Cbr17bingo N (N is for North and Nobody will believe what our main character does!)
North for the Winter by Bobby Podesta is probably one of the best books I’ve read this year. I love the historical aspect (the birth of tracking Santa because of a misprint in an advertisement in 1955) and while maybe it was not the most original with the grief and family connection/friend interaction, the ending was worth that familiarity of grief and the healing process.
It is fun and quirky. The characters are goofy (and while they might be naughty you are still routing for them). The illustrations add to the goodness by being both modern in tone but having a classic 1950s setting as well. The clothes are cute and they fit the times, but the modern idea of girls can be friends with boys and are equal makes it fresh. There is none of that “overcoming the sexism or politics” of gender, just the friendship argument we all have (you are mean and argue, but when the reindeer muffins hit the fan, they are always there for you.
Of course, since it is set at Christmas time there are hints of Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus and Miracle on Thirty Fourth Street. And just because Santa plays an important role to the overall story, it can work for most ages. Yes, the older reader might not believe in Santa (and they’d be wrong) but let them know it is a cute, funny adventure mystery with a bit of adventure and some tension as we find eight blips on the military’s radar heading to the North Pole. There was a character that I was sure I was going to dislike, but he turned out to be a delightful addition to things. But then again, all the characters add their own quirks and charm to things.
Read via an online reader, due September 2025.