How Santa Really Works
Teaching text features? Research and asking questions? This book is for you! The perfect mix of “factual” and whimsy, How Santa Really Works includes diagrams, labelled graphics (see the cover!), detailed pictures and captions, and of course, answers to the questions you really want to to know, such as:
- How does Santa know if you’ve been good? (hint, the CIA isn’t what you think it is…)
- Who organizes all the presents?
- How does Santa get down the chimney?
From Research and Development to Transportation covers all the aspects of Santa and his international operations and each page could be read independently in order to practice main idea. While Santa is, of course, the main character, the elves steal the show through the detailed illustrations, where they tell their own story. Kids who love to study how-to books will want to spend hours with this one so they don’t miss a single detail!
The Night Santa Got Lost: How NORAD Saved Christmas
Every year, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) tracks Santa’s whereabouts on Christmas Eve so children around the world can follow along (https://www.noradsanta.org/). It’s a good thing too – because on the fateful night in this story, a huge blizzard brought Santa down in the Atlantic. Fortunately, the Commander-in-Chief was ready. Every special force and method of transportation available was dispatched to save Christmas! Written in The Night Before Christmas rhyme, this book is a wonderful tribute to the men and women serving in our military organizations around the world and truly captures the spirit of heroism and teamwork.
The “back matter” in this story, cleverly titled “Wrapping it Up”, is quite extensive! From the origins of the NORAD Santa tracking service, to information about the military organizations represented, to notable Christmases that have taken place in military history, this book is sure to spark inquiry and curiosity, and can be a great springboard into research!
Shooting at the Stars: The Christmas Truce of 1914
While based on facts, the story surrounding this event has become legend. The facts about World War I are succinctly laid out on the first page, setting the stage for a (fictional) letter from a young soldier, Charlie, to his mother detailing the conditions in the trenches as the English soldiers bunkered down in trenches across from the German lines. This story shows how the spirit of Christmas can transcend politics, nationality, and sometimes, even circumstances: “For one glorious Christmas morning, war had taken a holiday.”
With a special brand of visual storytelling, Hendrix intertwines text, detailed illustrations, and handwritten letters to bring this story to light – literally. Follow the use of light (fires, the sun, candlelights on trees), and the use of color throughout the story, and see how the color scheme changes to reflect the tone of the narrative. Don’t miss the back matter, including a glossary, a primary source (photograph) and the author’s own commentary and research on the events that took place that Christmas day in 1914.
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