Hello Readers, Welcome to Day Ten of The 12 Days of Books!
An army of grumpy elves, two small Christmas angels, one invisible reindeer with a marzipan addiction and a whole lot of Christmas magic, that’s what you can expect from Cornelia Funke’s When Santa Fell to Earth. A magical Christmas story for children, this book weaves tale that reimagines the tradition of Santa.
When Niklas Goodfellow’s magic caravan falls from the sky one stormy night, it lands in the street where a young boy named Ben lives. As the days get closer to Christmas, Ben gets to know Niklas and his friends, and learns that there are many Santas but Niklas is the last one keeping the true spirit of wonder alive against the threat of the greedy, mercenary Santa dictator Goblynch. Joined by a girl named Charlotte and her massive dog, Ben attempts to help Niklas hide from Goblynch’s evil nutcrackers and bring Christmas magic to Misty Close.
There are a few elements which bear mentioning as an advisory for parents and teachers, namely that no resolution is brought to the fact that hurts his best friend Will’s feeling by ignoring him in favor of sharing this secret adventure with Charlotte, and also that Ben is shown to solve his struggles with school work by arranging to cheat off of another student. Neither issue is a focal point that ruins the story, but since both are included without being addressed, they are made to seem acceptable.
Overall, however, this is a fun, magical, and slightly sinister Christmas adventure for kids that will surely spark the imagination.
Live, Love, Learn
Elise and The Write Teacher(s)