Friday, December 20, 2013

Dec 20 books read



Chip Crockett's Christmas Carol by Elizabeth Hand
I wanted to read this book because the proceeds will go towards a fund of a special education teacher that died at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT a year ago. At that time I was traveling through upstate NY and when I got the call from my brother in RI I couldn't believe the tragedy and so close to Christmas.
Brendan and Teri have split up and their son Peter attends a specialized school. Brendan has Peter many nights and is able to pick him up after school. Tony wants to move in with Brendan til he gets on his feet. The death of Chip has got all of them talking of the death and remembering the episodes on TV.
Very patient to teach his son how to do just the simplest of tasks, repetitious patterned behavior. 
Thanksgiving at Kevin and Eileens house..then the drinking started. Things used to be normal til the drinking overtook everything.
Story is based on Chip and how they can resurrect the puppet show of the 60's. The year the doctors figured out what was wrong with Peter, that was the end of Christmas for Brendan.
Christmas morning brings the miracle that ties this whole book together. Authors other works are highlighted at the end.
I myself was too young to remember watching the show but other things I do recall, especially the TV screen after 2am and the countdown to a show broadcasting.
I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.


Mert, The Anxious Evergreen by Claire Bowman
Illustrated colorful children's book about how an evergreen tree starts out. The seed, Mert was saved by the mower and now year after year he's getting bigger. He is able to talk to other things along the way that come into his life.
He is finally big enough to be a real Christmas tree for somebody and he is excited about being decorated.
There are many others involved and politics take over in the form of developers that want to destroy the land to make way for buildings...
Love how they all band together to fight...like how the story evolves and what they all have to go through to save what they believe in.
I received this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

No comments: