"The Paper Bag Christmas"

I just finished reading this book last night, written by Kevin Alan Milne.  I found it in the thrift store last week, on their shelf filled with Christmas books, and it caught my eye because of the author's last name.  When I worked at the library up in New York, that was the last name of one of the librarians.  He was related to A. A. Milne, in a 'far off branch of the family tree,' as he used to say.  GM has passed away now... he was one of the nicest people to work with at that library, and I'm sure that his wife still misses her Prince, as she called him.

"The Paper Bag Christmas" is such a sweet and heart-warming story.  Two young brothers find out just what Christmas really means, and they learn what's most important to give as a gift or to write down on a list of suggestions for what they'd like Santa to bring them on Christmas Eve.  And there's a Christmas pageant in this story that will totally melt your heart.

This book had me laughing out loud in some chapters, and reaching for the tissues in others.  The characters are totally believable, and by the end of the book you'll be wishing that you could meet the two young boys and their family, and that the Santa character in the story could be your next-door neighbor.

This is just such a very nice book, to buy for yourself or to give as a gift. My copy is now upstairs in our third-floor library, on the shelf with my other Christmas books that I re-read every year from early November till after New Year's.  And, in case you're counting, there are just 31 days left till Christmas.