Santa is coming, snow or no snow and, whatever the weather, wants to give all good children a great gift. Luckily for Santa, here are some wonderful books that would make any child happy, some of them written by local authors or having regionally-relevant subject matter. One of the best things about books is they can be enjoyed over and over again, for many years.
For the very young reader, or little ones learning to listen to stories
“Cortez the Gnome,” by Amadee Rickets and James Orndorf
This is a clever, compact book about a gnome who lives by himself here in the Southwest. Cortez has a brother, Winslow, who he misses very much, and after receiving a letter from Winslow, Cortez embarks on an adventure to visit him. When he arrives, Cortez is surprised to find that there are many more gnomes than he realized. Local authors Rickets and Orndorf have illustrated their story with photographs of small gnome dolls set in real settings. This approach is clever and adds an element of familiarity to the Durango area that will appeal to young readers.
“Gulliver’s Babies,” written and illustrated by Marikay Shellman
Local author Shellman’s book is based on a real great horned owl who was rescued by the Avian Reconditioning Center in Florida. Gulliver laid some eggs and took great care of them, but they did not hatch. What a sad thing. But one day after a big storm, a man brought two eggs to the center and Gulliver became their protector. Great news! The eggs hatched into healthy little owlets. They grew under her care and learned how to get their own food and how to be owls before they were released into the wild. This was the beginning of a new life for Gulliver, and she has helped hatch and raise more than 200 babies over the course of two decades. This book is entertaining and has great information about owls and their care and habits.
“Waiting,” by Kevin Henkes
Illustrated with beautiful colored pencil drawings, this delightful picture book for the very young is a tale about five toys who sit on a window sill and wait. The pig, bear, dog, rabbit and owl are all waiting for different things to happen outside the window. Wind, sun and rain are only a few of the events that contribute to the adventures in the story. This book is a gem, and once purchased, should be cherished for years.
“Tino the Tortoise, Adventures in the Grand Canyon,” by Carolyn L. Ahern
In a picture book that entertains while educating readers, Tino and his friend, Rudi, a jerboa, are worried about their mutual friend, Penny, a Kaibab squirrel. It seems, according to Tortoise Talk, the local paper, that squirrels are looking for recipes to spice up their diet of plain pine cone seeds. Well, Tino has a really good recipe to share. During their journey to give Penny this recipe, Rudi and Tino travel all through the Grand Canyon area and experience a lot of adventures. This is a cute book with lovely illustrations by Erik Brooks.
For the older readers
“Dirt Bikes, Drones, and Other Ways To Fly,” by Conrad Wesselhoeft
“Dirt Bikes” won the Reading the West Book Award for children 12 and older. This moving, adventurous story is set in northeastern New Mexico and centers on 17-year-old Arlo Santiago, an avid video gamer and dirt biker. After suffering a grievous, violent loss in his family, Arlo becomes even more reckless in his bike riding. Meanwhile, his gaming skills become even better, until he is the No. 1-ranked player in the game “Drone Pilot.” His unprecedented skills bring Arlo to the attention of a high-ranking Air Force official who invites him to participate in a drone war game at White Sands. Arlo is offered a lot of money to participate in the exercise, and since he has only one parent barely working and a sick sibling, Arlo readily agrees. When reality and fiction collide, Arlo is forced to examine his personal ethics and make a difficult choice. Wesselhoeft has crafted a first-person adventure tale that uses great description, complex characters and real-life conflicts to grab young readers and keep them glued to the pages until the exciting end.
“Fuzzy Mud,” by Louis Sachar
This new story by the author of the enormously popular “Holes” should appeal to middle readers. It is a mix of suspense and danger brought on by the strange appearance of fuzzy mud in the small town of Heath Cliff, PA. Tamaya, the hero, is a precocious fifth-grader at Woodridge Academy. She is friends with Marshall, her neighbor, a seventh-grader, and walk to and from school together. One day, Marshall is threatened by a new student, Chad, forcing them to take a different route home. Previously having been kicked out of several schools, Chad is considered very cool by his new classmates. While they are lost, Tamaya discovers weird, fuzzy mud. After touching it, a rash appears and everyone’s life in Heath Cliff changes. Sachar interweaves chapters about a potential environmental disaster with a Senate investigation and the social lives of teens and pre-teens. “Fuzzy Mud” is about friendship, acceptance and kindness, a scary story with a lot of heart.
“The Thing About Jellyfish,” by Ali Benjamin
After extensively researching an article about jellyfish, Benjamin’s nonfiction work evolved into this young adult novel. This tale focuses on seventh-grader Suzy Swanson, who has lost her best friend Franny twice. First, they had a big falling out, and before things could be repaired, Franny drowned. Suzy, a bright girl fascinated by science, facts and numbers, can’t seem to make sense of this loss. She withdraws and refuses to speak, much to the concern of her family. While on a field trip, Suzy discovers startling information about the Irukandji jellyfish and becomes convinced that Franny, a great swimmer, must have been killed by the sting of this deadly creature. Benjamin’s moving story interweaves chapters about jellyfish with chapters where Suzy talks to Franny, while in others Suzy makes observations in her mind about middle school social life. Benjamin has created a heartwarming story about how one chooses to deal with grief, and despite the seriousness of this topic, Benjamin utilizes humor and quirkiness, new friendships and family to communicate hope for the future. The book is also full of fascinating facts about many, many different jellyfish.
These books are only a few of the amazing choices for children this season. Books draw children into new worlds, educate them about their own world and encourage them to create new ones from their own imaginations. What a great opportunity for Santa this year.
