The new year is celebrated world wide ... but ... not always in December/January. Happy New Year, Everywhere! by Arlene Erlbach and illustrated by Sharon Lane Holm explains celebrations around the world and includes activities from those countries to try here at home.

For older readers there's Happy New Year Round the World, by Lois S. Johnson and illustrated by Lili Cassel Wronker. From the fires in Iceland (as big a bon fire as can be made, sometimes with a back drop of the Northern Lights, imagine!), to all out singing in Liberia I loved learning so many new things from this book. I remember seeing a dragon in a Chinese New Year parade once, as a child, and wondering if it took practice for those underneath to manage such a large thing. (Some can be as long as 100 yards).

Lucy's daughter has won a mother/daughter make over in New York City. It might sound like fun, but maybe they should have stayed home! For a seasonal mystery, read New Year's Eve Murder by Leslie Meier (from her Lucy Stone Mystery series).

And, lastly, a late Christmas book, which came as a gift. Christmas Bells, by Jennifer Chiaverini. Part present day, part early days of the Civil War, just an excellent read! Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the poem that became the song we sing as 'I heard the bells on Christmas Day ...' He was missing his son who had gone off to war. Counter that with a more present day children's choir, a feisty nun, and just a bit of a romance and you have a great holiday read!

Happy New Year everyone!

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I'll admit I'm not a huge ballet fan, but, like some many others, I do like the Nutcracker. A few years back I discovered the 'Battle of the Nutcrackers' where four versions play over the weeks leading up to Christmas. You are then to go on line and vote for your favorite which will air sometime closer to Christmas Eve. A recent favorite is the version by the Australian Ballet, but my all time favorite will always be the one in the original Fantasia.

Looking for something on the Nutcracker ballet I found Lord of the Nutcracker Men, by Iain Lawrence instead. Based on actual events (the author's grandfather and grand-uncles fought in WWI) and leading up to the amazing Christmas Truce of 1914. The main character, Johnny, is a young boy sent to Cliffe to live since London was unsafe. His father, who carves, (including nutcrackers, hence the title), sends a wooden soldier with each letter and Johnny uses them to recreate battles. A teacher has given him the Iliad to read (also about war). The comparisons are intriguing ... just who directs wars? This is a teen/tween read so it won't take you long.

Then, I did find exactly what I was looking for! Nutcracker Nation, by Jennifer Fisher. It started as her doctoral thesis and expanded into a book. Whether it's a professional ballet company, or something at the local theater, this is a ballet that appeals even to those who don't normally like ballet. The variations seem endless: Clara (not the only name this character has had) is a young girl, or a retiring dancer looking back at her career. In one she is the daughter of a single father. There are cowboy versions (with lassos), or dances with hula hoops, or even tap dance. The common theme is the music. Just a fascinating read on the impact of this dance in the U.S.

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December 27th is Make a Cutout Snowflake Day. While not exactly cutout snowflakes, I offer this book here because it is about making snowflakes. I hope that is close enough. ;-) 100 Snowflakes To Crochet: Make your own snowdrift - to give or to keep, by Caitlin Sainio has the instructions for, well 100 snowflakes. Admittedly I did not understand them, but I spent quite some time looking at the results. Beautiful!

Sewflakes: Papercut Applique Quilts, by Kathy K. Wylie is a little closer to the mark in that these beautiful designs start out as a cutout snowflake. :-) It all looks very complicated to me, but the final product is beautiful. My favorite was a variation (it seems) on a snowflake ... the fish design!

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It's baaaack! That seasonal song The Twelve Days of Christmas. I still hate the song, but I love all the books! And, there are enough for more than one post! This song was first published in 1780 and put with the tune we know best in 1909. The 12 days start today.

For a delightful, fun, and creative take on that old song, read The Twelve Dogs of Christmas, by Emma Kragen. Blending photos and computer graphics, this has been a favorite of mine since it came out in 1998. And while there was some help here (Donald Fuller for the photographs and Sharon Collins & Kelly Ann Moore for the design) the idea and writing came from Emma. When she was seven!

There are more dogs to be seen in The Twelve Days of Christmas Dogs, written and illustrated by Carolyn Conahan. What starts out so simply builds to a chaotic conclusion (with an interesting twist).

In a small town, in a cul-de-sac, there is a theme to the holiday decorations. One that has been going on for so long that when a house sells, the decorations go with the house. Each year they do The Twelve Days of Christmas, it's very popular, but this year someone is stealing the birds. They vanish, but then they are brought back. What is going on? Who is Stealing the 12 Days of Christmas, by Martha Freeman is a fun, tween read.

For a 'wee' twist on this song, there's A Firefly in a Fir Tree: a Carol for Mice, by Hilary Knight. Clever illustrations show a mouse sized version and just what might be included if they were to sing this old standard. Loved the three thistle dusters. ;-)

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Christmas. How did it all get started? Christmas: a Candid History, by Bruce David Forbes will explain. There were decades where it was not celebrated at all (Dickens wasn't all that far off when Scrooge didn't want to give Bob Cratchit the day off). What caused the comeback? How did Santa enter the picture? And get to the size and shape he did? In the traditional poem, he's an elf, with a tiny sled and reindeer. This was Very Interesting read!

Also enjoyable was The Physics of Christmas: From the Aerodynamics of Reindeer to the Thermodynamics of Turkey by Dr. Roger Highfield. That's right, a real scientist wrote this book! Learn what may have caused Rudolph's red nose! How all those gifts might be delivered. The reason for seasonal moods. This was published in 1998, be sure to read the Chapter 12: Christmas in 2020 to see how close the author is (or isn't)! A good book to combine with the one above.

Do you have an Ugly Christmas sweater? If so, wear it with pride, and then check out the ones in Rock Your Ugly Christmas Sweater, by Anne Marie Blackman & Brian Clark Howard. Some were intentionally designed to be ugly, some just turned out that way, and two, at least to me, were not ugly, but rather nice (p. 42). There are ugly sweaters for Hanukkah and Kwanza, too. Don't miss the gerbil!

Christmas Day in the Morning, by Pearl S. Buck, first came out in 1955. Almost as good (to me) as Gift of the Magi, it is a wonderful story about finding the perfect gift. Here it is beautifully illustrated by Mark Buehner.

Merry Christmas everyone.

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Today is the shortest day of the year. Or maybe it was yesterday. (I've heard and read both). At any rate, from here on, the days will get longer again. How did humans figure this out? Why do we celebrate? The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice by Wendy Pfeffer and illustrated by Jesse Reisch will tell you. Nicely done!

If you'd like some games and recipes for celebrating these dark days, there's Yule: a Celebration of Light and Warmth by Dorothy Morrison. This was a fun book! There are chapters on folklore and legends from around the world, and on superstitions and omens. There are suggestions for gifts and decorations. I suggest taking some time out of a busy schedule and enjoying this book. :-)

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Today is 'Go Caroling' Day! 

Here's a spin on another well-known holiday song. If you have kids then the messy mayhem in Deck the Walls! A Wacky Christmas Carol, by Erin Dealey and illustrated by Nick Ward just might be all too familiar. (Although the author claims she is not writing from experience ...)

I love the story of how Silent Night was written but had no idea about so many of the other carols we sing this time of year came to be. Find out all about this in The Carols of Christmas: a Celebration of the Surprising Stories Behind Your Favorite Holiday Songs, by Andrew Gant. Some are very old, others not so much and many

are a combination of an old song, folk song, popular (at the time) song with words that changed with each version. I love that the author also included some of the, mmm 'other' words too ("Jingle Bells, Batman smells" ....) ;-)

And finally, a more quiet telling of a favorite (at least one of mine): Irving Berlin's White Christmas, illustrated by Michael Hague. This book combines my love of this song with my love of snow globes. Nice details, love the snowflakes!

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The newest in the Molly Murphy Mystery series by Rhys Bowen is Away in a Manger. Christmas is coming and there is much to do when Molly and Bridie hear a child singing a seasonal carol. This leads to a depressing boarding house, a stolen locket, and a family divided by events of long ago. With her husband in the hospital and her mother-in-law arriving soon for the holidays the last thing Molly needs is try and put everything back together again.

A brand new series by Vicki Delany (aka Eva Gates) starts with Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen. Set in the small town of Rudolph NY (love the reason for the name!) that depends on tourism everyone wants the winter festivities to go well. Or do they?

And lastly, one from long ago (longer ago than I realized ... 1999 to be exact!) ... Aunt Dimity's Christmas, by Nancy Atherton. All Lori needs for a perfect Christmas is snow (this is in England, remember). It's one of those 'be careful what you wish for' situations because with that snow comes a body.

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Like a shooting star, a snowflake is impossible to catch and hold. Or is it? Thanks to the persistent, diligent work of Wilson Bentley, it is possible to capture one in a photograph. Snowflake Bentley is a beautifully illustrated (Caldecott Award) biography, written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin, of the man who pioneered this process. Naturally, this lead to other 'flaky' books ....

First up was Snow Crystals, by W.A. Bentley and W.J. Humphreys. This is a collection of the amazing photos Bentley took over many years. There is a nice history of him, and how he did what he did as well as descriptions of design and make up of the snowflakes, or rather, snow crystals. I especially enjoyed the pictures of the snowflake's closest 'kin' ... windowpane frost, frosty weeds, leaves, webs, etc.

Years later Patricia Rasmussen was inspired by Bentley's photographs and it got her started taking pictures of snowflakes. Using Kenneth Libbrecht's specially built cameras, they put together the book The Snowflake: Winter's Secret Beauty. (Text by Libbrecht, photography by Rasmussen). Again, there is a good explanation of how the crystals form, the best weather for viewing, and so forth. The process has improved over time and there is now color and depth to the snow crystals. Beautiful!

Then, for the serious snowflake hunter, there's Ken Libbrecht's Field Guide to Snowflakes. Lots and lots of information here along with some wonderful photos. Check out the grid showing types of snow crystals for shapes such as stellar dedrites, bullet rosettes and so forth. The USPS used four of his photographs for the snowflake stamps issued in 2006.

Steven Kellogg, illustrator of many books for children, lived in the Sandy Hook and Newton communities for many years and was greatly affected by the shootings there. He told Patricia MacLachlan of his feelings and together they came up with Snowflakes Fall. It is a quiet celebration of children, who, like snowflakes, are all different.

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In past years I've seen some shows of over the top lights and displays on houses or entire neighborhoods. (I can get dizzy just thinking of the power bill). Merry Christmas, America! Megawatt Displays Across the U.S.A., by Bruce Littlefield features some of them. There are tips on doing your own display, and stories from the home owners on how it all started for them. Since the book came out in 2007 there are now houses with even more lights!

A wonderful book from decades ago ... White Snow, Bright Snow, by Alvin Tresselt and illustrated by Roger Duvosin. It combines a wonderful poem with Caldecott Award winning illustrations of a snow fall.

Remember all those books on Lighthouses back in July? I had to return to that trail when I found Lighthouse Christmas, story by Toni Buzzeo, pictures by Nancy Carpenter. What will Christmas be like at this remote lighthouse? When a storm changes their plans will there even be a Christmas? Set in 1929, it was fun learning about a service that continues today.

Not every one lives in a nice house, but everyone can offer a bit of Christmas spirit. December, by Eve Bunting and illustrated by David Diaz is a sweet story about just that. I love the little tree, and how it is decorated.

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December 12 is Poinsettia Day. For a delightful look at where it came from, when it started showing up in stories and cards, symbolism, how the word is pronounced, and so forth, read Poinsettias: the December Flower: Myth and Legend - History & Botanical Fact, by Christine Anderson & Terry Tischer.

I don't know about you, but I have a few favorite movies I watch each year around this time, ending with White Christmas on December 24th. Christmas Story is another one, but for some reason, I like to watch Sound of Music in the summer. :-)

The Christmas Story Treasury: a Tribute to the Original, Traditional, One-Hundred Percent, Red-Blooded, Two-Fisted, All American Holiday Movie, by Tyler Schwartz celebrates the 30th anniversary of this much-loved movie. There are lots of photos, some with sound buttons to push to hear those favorite phrases. Learn how the actors were chosen, how a pregnancy was hidden, and go behind the cameras to see how some of the scenes were filmed.

Another book about a movie that seems to air around this time of year is The Sound of Music: a Behind-the-Scenes Celebration of the World's Favorite Musical. It's a nice look at the movie: how the actors were picked and a little bit about each of them. Good pictures throughout, too. (There's one minor glitch where Rodgers is spelled Rogers). I thought the trivia was especially fun.

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Have you mailed your Christmas cards yet? December 9th is Christmas Card day. I know there are lots of books available on making cards, and Merry Christmas from ... 150 Christmas Cards You Wished You'd Received, by Karen Robert is a collection of some of them. Some are clever, others silly but all are unique (no store bought cards included). Note: the designs here are done with photos rather than with scrapbooking type crafts ... I have a few friends that make amazing cards this way, too. :-)

Laurien Berenson writes a delightful cozy mystery series which includes dogs and the most recent is The Bark Before Christmas. The annual Christmas Bazaar was suddenly thrust on Melanie when the original organizer skips town for a sunnier locale. Then Santa bails just 24 hours before the doors open. The new Santa doesn't return after a break ... a valuable show dog goes missing .... and so on ... ;-)

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What happens to a mitten when it's left outside on a cold winter's night? There are many versions of this story, but here, The Mitten is retold by Jim Ayelsworth and illustrated by Barbara McClintock.

Sleigh Bells and Snowflakes: a Celebration of Christmas, compiled and illustrated by Linda Bronson combines poems and song lyrics with unusual illustrations. Look carefully, they are three dimensional! The more I studied them, the better I liked them. :-)

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It seems there are several traditions concerning just when to put up a tree: modern tradition is to put it up the day or weekend after Thanksgiving; classic tradition is December 13, that is, twelve days before Christmas; some prefer December 6 in honor of St. Nicolas.

The evergreen tree has been featured in stories since the dawn of time. Or so it seems! Read many of these stories from around the world and down through the ages in The Solstice Evergreen: the History, Folklore and Origins of the Christmas Tree, by Sheryl Ann Karas.

I have a memory of an aluminum Christmas tree, someone in my neighborhood had one, complete with the four color rotating light that would make the tree change colors. However, I did not know that some of these trees rotated as well, or why you never put a string of lights on them until I read Season's Gleamings: the Art of the Aluminum Christmas Tree by J. Shimon & J. Lindemann.

The Star Tree, written and illustrated by Gisela Colle, and translated by Rosemary Lanning is a charming story from Germany. An old man, dismayed of all the bright lights and isolation of city life sets out to light up a tree in the forest. Will anyone else even notice?

Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree, by Robert Barry is one of my all time favorites! I love what happens when a tree is just too big for the space it occupies!

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A recent gathering of friends, all of us of that 'certain age' inspired today's book trail. We like to sing so I'm starting with The Baby Boomer Songbook: 65 Hit Songs from the Hal Leonard Corporation. So many familiar songs! Song that were popular, songs from movies and tv shows, even songs from when we were young. Fun, fun, fun!

Atlas of the Baby Boom Generation: a Cultural History of Postwar America, by Neil A. Hamilton was stuffed full of all kinds of information. For each decade there were entries on what was going on world wide, with the bomb (and any protests), what was on TV, what was being worn and so forth. Just a wealth of memories here. :-)

The companion book to the PBS series, The Boomer Century: 1946 - 2046: How America's Most Influential Generation Changed Everything, by Richard Croker proved to be an excellent read. So many big changes! Gender roles, health issues, changing the work place, resisting mandatory retirement ages ... the good and the bad, triumphant and heart breaking, this was an excellent look back as well as forward. (Seems there are about 78 million of us)!

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The Nature of the Beast is the most recent Louise Penny book. This time it seems like it was a darker story (based on a true story), and one that brought up bad times for many of the folks in Three Pines. As always though, I was totally captivated. I love that even without gun battles and speeding cars the ending got my heart pounding! I've said it before, this is an amazing author! Start with Still Life, it is good to read them in order.

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