwork, it is historical fiction that brings to life the immigrant experience. Lovelace portrays an extended family that treasures its Lebanese traditions, takes pride in its adaptation to American ways, and celebrates religious faith as its guiding principle. After seven-year-old Afify and her younger brother, Hanna, hear a story about the trees kneeling down to worship on Christmas Eve, Afify decides they will go to their Brooklyn park to see the trees bow down. Praying to be worthy of seeing the miracle, Afify tries to be saintlike all day, though she finds the going rough. Finally, after their relatives have left for midnight mass, Afify takes Hanna to the park, where they find their special trees, heavy with ice, bowing down. Their parents are upset, but when Afify and Hanna tell of the miracle they've seen, the whole family draws together in the grace of that moment. What shines here is the mystery of religious experience and the notion of religion as the central guiding principle of a family's life. While some aspects of the story would undoubtedly be told differently today (the family's veneration of the father, two uncles smoking a water pipe, the idea of leaving children alone at night), the book seems true to its time. Better yet, Lovelace's ability to portray children, their thoughts, emotions, and, in this case, their faith, has a timeless quality that makes this a refreshing Christmas story.
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Santa Paws Come Home By Nicholas Edwards |
Stolen!
The door slammed shut. Before Santa Paws knew what was happening, he was being driven far away from his home in a stranger's car. He didn't know where he was being taken--all he knew was he had to escape. But when he breaks free he find himself all alone in New York City, a very big and very unfamiliar place. Will Santa Paws find his way back home to the Callahans in time for Christmas? |
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A Child's Christmas in Brooklyn By Frank Crocitto |
Revised Edition includes holiday recipes
Christmas enthusiasts young and old will enjoy Frank Crocitto's nostalgic, near-magic realist take on Christmas in the hazy recesses of the mid-20th century, A Child's Christmas in Brooklyn. Evoking the breathless, wide-eyed wonder of childhood, Crocitto (Insight Is Better Than Ice Cream) describes the interminable wait throughout the fall, homework in November, parents and grandparents' delightfully suspicious preholiday behaviors and the incomprehensibly somber Christmas Eve service. While it offers little new in terms of holiday spirit (following in the stylistic and thematic footsteps of A Christmas Story, though less comical), readers will be pleased by the classic, cozy quality of this reminiscence. Frank Crocitto's A Child's Christmas in Brooklyn is a wonderful memoir of growing up in Brooklyn in the 1940s. What is particularly striking is not just the wonderful anecdotal stories but the way they are physically and visually laid out for the reader in a line-on-the-page format that is almost lyrically poetic in its presentation. A Child's Christmas in Brooklyn is marvelous reading for any Christmas season and a delight for anytime of the year - especially for that 'window in time' feeling taking us back on a nostalgic tour of Brooklyn through a child's eyes. |
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The Night Before Christmas in New York City By Francis Morrone |
In a case of mistaken identity, Santa is jailed in New York City until the ghost of Clement Clarke Moore helps find the true criminal.
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A Crime for Christmas (Nancy Drew Hardy Boys Super Mystery) By Carolyn Keene |
Nancy Drew is in New York to join the Hardy Boys on an important case. They're conducting an intense manhunt for a pair of big-time cat burglars. And they're sure the daring criminal duo will try to scoop up a special prize--the spectacular crown jewels of Sarconne, which are on display at a museum.
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Yes, Virginia There Is a Santa Claus By Cyndy Szekeres |
Virginia O'Hanlon, a young cat, questions a major New York newspaper about the existence of Santa Claus and she receives an answer from the paper's editor that reaffirms the spirit of Christmas.
In 1897, the editor of the New York Sun received a letter from Virginia O'Hanlon asking if there really was a Santa Claus. His response has been adapted by Szekeres, and illustrated in her well know style. In this version, Virginia is a cute yellow cat in a bright red dress with yellow hair ribbons and little blue earrings on her pointed ears. Virginia and the audience learn about the true spirit of Christmas and what Santa Claus represents to the children of the world. |
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Santa & Pete: A Novel of Christmas Present and Past By Christopher Moore |
Who would ever guess that the beloved legend of Santa Claus involves a seldom-told tale of faith and friendship between two men -- one white and one black? Long ago, Santa Claus had an African partner named Pete and together they brought the spirit of Christmas to America's first settlers. These two forever changed the way families celebrate the holiday. But through the years, Pete's contribution was forgotten.
Now Santa & Pete restores the legacy in delightful style and delivers an inspiring message of hope and harmony among people. The story starts with a bus driver who takes his grandson along on Saturdays as he travels a historical route in New York City. What unfolds is a series of wonderful adventures that culminate on Christmas Eve, when the bus gets stuck in a snowstorm. That's when the grandfather's running genealogy lesson, based on author Christopher Moore's own family history, arrives at its final destination: the story of Santa and Pete. A truly magical tale, Santa & Pete will take you and your family back to the heart of Christmas. This fictional story based on a young African American boy in New York City is grounded in history (co-writer Christopher Moore is the Commissioner of New York City Landmarks) and decorated with the whimsy of imagination and magic. When Terrence was seven years old, he was forced to spend Saturdays riding alongside his grandfather, a Metro bus driver, through the streets of the city. At first Terrence is resentful, but then he begins to listen to his grandfather's stories--the stories of the settling of New York, how the city belongs to all people of all races. Driving down St. Nicholas Avenue, his grandfather begins the story of "Santa & Pete." He tells how St. Nicholas was imprisoned as a spy during the Inquisition, but was eventually rescued by Pete, a former slave in Spain under the Moors. The duo found their way to New York and began the long-standing tradition of giving gifts to the needy. When Terrence eventually discovers his connection to Pete, the story suggests that all who celebrate Christmas can be the rescuers and helpers of St. Nicholas. |
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The Witch of Fourth Street and Other Stories By Myron Levoy |
Cathy Dunn knew that if shed id not give her penny to the witch, the old lady would turn her into a lizard. Ora goat. Or a spider so small Cathy's mother would step on her. But one day Cathy decided that she would not give up her penny, and that was the day she came down with a fever.Cathy is just one of the many children who came to New York City with their parents seekin g a better life. There is Keplik the Match Man, who builds masterpieces from used matchsticks; Noreen Callahan, who is ashamed to work in her father's smelly fish store; and even a Hanukkah Santa Claus!
What makes this such a good book is the author'scompassion, imagination, and humor. A first book forchildren by a first-rate writer. |
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The Haunting at Stratton Falls By Brenda Seabrooke |
For 11-year-old Abby, adjusting to Stratton Falls, New York, is even more difficult than anticipated. She misses her father, in Germany fighting the war, and her warm Florida home; her cousin Chad is more mean than friendly; and she's often lonely. One night mysterious wet footprints appear in the hall, and Abby wonders if the ghost stories about the house are true. Enlisting Chad's help, Abby discovers a long-ago tragedy involving a young girl, and on Christmas Day, past and present dramatically come together, unexpectedly resulting in positive changes and realizations. Although the climactic scene is fairly intense (it details the emotional and physical struggles of Abby's accidental near-drowning), fans of history and mystery up to the challenge will enjoy the novel's diverse characters (Abby is likable and sympathetically portrayed), well-paced suspense, period detail, and descriptive, expressive prose. As a bonus, the author supplies some easy-to-do craft ideas by describing Abby's dollhouse furniture project, which uses common household items in creative ways.
With her father missing in action in WWII, Abby must live with her pesky cousin Chad's family. As Christmas nears, Abby sees mysterious wet footprints in the hallway and hears the story of a girl who drowned eighty years ago. What is the ghost trying to tell her? The 1940s setting is as intriguing as the not-too-scary chills this well-told tale delivers. A ghost story at Christmas? 'Tis the season for this novel set in upstate New York during World War II. Elevenyearold Abby and her mother relocate from Florida to her cousin Chad's home in Stratton Falls after learning her father has been reported missing in Europe. It's a home with a secret that Abby wishes to discover. While everyone has heard rumors the house is haunted, not everyone is willing to believe it—especially mischievous Chad, who seems to revel in taunting his cousin—even to the extent of pretending he is a ghost! When a ghost does manifest itself in full view of Chad and Abby, the pace quickens and Abby is intent on learning why "Felicia" returns to the house at Christmas, believing "she" has a purpose for coming there. Is it a message from afar about Abby's father? A warning to her? Readers sense the confusion Abby feels as Christmas Day approaches. She is caught in a conflict between reality and fantasy, while finally learning the reason "Felicia" has returned—and it is for her. Brenda Seabrooke presents a glimpse into civilian life during the war and realistically portrays family life in an intense era. |
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New York Classic Christmas Trivia! By Carole Marsh |
On what day does the sun rise twice, water flow backward and the poke salad flower? Christmas, of course! This book is bursting with interesting trivia, games and recipes and PLENTY of ideas for easy inexpensive gifts for kids to make. Free teacher's guide gives specific suggestions and instructions on how to get max educational value from this book. Bring the holiday home to your students!
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The Annoyance Bureau By Lucy Frank |
A maverick bureaucrat becomes a mentor of sorts for an unhappy lad in this offbeat fantasy. Spending an uncomfortable Christmas week with his dad and stepfamily in New York City, 12-year-old Lucas notices an unusual number of pedestrians in greenish overcoats, muttering urgently into cell phones. An irascible Santa named Izzy Gribitz clues him in: like Izzy, they’re employees of the Annoyance Bureau, a little-known agency charged with removing or disabling life’s petty peeves. Only, Izzy claims, the Bureau is wasting much of its effort—a situation he aims to remedy with the Irkostat, a remote-control-like device of his own invention that "inspects, detects, protects, and corrects" annoyances with the push of a button. Gladly agreeing to become Izzy’s apprentice, Lucas begins compiling a list of personal annoyances—topped by his waspish stepsister Phoebe. As Lucas is more absorbed in fretting about his own situation and Izzy’s uncertain status in the Bureau than actually doing anything, this is stronger on premise than plot or character. Near the end, he does take a more active role, ultimately working out better relationships with his dad and, perhaps, even Phoebe, but what is more likely to engage readers are his rib-tickling encounters with distracted Bureau workers, as they scuttle about with bins of confiscated Tickle Me Elmos, self-help books, and the like. Tongue-in-cheek to the max.
In the fifteen hours since Lucas Graham arrived in New York City, his own annoyance level has skyrocketed. For starters, he'd rather be spending his Christmas week at the beach with Mom instead of visiting Dad and Claire in the cold and slush. He'd rather not be sharing a bathroom with his critical stepsister, Phoebe, and her disapproving cat. He'd rather not be threatened with a haircut at Trims for Tykes by his little stepbrother's unspeakable baby-sitter, Gladys. And he wishes the strange Santa in front of Book World had not slipped this beeping, buzzing device into his backpack for safekeeping, even if it does seem to have entertaining effects on cats and baby-sitters. And who are these strange, green-coated guys milling around, muttering into walkie-talkies -- guys only twelve-year-old Lucas and this Santa seem to see? Lucas overhears the words "annoyance removal," as if they're attuned to his innermost wishes. Something weird is going on. Weird, but irresistible. Now this old man, Izzy Gribitz, is talking about bungling agents, secret passages, this mysterious remote control-like device, and something called the Annoyance Bureau. What does it all mean? "That," says Izzy, "is for me to know and you to find out." |
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The Great Christmas Kidnapping Caper By Jean Van Leeuwen |
Awards:
Marvin the Mouse and his two pals move into a dollhouse located in Macy’s toy department at Christmas time. The store Santa secretly befriends them, leaving them food to find. One day Santa doesn’t come to work, and talk is that he was kidnapped. The mice set about plotting to get Santa back for the children of New York City.
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The Lion in the Box: A Christmas Story By Marguerite De Angeli |
A meager Christmas seems to be in store for a turn-of-the-century New York family when its widowed mother is able to get work only occasionally, until a wonderful event occurs in her absence.
When my sisters and I were small children, my mother began to read us this story just before Christmas. We heard it read aloud each year as we grew up, and it became an important and special part of our holiday celebration. Now as a middle school teacher, I read this book to my students each December. It's a charming (and true!) tale of a loving family who experience a very special holiday. Simple but sincere, heartwarming and gentle, Lion in the Box is a book to treasure. Sharing this story each year is a wonderful tradition to start in your own family. |
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Home Alone Two: Lost in New York By Todd Strasser |
A novelization of the sequel to the hugely popular Twentieth Century Fox motion picture, Home Alone, finds Kevin McCallister having the time of his life in Manhattan while his family is in Florida. Movie tie-in.
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Home Alone Two: Lost in New York Kevin's Christmas Vacation Scrapbook By Nancy E. Krulik |
Kevin McCallister tells his own story in this easy-to-read picture scrapbook from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. His hilarious account of his unexpected New York vacation will delight readers and movie fans of all ages. Full-color movie stills.
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