Well, it's Twelfth Night (or Epiphany, for those who celebrate) and
Sharing the Joy is over for the season. I hope you enjoyed what I had to share with you this year, albeit it was a bit sparse because of all the personal drama in my life. For the last day, I have a fun guest post for you from Candace Jane Kringle, author of
North Pole High: A Rebel without a Claus, and a review of her book. Don't worry...I will see you back here on the 25th for
Rudolph Day when I'll be sharing a couple more book reviews I couldn't get to during the season. Thanks to everyone who helped me out with guest posts this year. I appreciate you more than you know. =O)
NORTH POLE HIGH – GUEST POST
Famous Santas for a Hundred by Candycane Claus
Most of you know my father primarily from the way he’s depicted on the silver screen, where he has been portrayed by many fine actors over the years. Just in case you ever find yourself on Christmas Jeopardy! (a special edition of the show that only airs up here in the North Pole), here’s a cheat sheet to help you out.
See how many Santas you can name. And remember to phrase your answer in the form of a question or you’ll end up with a lump of coal. Bonus points if you can also name the movie.
Good luck!
Answer: He was the only actor to win an Academy Award for playing Santa Claus.
Question: Who was Edmund Gwenn? (Miracle on 34th Street)
Answer: This A-list star, who once acted opposite a volleyball for almost an entire movie, later appeared in a popular animated Christmas movie playing Santa Claus, a train conductor, and a hobo.
Question: Who is Tom Hanks? (The Polar Express)
Answer: Best known as the gruff but lovable Lou Grant in two TV series, this actor has appeared as, or voiced, Santa Claus numerous times, including one theatrical film where he accidentally brought a stowaway orphan back with him to the North Pole.
Question: Who is Ed Asner? (Elf)
Answer: This Academy Award-winning director of Gandhi, later famous for playing the man who unleashed dinosaurs on Jurassic Park, also played Santa Claus in the 1994 remake of a Christmas classic.
Question: Who is Richard Attenborough? (Miracle on 34th Street)
Answer: After winning acclaim in such movies as Sideways, American Splendor, and Howard Stern’s Private Parts, this character actor played a Santa beleaguered by a jealous, lesser-known brother played by Vince Vaughn.
Question: Who is Paul Giamatti? (Fred Claus)
Answer: Surely you can’t be serious; this comedic actor from Airplane!, who was also the captain of the original S.S. Poseidon, played a Santa with amnesia in a made-for-TV movie.
Question: Who was Leslie Nielsen? (Santa Who?)
Hope you did well on this little quiz. All your Christmas presents this year are riding on it. :)
My thoughts on North Pole High
A book with a TON of Christmas spirit, from the sights, smells, and tastes to the sentiments, North Pole High is the perfect Christmas read for young adults. We are taken on a journey into the life of Santa Claus's daughter, Candycane. We get to learn all the secrets of the North Pole and we get to see that despite all the Christmas wrapping, they are just like you and me...sort of. Candycane has all the normal angst of your average teenage girl; boys, overprotective fathers, jealous best friends. Despite all that, Candycane still keeps the Christmas spirit. How could she not...she is Santa's daughter after all. The best way to describe how wonderful her spirit is would be to share her quote about Christmas trees from the book:
Rudy, a Christmas tree by itself is just a tree...Each soul who hangs a bauble from its bough, or threads a string of lights through its needles, or tops it with a shining star, is teaching it to sing its own unique song of joy. A Christmas tree, when it's finished and all lit up, with lots of presents cuddled underneath it, reflects the magic inside each person who trimmed it.
Wonderful, isn't it!? Candycane's unrelenting spirit is like that throughout the book which makes it whimsical and lovely for anyone who loves Christmas. I recommend this book to anyone who loves Christmas, but will remind that it is best suited to the young adult audience.
About the book
MEET SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD CANDYCANE CLAUS. She's the most popular girl at North Pole High. Her father is world-famous. And every day is Christmas. What more could any girl want?
BOYS! And the new boy, Rudy Tutti, is hot chocolate. But he hates anything to do with Christmas!
When Candy and Rudy are forced to work together on a school Christmas-tree project, her world is turned upside down: Her grades start to suffer, she loses her taste for ice cream, and now the two North-Star-cross'd teens must contend with her overprotective father — Santa Claus — before Christmas is ruined for EVERYONE!
About the author
Candace Jane Kringle is a junior at North Pole High. She likes candy canes, unicorn races, and making snow angels. Her father is the most well-known and beloved toymaker and distributor in the world. Her memoir, North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus, is her first book. After high school, she plans to enroll at North Pole University and write more books.
Thanks, and don't forget to click the links below for even more information. :)
REMINDER:
I have a giveaway for
Cupid's Christmas by Bette Lee Crosby going on right now. It's supposed to end tonight, but I'm going to extend it for another week (last day to enter, Sunday, 1/13/13 at 11:59pm CST). Don't forget to enter!
ENTER HERE
Always in spirit....
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