Christmas Reading! Librarian Recommendations...

Merry Christmas, one and all! Here are our recommended festive reads to help you get in the spirit of things. Come and see more on the Library display, lovingly crafted by Mrs Sadek, Miss Poole and the Pupil Librarians...

The Story of a Nutcracker by Alexandre Dumas

“This forest, which would have been dark without all its twinkling lights, was lit so magnificently as to display it’s silver and golden fruits; these dangled from branches decorated with ribbons and nosegays, as if in celebration of the newlyweds.”

When Marie is given a nutcracker for Christmas by Godfather Drosselmeyer, she quickly realises that it’s no ordinary toy. As the clock strikes midnight on Christmas Eve, Marie watches as the nutcracker -and the rest of her toys - come to life and battle the Mouse King and his army. But that’s only the beginning of the story, as Marie is whisked away to a land of dolls and palaces made of sugar.

As it’s the inspiration for Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet, it was interesting the see the origin of one of the most famous (and my favourite) ballets. Dumas’ tale is much more surreal and morbid, with vicious mouse monarchs and spoilt princesses rather than Sugarplum Fairies. Short and sweet, The Story of a Nutcracker is a comfortingly familiar and easy to read confectionary treat perfect for Christmastime. Year 7+

Miss Poole 

Tidings by Ruth Padel

“That’s why I’m here. I belong with secrets kindly kept. With possibilities, with mute –
        for what might a mysterious birth, witnessed by distant shepherds and foreign kings,
the longings conjured up by giving, gift and given and this time-stopping rift in every schedule – yes, what can Christmas do, to all of us?”

Tidings is an enchanting and atmospheric story written in verse following a little girl, a homeless man and a fox as they move from dusk until dawn on Christmas Eve. It takes us on a journey into the heart of Christmas, showing us celebrations down the ages and across the globe – as dawn sweeps from East Australia to Bethlehem, from London to the Statue of Liberty in New York. It is a reminder of the various meanings and impacts of Christmas on different walks of life. Not only good tidings but loneliness, longing, compassion and connection. An uplifting read for Christmas Eve. Year 7+

Ms Johns

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik      

“Blue shadows stretched out over the snow, cast by a pale thin light shining somewhere behind me, and as my breath rose in quick clouds around my face, the snow crunched: some large creature, picking its way toward the sleigh.”                                                        

If you want a winter book to curl up with during the Christmas holiday, this is perfect! The novel is set in Russia in the depths of winter and has fantasy, demons, and lots of snow. Written from various people’s point of view, it tells the story of Miryem, who is the daughter of a failed moneylender. Having decided to take over her father’s job to prevent her family from starving, her success attracts the attention of the Fairy King of Winter who kidnaps her to turn his silver into gold. In her desperation to succeed she unwittingly draws in Irina, a daughter of a Lord whose father wants her to marry the Tzar, who in turn harbours a demon that could destroy them all. This has echoes of many different fairy tales, but it is beautifully told with good and evil not always what they seem. Oh, and never make bargains with demons or fairy kings! I loved it! Year 10+

Mrs Godden 

The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories by P.D. James

 

“Suddenly, with an unexpected change of mood, Paul began scooping up the snow. No one receiving the icy slap of a snowball in the face can resist retaliation, and we spent twenty minutes or so like schoolchildren, laughing and hurling snow at each other and at the house until the snow on the lawn and gravel path had been churned into slush.”

 

It was their unpleasant relative whose dead body was sprawled over the table and this experience changed the life of our main character in a substantial way. The corpse with harrowing injuries to the head and left hand was found by two cousins, in the locked library of their grandmother’s manor on Boxing Day. Did the murderer stand trial? This book contains four mystery stories which were inspired by the plotting of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction such as Agatha Christy, Arthur Conan Doyle and et al. The stories are a nice indulgent read for fans of this type of genre. It is a pleasurable book for reading at Christmas, perhaps, nestled on the soft armchair embracing warmth from the fire. Year 9+

 

Mrs Sadek

…And a Happy New Year? by Holly Bourne

“Off in the distance, the sky turned to glitter, and we had our own panoramic view. We lay on the ground, our heads together, and watched the new black sky of this New Year dance and spiral with light. It would be another whole year until the earth was in this exact spot. Another year of growing, changing, learning and, inevitably, being let down by life and the fact that it just keeps going, rather than pausing on the days when everything is going well.”

This is a ‘Spinster Club’ book so fans of Holly Bourne’s other YA books will enjoy its irreverent humour and feminist camaraderie. It is a New Year’s Eve story set in one night at a party where the three best friends have their love lives and their sacred bond put to the test by secrets and lies all before the bells chime for midnight. But will they reform their sisterhood before the new ‘Year of the Spinster’ is in? A funny, silly book for those who need a laugh between Christmas and New Year. Year 10+

Ms Johns 

 

Have a great holiday! 😀