Twelve days of Letters to Santa Day eleven - The Lighthouse Keeper's Christmas

Dear Father Christmas,
I will be at the Grinlings' house on Christmas eve.
They have a chimney.
Your friend, 
George

Dear Father Christmas,

Uncle ways that he would like something for Christmas that's fun to wear.

No boring slippers.

Your friends

Mr Grinling and George

PS Hamish would like another toy mouse

George is the great-nephew of the lighthouse keeper Mr Grinling and he has come to stay. This will be the last Christmas, as lighthouse keeper, for Mr Grinling. On Christmas eve Mr Grinling, George and Hamish row out to the lighthouse. At the end of their busy day a storm whips up and their small dinghy is tossed out into the waves. Mrs Grinling had packed a delicious lunch but what will they eat for their tea? Mrs Grinling packs a new basket (just as she did in the very first book) with cake, pies, sandwiches, and fruit BUT yes, just as we have seen previously, those pesky seagulls attack the basket and everything is either eaten or lost into the sea. Luckily Mr Grinling is able to find a tin of baked beans, some sardines, an old potato and a packet of chocolate biscuits. They are snug and safe inside the lighthouse and everything is okay BUT then George remembers his letter to Santa. He needs to write a new one!

Father Christmas, Father Christmas

We are at the lighthouse tonight. Please ask the reindeer 

to bring the sleigh to the door because there isn't any chimney.

Your friends

George and Mr Grinling and Hamish

They attach this note to the top lighthouse window and Mr Grinling finds two enormous socks that Santa can use as Christmas stockings. 

"They left the socks and a chocolate biscuit by the lighthouse door, then Mr Grinling tucked George back into bed."

Over night it snows, and they wake up to a perfect white world AND stockings full of presents! And later Mrs Grinling sends their Christmas dinner over in the basket - but will those pesky seagulls attack the food again? Oh and Mrs Grinling also finds a way to reach the lighthouse and she has a special card for Mr Grinling from all the people of the village. A perfect happy ending.

Bookseller blurb: Once there was a lighthouse keeper called Mr Grinling. At night time he lived in a small white cottage perched high on the cliffs, and in the daytime he rowed out to his lighthouse to clean and polish the light. Mr and Mrs Grinling are looking forward to an extra-special Christmas with their great-nephew, George. But on Christmas Eve, Mr Grinling and George get stranded in the middle of a storm! Can Mrs Grinling reach them in time for Christmas dinner?

The Lighthouse Keeper's Christmas was published in 2002. The paperback edition was released in 2014 - that's the good news. It is still in print (I think) but the online bookseller price is over AUS$25. I was lucky to pick up my copy at a recent charity book sale for just 50 cents and it is in mint condition.

I have been a fan of the Lighthouse Keeper's book series since the first book was published back in 1977. In one of the schools where I worked as a Teacher-Librarian one class spent the whole term on work inspired by this book and all the sequels and as a result I made this Pinterest and now my friend from Kinderbookswitheverything adds books too. My love of lighthouses does go back even further than 1977 though - back to 1968 or 1969 when my family rented a tiny garage which was used by the owners as a make-shift holiday house at Port Macquarie on the New South Wales coast. The address was Lighthouse Road and so as expected there was a glorious lighthouse right the end of the road and this became by regular bike riding expedition and book reading nook nestled under the tower of the lighthouse. 

Christmas and lighthouses - a perfect combination. Here are a couple of other Christmas books set in Lighthouses!

It's day eleven of my twelve days of Christmas letters to Santa - I wonder which book will appear tomorrow - actually there might be a Christmas surprise - TWO books!

Twelve days of Letters to Santa Day Ten - Santa Post

Publisher blurb: Santa receives post from children all over the world. But when Amy sends him a letter, he just can't work out what she wants as her gift. Will Santa manage to find Amy the right present in time for Christmas Eve?

Can you see the burn marks. The vital words from the letter are ruined. How can Santa find the perfect gift for young Amy?

First he asks the elves but they are SO busy so the chief elf who has the delightful name of Elfalfa Higglesbottom Senior, asks Boggins to help. All that is left in the toy cupboard is a box of coal. But Amy was on the 'nice' list - this cannot be the right gift. So next Santa writes to Mr Polar Bear but this gift is enormous - perfect for a polar bear but not right for Amy. Surely the reindeer will know. All of the reindeer 'put their antlers together' and decide the perfect present is a carrot! I love the tone of their letter to Santa:

Howdy Mister S
So good to hear from you dude. We've just been surfing some clouds ready for the big night. Dancer dinged her antlers on a star doing an epic dive. It was so awesome. ... Wish I could see your face when you open this parcel. It's gonna blow your mind (and beard).

See ya later!

Peace out

Chief

The Chief Reindeer

Amy does receive a present at Christmas and I know the final letter will give your young reading companion a huge smile.

Emma Yarlett has done it again with another brilliant book featuring beautifully fold-out letters that are a joy to discover. This time, it's the clever use of letters to Santa - and letters to and from Santa and his team of experts - that help the story develop, and as the gifts for Amy multiply (a scarf, a carrot, some coal) young readers may be able to guess what might happen in the end. A heartwarming picture book with a special interactive element that makes it all the more fun. BookTrust

This book was published in 2020 and a new paperback edition was published in 2023. The best thing about the book design, apart from the fire singed letter, is the way the letters open as flaps. This means the precious letters cannot be lost by young borrowers as can be the case with a book like The Jolly Christmas Postman. Here is the book trailer. You can see inside this book on the author web page.

The companion volume to Santa Post is Dragon Post. You should look for this book because 2024 is the Year of the Dragon. 

Twelve days of Letters to Santa Day Nine - Alfie's Christmas

 

I have a friend who read all the Alfie books to her young children and many aspects of the lives of these children became part of their family vocabulary and nostalgia. This means I was not surprised when she suggested I add Alfie's Christmas to my series of Christmas Letters posts.

"Mum helped Alfie to make a list of all the presents he wanted. It was quite a long list. Then she helped him write a letter to Father Christmas. Alfie drew a picture of himself to go with it and they put their address at the top. Then they put it in an envelope with 'To Father Christmas' written on it and Mum helped Alfie post it in the pillar box at the end of their street."

In the illustration of Christmas morning, we can see Alfie surrounded by his presents - coloured pencils, a toy car, a windup mouse, an orange, a torch and a small Santa hat for his toy Flumbo. Under the tree Alfie finds a bright orange scooter with a red and blue helmet. He also receives a remote-control space buggy but, typical of presents like this, it needs batteries! I love the way Shirley Hughes includes a relative visiting from Australia. Great Uncle Will tells Alfie about Christmas 'down under' - summer, swimming, barbeques, beach visits, colourful parrots and once Uncle Will even saw a koala!

Here are all the Alfie books by Shirley Hughes:

Book 1: Alfie's Feet (1982)

Book 2: Alfie Gives A Hand (1983)

Book 3: An Evening at Alfie's (1984)

Book 4: The Big Alfie and Annie Rose Storybook (1988)

Book 5: Alfie Gets in First (1991)

Book 6: The Big Alfie Out of Doors Storybook (1992)

Book 7: The Alfie Collection (1992)

Book 8: The Alfie Treasury (1994)

Book 9: Rhymes for Annie Rose (1995)

Book 10: Alfie & The Birthday Surprise (1997)

Book 11: All About Alfie (1997)

Book 12: Alfie's Alphabet (1997)

Book 13: Alfie's ABC (1982)

Book 14: Alfie Goes Camping (1999)

Book 15: Alfie's 1 2 3 (1999)

Book 16: Alfie's Numbers (2000)

Book 17: Alfie's Weather (2001)

Book 18: Annie Rose Is My Little Sister (2002)

Book 19: Alfie Wins A Prize (2004)

Book 20: Alfie's World (2006)

Book 21: Alfie and the Big Boys (2007)

Book 22: My Alfie Collection (2011)

Book 23: Alfie's Shop (2013)

Book 24: Alfie's Christmas (2013)

Book 25: Alfie Gets in First ad Other Stories (2015)

Book 26: Alfie & Grandma (2015)

Book 27: Alfie Outdoors (2016)

Book 28: Alfie and Mum (2016)

Book 29: Alfie and His Very Best Friend (2016)

Book 30: Alfie and Dad (2017)

Book 31: Alfie at Nursery School (2018)

Book 32: Alfie on Holiday (2019) 

The Counter Clockwise Heart by Brian Farrey

Opening sentence:

"It was the coldest winter morning ever on record in the empire of Rheinvelt when the people of Somber End awoke to find the Onyx Maiden in their tiny village."

And the scene continues:

"As tall as a two-story house, a maiden made entirely of rough, dappled onyx loomed over the roundel. Adorned in armor, she appeared to be in the midst of a battle. Her right arm was thrown backward read to strike with a cat-o'-nine-tails cover in spikes. Her wild hair, blowing in an unseen gale, reached out in all directions, like a demonic compass rose. Most terrifying of all was her face - frozen in a permanent angry scream."

The people of Somber End are simple folk. Their lives have always been a struggle but now life is getting even harder. Naturally the people blame the bad times on the statue which they name the Maiden. The rulers of Rheinvelt - Imperatrix Dagmar and her wife, Empress Sabine, send emissaries far and wide seeking an answer to this mystery. All they learn is that:

"One day, the Maiden would waken and bring a terrible reckoning. Not just to Somber End, but for all throughout the empire."

Then one day a young boy stands at the foot of the statue. In his imagination she is not frightening she is powerful. He begins to talk to the statue telling her his hopes and dreams. He does this for over a decade - every day and over time the fortunes of Somber End change. Fast forward and now the boy, Guntram, has grown into a man and the village people call him their guardian. He is summoned to the castle. 

Many years before this, actually on the night the Maiden appear, a baby also appeared encased in the walls of the castle. The Empress and Imperatrix decide to raise him as the prince of their empire but there are two problems. The Imperatrix dies which causes everyone, especially Prince Alphonsus enormous grief and secondly, the Empress discovers Alphonsus has a clock in his chest and it has begun to run backwards.

Meanwhile on the edge of the village there are the Hinterlands which legend says are filled with monsters. There are also Hexen Woods which are home to a terrible sorceress known as Nachtfrau. 

Alphonsus has one good friend in the castle - the huntress Birgit Freund. Alphonsus orders her to seek the clockmaker responsible for making his clock heart. He is sure there will be terrible events or perhaps even his own death when the clock finally stops. 

Now enter the next important character - Esme. She is a Hierophant - a magical race who are now exiled in the cold north. Esme has been able to pass through the enchantment that holds the Hierophants. Her mission is to destroy Nachtfrau - but she also a Hierophant but more importantly she is Esme's mother.

So, things are all set for the classic clash of monster and hero except monsters come in many forms one of whom is that young boy, Guntram. His desire for power is now out of control and nothing will stop him. Alphonsus has clearly connected with the Maiden, she has now come back to life and Guntram is determined to kill the Prince - his jealousy knows no bounds.

It is interesting the way magic works in this story. Performing magic has consequences - this is called the Balance. There is also a magical box that provides prophecies BUT it tells one truth and one lie each time and so the questioner is left to decide which path to follow or how to interpret the advice.

The well-developed setting lends an otherworldly historical atmosphere. ... Laced with ethical questions and examples, this is a thought-provoking coming-of-age story. Kirkus

Here is a review in the New York Times.

Bookseller blurb: Time is running out in the empire of Rheinvelt. The sudden appearance of a strange and frightening statue foretells darkness. The Hierophants—magic users of the highest order—have fled the land. And the shadowy beasts of the nearby Hinterlands are gathering near the borders, preparing for an attack. Young Prince Alphonsus is sent by his mother, the Empress Sabine, to reassure the people while she works to quell the threat of war. But Alphonsus has other problems on his mind, including a great secret: He has a clock in his chest where his heart should be—and it’s begun to run backwards, counting down to his unknown fate. Searching for answers about the clock, Alphonsus meets Esme, a Hierophant girl who has returned to the empire in search of a sorceress known as the Nachtfrau. When riddles from their shared past threaten the future of the empire, Alphonsus and Esme must learn to trust each other and work together to save it—or see the destruction of everything they both love.

I picked this book at a local bookshop which was sadly closing down. The cover didn't really appeal to me but the endorsements on the back cover lured me in. I am very glad I found this book. Yes, it does contain the usual tropes of fantasy/quest stories with the race to thwart evil and hideous monsters and misunderstandings about who to trust and who might betray our hero and of course magical powers. And we have seen this idea of using a clock to create the story momentum - a literal race against time. But there is also a delicious tension in this story. I truly wanted the 'bad man' to be killed and I kept hoping this would happen much earlier in the story. I just wanted someone to eliminate that dreadful man - Guntram Steinherz later known as the Margrave. He is one of the most loathsome characters I have ever encountered in a middle grade (ages 10+) book. The scenes where he tricks The Empress and also lies to betray Alphonsus made me gasp and there were several times when I had to put this book down and re-enter the real world for a while for respite. I also nearly skipped to the end to check he was finally dead and that Alphonsus and Esme were safe.

I do recommend The Counter Clockwise heart. It is an engrossing story with a clever imagined world and characters that you will really care about. 

Minus the steampunk layer this book reminded me of this:

Cogheart

And these:

The Ogress and the Orphans

The Girl who drank the Moon

Twelve days of Letters to Santa Day Eight - Maisy's Christmas Letters by Lucy Cousins

It is day eight. Time to read a book which features the popular preschool character Maisy. 

Maisy is throwing a Christmas party, and all her friends are invited! When her guests RSVP, they send other Christmas surprises including an advent calendar, festive decorations, a gingerbread recipe and more. This story includes six real envelopes containing Christmas cards, gifts, decorations and a special letter from Maisy herself. Happy Christmas, everyone!

Check out my post - Meet the illustrator Lucy Cousins. 

Twelve days of Letters to Santa Day Seven - My Penguin Osbert by Elizabeth Cody Kimmell

Young Joe knows Santa can be tricky. He does not always understand exactly the present Joe describes. When he asks for a red racing car with "a detachable roof, a lightning bolt on the side and retracting headlights." The right car comes matching the description but it is only ten centimetres long.

The next year Joe asks for a trampoline but that's a tough word to spell - Santa supplies a pogo stick!

So, this year Joe is determined there will be no confusion. He wants:

• a penguin
• a real penguin
• not a suffed toy
• from Antarctica
• thirty centimetres tall
• black and white with a yellow beak
• his name should be Osbert

Thank goodness this time Santa gets it right. BUT wait a minute how can this young boy, living in a regular house, look after a REAL penguin. Think about food, water, cold, communication! Luckily for Osbert communication is not an issue. He makes his demands known and so Joe cannot play with his other presents the pair head outside to play in the snow. Then Osbert wants to stay in the bath long after the water has gone cold. And breakfast has to be chilled herring with seaweed jam. That afternoon Joe writes back to Santa:

"Dear Santa,

How are you and Mrs Claus? We are fine. 

Thank you for the great penguin, called Osbert. We have cold baths together and eat herring and seaweed jam for breakfast. I am getting used to spending all day in the snow.

Plus it turned out I didn't have frostbite after all.

Your friend 

Joe

PS One more thing, Santa. If you feel like maybe I should have asked for a different present, and you want to swap, that would be ok."

My Penguin Osbert is terrific to read aloud and then your young group could write their own letters to Santa. Here is the sequel to My Penguin Osbert:

Twelve days of Letters to Santa Day Six - Worried Arthur by Joan Stimson

Arthur is such a worrier. Christmas is coming. and Arthur comes home from school SO worried. The class have been learning about maps and Arthur can see there is a huge distance for Santa to travel from the NORTH POLE to the SOUTH POLE - you need to know Arthur is a penguin so he lives in Antarctica. Dad has the answer and Arthur is able to go to bed and fall asleep feeling a little less worried. 

At the end of the term Arthur is given a good school report except for the standard of his writing but here is the new worry.  Will Santa be able to read Arthur's Christmas list?  Once again Dad has the answer. 

Then there is the worry of the weather and worse Arthur worries he might not deserve any presents.  Dad is quite sure everything will be okay and yes Christmas morning is perfect.

Dear Santa,
Please if it is at all possible, as my bedroom is a little untidy ... 
could you leave any presents just here.
Love Arthur
PS there is a mince pie in the kitchen for you x

These books about Arthur seem perfect for children who have worries and I also liked the gentle way the author introduces this single parent family.  Arthur and his dad have such a special relationship.

There are other books (sadly all out of print) about Arthur: