Reviews
"The practice of writing to St. Nick tells a broader history of America itself...Notes sent to Santa are an unlikely lens through which to understand the past, offering a peek into the worries, desires and quirks of the times in which they were written." --Smithsonian, Poignant. . .The correspondents apologized for their poor handwriting and their recent misdeeds, and they offered to work alongside the elves. They also confided secrets: 'mama cries at night when she thinks we are asleep, because she has no money.' One prisoner in Indiana, hoping to be released in time for Christmas, asked Santa for a lawyer and an appeal bond., "Santa Claus is real. At least, it's a real place, a town in southern Indiana with, 'Head Elf' and foreword author Pat Koch explains, streets named Mistletoe, Rudolph, and Kringle Place. The latter is the home of the Santa Claus Museum, founded by Koch's father, a man who swore that if he survived World War I he would return to his festively named town and play Santa Claus for the rest of his life. He survived and was true to his word. The book opens with a short history of the town and museum, which is followed by more than 250 letters (and envelopes) arranged chronologically by decade from the 1930s through the 2010s. The missives will inform readers about the times in which they were written and are often very affecting. The first one, for example, is from a nine-year-old girl in the 1930s asking for warm gloves, shoes, and underwear for her siblings. Listing them by name, she closes the missive "and the rest are dead." Other letters name dozens of toys to bring, plaintively ask for the writer's heart's desire ('the thing I want most is a dog. dog. dog.'), or even try bargaining ('I will trade you my sister when she comes from the stork for a elf'). VERDICT: A touching gift book that also offers an unusual window into American history." --Library Journal, The practice of writing to St. Nick tells a broader history of America itself. . .Notes sent to Santa are an unlikely lens through which to understand the past, offering a peek into the worries, desires and quirks of the times in which they were written., The town? Santa Claus. It's a place that sounds like some Christmas tale. But the town is real, with a history that is long, genuine and a bit peculiar. . ., This colorful, coffee-table book reproduces the original letters--with their faded ink, stained paper, childish handwriting, and whimsical drawings--so readers feel as if they are sifting through boxes of old correspondence. . .The collection of letters is both heartbreaking and heartwarming., "Santa Claus is real. At least, it's a real place, a town in southern Indiana with, "Head Elf" and foreword author Pat Koch explains, streets named Mistletoe, Rudolph, and Kringle Place. The latter is the home of the Santa Claus Museum, founded by Koch's father, a man who swore that if he survived World War I he would return to his festively named town and play Santa Claus for the rest of his life. He survived and was true to his word. The book opens with a short history of the town and museum, which is followed by more than 250 letters (and envelopes) arranged chronologically by decade from the 1930s through the 2010s. The missives will inform readers about the times in which they were written and are often very affecting. The first one, for example, is from a nine-year-old girl in the 1930s asking for warm gloves, shoes, and underwear for her siblings. Listing them by name, she closes the missive "and the rest are dead." Other letters name dozens of toys to bring, plaintively ask for the writer's heart's desire ("the thing I want most is a dog. dog. dog."), or even try bargaining ("I will trade you my sister when she comes from the stork for a elf"). VERDICT: A touching gift book that also offers an unusual window into American history." --Library Journal, The missives will inform readers about the times in which they were written and are often very affecting. The first one, for example, is from a nine-year-old girl in the 1930s asking for warm gloves, shoes, and underwear for her siblings. Listing them by name, she closes the missive 'and the rest are dead.' Other letters name dozens of toys to bring, plaintively ask for the writer's heart's desire ('the thing I want most is a dog. dog. dog.'), or even try bargaining ('I will trade you my sister when she comes from the stork for a elf'). . .A touching gift book that also offers an unusual window into American history., This well-presented, historical collection--reflecting both the naughty and nice--will entertain and offer insights into the human condition. . . A heartwarming collection of original letters written to Santa and processed via the dedicated volunteer 'elves' of Santa Claus, Ind., Spanning nine decades, from the 1930s through the 2010s, the letters provide a window into the ever-shifting economic and cultural landscape of modern America. They are alternately silly and somber, hilarious and heartfelt. . .Reading Letters to Santa Claus won't necessarily make you more optimistic about America's future, but it will give you a deeper perspective on America's past. It also will help everyone understand why the unique role of Santa Claus in the popular imagination is bound to endure., "This well-presented, historical collection--reflecting both the naughty and nice--will entertain and offer insights into the human condition... A heartwarming collection of original letters written to Santa and processed via the dedicated volunteer 'elves' of Santa Claus, Ind." --Shelf Awareness, "This well-presented, historical collection--reflecting both the naughty and nice--will entertain and offer insights into the human condition... Discover: A heartwarming collection of original letters written to Santa and processed via the dedicated volunteer "elves" of Santa Claus, Ind." --Shelf Awareness
