A lyrical invitation to watch for signs of the approaching season — and revel in the homespun rituals that warm a family celebration. From icicles clinging to roofs and houses strung with colorful lights to visiting Santa and hunting for the perfect tree, this classic-in-the-making celebrates all of the holiday’s excitement. Evoking both winter’s changes to the world outside and well-loved traditions taking place within, here is a story to encourage readers to curl up with their loved ones and bask in the magic of the Christmas season.
Teenage Simone's diaries for 1917 and 1918 reveal her experiences as a carefree member of New York society, then as a "Hello girl," a volunteer switchboard operator for the Army Signal Corps in France.
A joyful, sun-drenched tribute to the anticipation and adventures of the warmest season of the year. When the days stretch out like a slow yawn, and the cheerful faces of Johnny-jump-ups jump up . . . then it’s time to get ready for summer! From flip-flops and hide-and-seek to fireworks and ice-cream trucks, from lemonade stands and late bedtimes to swimming in the lake and toasting marshmallows, there’s something for everyone in this bright and buoyant celebration of the sunny season. Tom Brenner’s lovely, lyrical ode to summers spent outdoors will strike a chord with anyone who’s ever counted down the days until school gets out, and Jaime Kim’s jubilant, nostalgia-soaked illustrations leave little doubt that summer is indeed a time unlike any other.
A Wall Street Journal holiday gift book selection A sleuthing English teacher will need a Christmas miracle to prove a condemned man innocent in this "terrific holiday-themed novel" (Publishers Weekly Starred Review) from Edgar Award-winner Andrew Klavan. Colorful Christmas lights dapple the family homes in the idyllic lakeside town of Sweet Haven when Jennifer Dean, a young librarian at the local elementary school, is brutally murdered. There are witnesses and her boyfriend Travis Blake confesses to the crime… but something doesn’t quite add up. Blake is a third generation Army Ranger, awarded the Silver Star for his heroism in Afghanistan—how could a beloved son of this tight-knit burgh commit such a grisly deed? As a community of military families a few miles down the road from an Army base, no one in Sweet Haven wants to investigate a war hero like Blake, not even the top brass at the police department. In steps Cameron Winter, a rugged and lonesome English professor haunted by the ghosts of his own Christmas past, whose former lover asks him to prove Blake innocent. The Sweet Haven murder reverberates in his mind, echoing a horrific yuletide memory from his youth, and Winter knows there are darker powers at play here than a simple domestic dispute. If he can solve this small-town mystery, just maybe he can find peace from his inner demons as well. The thirty-sixth novel by two-time Edgar Award winner Andrew Klavan, When Christmas Comes is a seasonal tale of tradition, family, and murder; its chilling twists are best experienced curled up beside a burning Yule log.
In the third Maidels of Morning Star novel by fan-favorite author Charlotte Hubbard, the five unmarried Amish friends who teamed up to transform an abandoned barn into the Morning Star Marketplace are preparing for a joyous Christmas season. But will the holiday also bring unexpected tidings of love? Founded by five unmarried and enterprising Amish maidels, the new Morning Star Marketplace in small-town Missouri is preparing for a joyous Christmas season. But will the holiday also bring unexpected tidings of love? Twin sisters Molly and Marietta Helfing are eagerly anticipating Christmas, with Marietta fully re-covered from cancer and their noodle making business thriving. But Molly clearly misses having former tenant Pete Shetler and his rambunctious dog, Riley, around. Marietta can't ignore Molly's feelings for Pete--or the anxiety it stirs within her. Convinced her illness has made her unmarriage-able, Marietta wonders what kind of life she'll have if her sister marries--despite Molly's promise to never leave her behind... Then a fire destroys the home of Amish neighbors and Molly and Marietta graciously make room for widower Glenn Detweiler, his dat, and his two young boys. When Pete returns to help the fami-ly rebuild, Molly relishes her reunion with the handsome carpenter, while Marietta delights in moth-ering Glenn's boys--and is surprised by her poignant bond with their quiet, brooding father. Soon everyone is wondering if this season will bring the blessing of a merry double wedding to Morning Star...
This picture book will entertain young reade rs with the fun things it can do. Watch the train run along the tracks, the toy soldiers march and take a peek inside th e dolls house '
Discover the story of the first Christmas in this newly illustrated classic, perfect for little ones curious about the story behind their holiday celebrations. Expertly crafted for the attention span of toddlers, this simple book tells the biblical story of Christmas--from the Annunciation to the birth of Jesus and the arrival of the wise men. The story also helps little listeners understand the connection between the first Christmas and today's celebrations and traditions. With bright illustrations and a toddler-friendly length of about 200 words, this book is an age-appropriate way to introduce the story of the Nativity. A perfect addition for Christmas stockings!
No one wants to be single at the holidays. Even Little Miss Grinch, Nikki, a successful and independent woman, must face her bachelorette status at the most horrible time of the year. December is her personal version of holly-jolly hell: a merry torture made of couples kissing at every corner, forced vacation days, and an inescapable family reunion. And when her baby sister announces she’s engaged—to Paul, the man Nikki is secretly in love with—and that he’s spending the holidays with them, Christmas starts looking bluer than ever. Nikki can’t possibly survive an entire week trapped home as the family’s spinster. But she has no time to meet men or to try the newest dating app, she’s too busy working as a video producer for an advertising agency. So what’s a girl to do? Nikki has the perfect solution: to hire a fake boyfriend. Luckily, her job gives her access to an endless catalog of gorgeous actors to choose from. But Nikki will soon discover that keeping business and pleasure from mixing isn’t so easy, and that she might not be immune to a little mistletoe magic. Especially not when she picked out the perfect man as her Christmas date... A fun, festive romantic comedy with lots of bad behavior and Christmas spirit. Like a creamy hot chocolate with marshmallows, you won’t want to put this deliciously hilarious novel down. Perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella, Sally Thorne, and Jo Watson. First Comes Love is a series of interconnected romantic novels. However, each book in the series can be read as a standalone.
“Uh-oh” embraces “Here we go again” and “Now What?” and “You never can tell what’s going to happen next” and “So much for plan A” and “Hang on, we’re coming to a tunnel” and “No sweat” and “Tomorrow’s another day” and “You can’t unscramble an egg” and “A hundred years from now it won’t make any difference.” “Uh-oh” is more than a momentary reaction to small problems. “Uh-oh” is an attitude—a perspective on the universe. It is a power of an equation that summarizes my view of the conditions of existence: “Uh-huh” + “oh-wow” + “uh-oh” + “oh, God” = “ah-hah!”
