Reading Rescue, December 2006: December Means Christmas
By Anne Allen and Mary Anne Fulmer
 December
to me means Christmas. Memories of Christmas can be anything from a
smell (for me tangerines, ham and hot homemade bread), an extra special
gift, or a photo of a departed loved one. All of them stir our memories
and tend to make us sentimental. Richard Paul Evans writes some of the
best inspirational stories. His Finding Noel is about a Christmas
ornament inscribed with the word "Noel". It provides a single clue for
Mary Wood to help her find her little sister. This clue sends her on a
journey to reclaim her past and most important, her family. The
Christmas Box is another Richard Paul Evans novel. He actually wrote
it for his daughters and never intended to publish it. This was his
first novel, and if you have read any of his stories, you know they are
all expressions of love.
Christmas is the time of giving not only gifts but of
ourselves. One person can make a difference in someone's life. Jason F.
Wright's The Christmas Jars, is a story about a family that saves
their spare change throughout the year and gives it to a needy family.
In the story, Hope is grieving from the recent loss of her adoptive
mother and would you believe her apartment is robbed? She is without
hope when she finds a small jar full of money left on her doorstep. The
power of giving is the compelling theme of this inspiring story.
Reading The Christmas Candle by Max Lucado takes
us back to a simpler time. It takes place in a small English village
where nothing out of the ordinary ever happens, except at Christmastime.
An angel appears in a lowly candle maker's shop and what happens will
warm your heart. This is a very short read but very powerful.
The Shepherd, the Angel, and Walter the Christmas
Miracle Dog by Dave Barry is a humorous Christmas tale told by a
small boy in the 1960s. It takes place in a New York suburb. The young
boy does get sidetracked as he tells the story, but he is really talking
about Christmas Eve, Christmas church pageants in general, and one
"magical" pageant in particular. This book will dredge up memories of
past Christmas pageants and is sure to make you smile. Never
underestimate the wisdom of children!
Another excellent Christmas story is Mary Kay Andrew's
Blue Christmas. The title sounds like this should be a sad story
but wait until you read it! Weezie is the main character, and she loves
Christmas. This year she plans on winning Savannah's downtown
window-decorating contest. As soon as she picks up the hot glue gun,
strange things happen. Her food is stolen, someone is sleeping in her
window display, and a Christmas pin gets lost. Blue Christmas is
a funny, funky Christmas story full of charm.
One of the reviews for this book reads, "another gift
from Anne Perry", and A Christmas Secret is just that, a great
Christmas read. The story takes place in the 1800s. Dominic is asked by
his bishop to take over for an elderly vicar who has been working in
Oxfordshire. He and his wife have only been married less than a year.
Dominic wants to do the best job possible for his new parishioners. They
go to Oxfordshire, and Clarice, the wife, wants to help. On one cold
wintry morning, with the snow falling and the temperature frigid, she
takes the bucket into the basement for coal. What she finds is the body
of the old vicar. Did he die of natural cause or was it murder? Dominic
and Clarice aren't sure and want to know. If you want to know, please
read this fine story. This story will leave you with a heartfelt message
for your own Christmas season.
If you like books that inspire but bring a tear to your
eye, The Christmas Shoes by Donna VanLiere is the book for you.
It will tend to make you feel sentimental and will give you the
Christmas spirit. In this story, peoples lives are changed by a small
act of kindness that comes back to them in many unknown ways. This is a
very short read (129 pages), but it will have a huge on your heart and
soul. I just know you will love it. Our library also has this story on
DVD.
What would remembering Christmas stories be without one
written in the same vein as the legendary A Christmas Carol,
where a mean person who doesn't believe in Christmas faces a revelation
and becomes a different person? Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer's
wrote the book A Christmas to Remember: A Cape Light Novel, and
it will give you that same feeling. Lillian is a real Scrooge, but as
she lies on her bedroom floor suffering from pneumonia, she dreams of
what life had been like for her in 1955. She wonders if it is too late
to change. What do you think? Remember it's Christmas!
Our library does have materials on Hanukkah such as
Crafts for Hanukkah by Kathy Ross, The Family Treasury of Jewish
Holidays by Malka Drucker, Menorahs, Menuzas, and Other Jewish
Symbols by Miriam Charkin, and many more. We also have materials on
Kwanzaa. Some interesting ones are Crafts for Kwanzaa by Kathy
Ross and The Gifts of Kwanzaa by Synthia Saint James.
Our library has many selections for your reading,
listening, and viewing enjoyment. Jan Karon's Shepherds Abiding,
Donna Van Liere's The Christmas Blessing, and so many more books
to enjoy can be found at Penn Area Library. Are you feeling sentimental?
Do you want something humorous? How about a great mystery? Are you in a
romantic mood? The library has it all! We have great audio books on
cassettes, CDs, and MP3s. There are videos and DVDs. It isn't Christmas
without How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Christmas Story,
Ernest Saves Christmas, The Santa Clause, and Charlie
Brown's Christmas. All of our collection can be found on the web
either through our web site
www.pennlib.org or
http://catalog.pennlib.org.
I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all
Happy Holidays. It's hard to believe that another year has come and
gone. It has been exciting for our library. Please make visiting a
library a top New Year's Resolution! Remember you can search, enjoy, and
do research with your library card, and it is all free. I don't think
you will find a better bargain. As always we appreciate your comments or
questions please either e-mail
mfulmer@pennlib.org or call
(724) 744-4414.
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