The Berenstain Bears Save Christmas by Stan & Jan Berenstain with Mike Berenstain

from goodreads

3 stars

Growing up I loved Berenstain Bear books. I loved it when my teacher at school read them to us. Sister Bear was my favourite. Now as an adult, I read them to my kids, and find some of them are a bit more preachy then I remember. But, the morals are good, and maybe the things that I find preachy are the things that I need to work on. So thanks for the reminder Berenstains!

Synopsis

It is Christmas in Bear Country and the bears are all fighting over toys at the Bear Country mall and trying to out do neighbours in the decorating department. Santa Bear sees this and gets annoyed and says if things don't change he is going to cancel Christmas! Mama Bear, always the wise voice of reason, discovers that she doesn't like how commercial and over the top Christmas is getting and does her best to change how her family is acting in hopes that it will save Christmas and make Santa Bear happy.

My Thoughts

While this book does a good job of letting children know that Christmas is more about kindness and love then getting gifts, it seems a bit odd to me. Why didn't Mama Bear express her desire for more simple decorations before Papa and the Cubs put up all the decorations on the tree house? Like she was there, and that seems like a lot of wasted time and effort if it just going to be pulled down again.

Also, as if all their neighbours took down all their stuff, just because the Bear family simplified. Maybe it makes sense to kids, but as an adult, who does that?

So on the whole, it is a good book to get kids thinking about Christmas, and what it truly means and that it is a time of thanks and giving, more than huge wishlists and crazy behaviour. So the kids will like it. As the adult reading it, it is not quite as enjoyable, but then anytime you are sharing a story with children it is great. So read it in that spirit, not for your own edification.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

from goodreads

3 stars

I have never read this author before. To be honest I had never heard about this author before until this book came out. It's weird how some authors you love yet no one else has heard of them and vice versa. What cosmic force throws certain authors in our paths? It's weird. Anyways, a big thank you goes out to my husband's aunt who lent me her copy. I probably would still have been on the library's hold list if it wasn't for her.

Synopsis

A man goes back to his hometown for a funeral. After the funeral he drives around to places of his childhood. He drives to the farm at the end of the lane where the Hempstock family live. There he encounters memories of his childhood, and a time when darkness was unleashed there.

My Thoughts

I really like the way Gaiman writes. His words are very rich and delightful. I loved how he described things and he really was able to paint a picture with them. He probably used more words then he need to in order to tell the story but, I did not find it wordy. There is a fine balance between beautiful description and boring wordiness. Gaiman is on the right side of the balance.

As for the story, I didn't care for it all that much. There were some interesting bits, but on the whole it did not leave me breathlessly in awe. I am sure there are some good discussion points for the book but, if there are they are over my head. To me it was just a meh story. I did start to like the story more once I realized it was fantasy and not just general fiction. When I first heard about the book and when I first started reading it I didn't know what genre it was. I thought it was normal fiction and was like what the heck is going on? Is this supposed to be super creepy or something. Then I found out it was fantasy and I was like, oh...I get it now... it is not scary or creepy, it is supposed to be fanciful. Got it!

I wish I knew more about the Hempstock women and their farm. Was it always there? Could people always get to their house or did their house appear only to those whom they wanted to come and visit? Was it brigadoonish? Also, whose funeral was this man going to? Was it one of his parents?

Although the story itself did nothing for me, I loved the writing and so I will give him another try at some point.

A Piratey Christmas

From goodreads

The Gingerbread Pirates by Kristin Kladstrup illustrated by Matt Tavares

4 stars

The pirates are back! When I saw this I knew I had to check it out. The gingerbread pirates on the cover were so cute!

Synopsis

On Christmas Eve, Jim and his mother are decorating gingerbread men. Jim decides to make pirates. Jim's favourite is a captain with a toothpick peg leg. That night when everyone is asleep Captain Cookie comes alive and is determined to find his crew and save them from the cannibal Santa Claus.

My Thoughts

This was a great book. I am so glad I picked it up. the illustrations were great. The expressions that the different gingerbread pirates had were priceless.

I love the idea of Santa being a cannibal. Sometimes during Christmas I wonder about the decorating of human looking cookies. Though cute, it is rather twisted, so it is nice that this book dealt with it.

This is a great book that helps us remember the magic of Christmas. Your kids will love this book, and you will too.

from goodreads

A Pirate's Twelve Days of Christmas by Philip Yates illustrated by Sebastia Serra

4 stars

We got this book out last year, and as soon as the Christmas books came out at the library this year the kids grabbed it again. I don't think they know what the real words to the Twelve Days of Christmas are.  It is kind of funny hearing them sing Christmas songs about cutlasses and a parrot in a palm tree.

Synopsis

On the eve of Christmastide the Captain tells his mates that they are going to go off plundering and that the cabin boy has to stay and swab the decks. When the cabin boy tells them it's Christmas the Captain said that the holiday is only for landlubbers and that he has to stay by himself on the boat. Then presents keep appearing and the cabin boy and the pirates know that Christmastide is the best time of year.

My Thoughts

Once again, a piratey Christmas, you got to love it. I love that the book can be sung to the Twelve Days of Christmas song. Any book you can sing along with is great. 

I love all the pirate speak. You really get a pirate feeling reading all the pirate jargon. I love that they refer to Santa as "jolly ol' Sir Peggedy". At the end of the book there is a Pirate Glossary, so the kids can know what the different pirate terms mean. What a smart idea.

Every book I read I like to read the acknowledgments and book dedications. The one by the author is definitely worth the read. It is lovely.

This is just such a fun book. I think it will be a Christmas favourite for years to come 

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

from goodreads

5 stars

It is nearing the end of the first week of December. Christmas preparations are in full swing. My family and I cut down our Christmas tree last weekend. The smell is heavenly. With all this thought of Christmas I decided to read A Christmas Carol. It is the first time I have actually read it. I have seen many movie renditions, even with Scrooge McDuck, but I had never taken the time to read it. I'm so glad I took the time this year.

Synopsis

Ebeneezer Scrooge is a misery old man who is a penny pincher and uber tightwad. The accumulation of wealth is his soul focus in life, and his social conscience is rather lacking. On Christmas eve he is visited by four ghosts

: the ghost of his former partner Jacob Marley, the ghost of Christmas past, the ghost of Christmas present and the ghost of Christmas future. Through his experiences with these ghosts Scrooge learns what is truly important in life and decides how he wants to live his life from now on.

My Thoughts

This was a truly delightful tale. I don't know why it took me so long to read it. Perhaps it is because it is written by Dickens. Dickens can be wordy and thus, at times, be hard to follow. A Christmas Carol is not horribly wordy and was a very fast read. So don't be turned off by the fact it is Dickens, it is very readable and does not make your head hurt.

The edition I read was illustrated by P.J. Lynch. The illustrations were so beautiful and enhanced the story. Some illustrated additions have rather grotesque images. The pictures in this edition made you feel the warmth of Christmas and chronicled the change in Scrooge very well. They were perfect.

I love how positive this book is. It shows that no matter what are faults are we can change, it is never too late to change, and it is worth the effort to make those positive changes.

I also like how the spirits did not lecture Scrooge on his faults. They simply showed him how things were and left it up to Scrooge to feel guilt and sadness and come up with the idea to change. Quite often we are well aware of our own imperfections. We don't need people harping about them. Gentle reminders and kindness help us change more than lectures.

Although this story is over done in movie renditions, even the Muppets have a version, it is so worth the read. And this time of year is the perfect time. It will definitely help put you in the holiday spirit.

No Pirates Allowed! Said Library Lou by Rhonda Gowler Green illustrated by Brian Ajhar

from goodreads

4 stars

I don't know what it is but lately when we have gone to the library we have been drawn to pirate books. There is something about swashbucklin' pirates that is fun. So if over the next little bit you seem to only see pirate books, sorry about that. We will try to branch out.

Synopsis

Big Pirate Pete bursts into Seabreezy Library looking as scary as he smells. He says his treasure map shows that X marks the spot there and he demands to have the treasure. It is up to Library Lou to make big Pete less loud and smelly and help him find the treasure that the library has within.

My Thoughts

This was a great book. It was funny for both kids and adults. Anything with pirates and dirty underwear is going to be a hit. I liked how the pirate said "Letters?...Thar be more than X?" Classic.

I thought it was a very clever at showing children that there are lots of different kinds of books. Showcased were rhyming books, easy reading, classics and non-ficiton. It broadens the children's horizons in a very fun way. It shows the value of having different kinds of books in their lives.

The rhyming pattern of this books fits the story so well. I am always in awe of authors who are able to tell a great story through a poem. That talent just astounds me.

I think your kids will love this and have a great time laughing and learning with Big Pirate Pete and Library Lou.

The Reinvention of Love by Helen Humphreys

from goodreads

2.75 stars

Historical fiction is a strange fish. Sometimes history itself is pretty boring yet through fiction you can bring it to life and breathe excitement into it. Other times the history itself is super exciting yet, when you add fiction to it, borarama. This book was kind of a mixture of both scenarios. It was a tough nut to crack.

Synopsis

This is the story of Charles Sainte-beuve's affair with Adele Hugo, wife of Victor Hugo. It discusses the affair as well as the ramifications that happened from it for all involved. The book is set up in decades and changes voices from Charles to Adele and then Adele's daughter Adele, also known as Dede.

My Thoughts

Humphreys did a great job researching the era, using actual letters and notes from all participants and in general creating a very believable story. Yet I found it quite dull. The character Charles kept moaning and going on about his love for Adele and how ugly and fat he was getting. I just wanted to shake him and say, "stop living in the life of your poems and grow a freaking back bone already." I know, I know, it is historical fiction and this very well might have been his true sentiments but, it did not make for interesting reading.

This was supposed to be the love of a lifetime for both Adele and Charles. I found it to be very hollow, I didn't feel a strong emotional connection. Supposedly there was a very strong emotional connection between them but, it did not come across on the page.

When I saw the title I thought that this book was going to be about love. I felt it was more about regrets. Regrets of living in the time they were, regrets of not being able to choose the life you want, and regrets of own personal failings. Yes, they were able to look back on life and know that they had love, but to me, the book was not really about love. Perhaps the point of the book is help us to realize that it is better to be loved for 5 minutes than never to be loved at all. I don't know.

Reading this book has made me question whether I want to read any Victor Hugo. He was kind of a pompous jerk in this book. I felt sorry for his family, who were not able to get from under his control.

So on the whole. The book was meh. Other people in my book club really enjoyed the language and description. I think it is one of those books that either you love it or you meh it.

Cinders: A Chicken Cinderella by Jan Brett

from goodreads

4 stars

I love Jan Brett books. Mostly for the detailed illustrations. My favourite book of hers is The Mitten. Just looking at the front cover of this book I knew that her classic, detailed style would enchant me into this story. If you have never picked up one of her books before I really urge you too. And while you read the book, take time to really observe the illustrations. I find something new and wonderful in them every time I look.

Synopsis

This is basically the story of Cinderella but played out by chickens on a cold winters night in a Russian forest.

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book. Not so much for the story but, for the illustrations. They were beautiful. I loved the way she used different varieties of chickens to play different characters. Cinders was a plain gray chicken. The Prince was a cockerel with the biggest tail plume ever. I loved the chickens with the long head feathers. They worked with their role in the story.

I loved the details on the dresses and the ice palace and the chicken tower. In so many illustrated children's books that kind of detail is not there. In fact it is usually the simpler the better. Brett shows that illustrations can be complex yet, simply convey the story. She shows that illustrations are worth pausing for a moment to explore.

The story itself is essentially Cinderella. There is no new twist to it, and for me there really doesn't need to be. My children liked the book for the story, but as you can tell I liked it for the illustrations.

So if you like chickens and you like Cinderella, then you will like this book. If you like beautiful artwork then you will like this book. It is definitely worthwhile to pick up.