Holiday Gems

One of the joys of the holiday is settling down after all the energetic activities to read inspired holiday fiction. You are no doubt familiar with some of the well-known holiday books and short stories… Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol… The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson… Eugene Field’s The First Christmas Tree… O. … Continue reading Holiday Gems →

Thunder and Lightning and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

While listening to a radio program which mentioned Santa’s reindeer in the song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”, something occurred to my mom about Donner and Blitzen. In her native German language, donner means thunder, and blitzen means lightning. We were both curious to know if the creator of the song chose these names because of … Continue reading Thunder and Lightning and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer →

Review of The Little Hunchback Zia by Frances Hodgson Burnett

“And it came to pass nigh upon nineteen hundred and sixteen years ago” This begins Frances Hodgson Burnett’s little book published in 1916 about a rejected, deformed orphan boy who is sent to beg for the cruel woman who keeps him. One day, hiding in the brush near the road to Bethlehem, he watches a … Continue reading Review of The Little Hunchback Zia by Frances Hodgson Burnett →