Book Blast + Giveaway: The Battle for Christmas by Jeremy Hinshaw

 

The Battle for Christmas by Jeremy Hinshaw 

After training and practicing for the auditions, Andy's friends excelled. Andy, however, failed miserably. When the positions were posted, his worst fears came true - he was the only angel not given a job for the birth of Lord Jesus. Would Andy be the only angel not to have an assignment for this climactic event? How did Heaven defend Bethlehem from the onslaught of Lucifer and his horde of demons?

   

Praise for the Book:

This was a great book to bring alive the story of Jesus birth, especially for those who have heard it many times before. Although fiction, it challenges us to remember that we are not doing this on our own. There is a whole army of angels at our disposal. 

Thank you Jeremy for captivating my thoughts and painting such a glorious picture, not often considered when thinking of that blessed day. From the very beginning as you described the landscapes I was hooked. The details breaking out the characters and each one's place in the story are masterfully woven. The story is packed with enough intrigue, adventure, and truth to be enticing to readers of all ages, and especially the youth of today. Compared to other books I have read on the subject, this one takes the cake with its creative story-line that is jam packed with adventure, humor, and close-calls. I recommend this book to anyone that is a fan of adventure. A fresh take on the matter that is certain to wow its readers. Especially those interested in a view behind the veil that we all know exists! 

I loved The Battle for Christmas. Not only is it a book I’ll read again, but it’s also a book I can’t wait to share with my children and nieces and nephews. In The Battle for Christmas we get a great fantasy paired with reminders of our hope and our faith. Plus, what an adventure! I really liked Andy. He’s the type of character young readers will want to emulate, and one we’ll want our children to emulate. I think his gift is one we all struggle with and one of the most important.

   

“Who’s Andy?” one of the little ones asked. 

“This is outrageous! I’m going to tell you the story of the birth of Lord Jesus…” The nursery erupted with groans again. “But …” Stephen raised his hands to quiet them. “I’m going to tell you about Andy the Angel and how Lord Jesus’s birth really happened.” 

David floated back to the ground and looked at Stephen with distrust. 

The small angels murmured and mumbled questions. 

“Whaddya mean, ‘How it really happened?’” one small angel asked. “It’s written in the Bible, and we all have heard it, read it, and recited it countless times—and who is Andy?” 

“Yes, yes. You’ve read it in the Bible.” Stephen raised his hands again to quiet the dissention. “And what the Bible says is true, but it’s written for men and how they saw the events of that day. It’s not the only account of that blessed day. 

“You see, many of us in Heaven worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make it happen. There were some moments when we weren’t sure if we were going to be able to pull it off. We fought off demons, helped humankind bring about fulfillment of Scripture, and did many other things to make sure Lord Jesus’s birthday was going to happen. 

“Of course, if you don’t want to know how it happened here in Heaven, or what happened to Andy, that’s fine …

 

Jeremy Hinshaw grew up in central Indiana. He graduated from Olivet Nazarene University, and now resides in Muncie, Indiana.

Website * Facebook

   

 

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash 

Ends 1/3/17  

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Spotlight: A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig

A Boy Called Christmas

Author: Matt Haig
Illustrator: Chris Mould 
Genre: Children/MG/Fiction/Holiday
Release Date: November 1, 2016
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Description:

Before there was Santa Claus, there was a young boy who believed in the impossible... Lemony Snicket meets Elf in this warmhearted Christmas caper.

Eleven-year-old Nikolas—nicknamed “Christmas”—has received only one toy in his life: a doll carved out of a turnip. But he’s happy with his turnip doll, because it came from his parents, who love him. Then one day his father goes missing, and Nikolas must travel to the North Pole to save him.

Along the way, Nikolas befriends a surly reindeer, bests a troublesome troll, and discovers a hidden world of enchantment in the frozen village of Elfhelm. But the elves of Elfhelm have troubles of their own: Christmas spirit and goodwill are at an all-time low, and Nikolas may be the only person who can fix things—if only he can reach his father before it’s too late...

Sparkling with wit and warmth, A Boy Called Christmas is a cheeky new Christmas classic-in-the-making from acclaimed author Matt Haig and illustrator Chris Mould.
 

Praise for A Boy Called Christmas:

 

«“Like stockings hung by the fire, this spellbinding opus may well become a yuletide tradition.”  —Kirkus Reviews

 

“Matt Haig has written the most evergreen, immortal Christmas story to be published for decades. Future generations will receive the same comfort and joy from A Boy Called Christmas that they derive from mince pies, snowmen and creamy liqueurs.” —Stephen Fry, Actor and Comedian

 

“The Christmas book of the year.”—The Sun

 “A Boy Called Christmas delivers an utter blast of joy.” — Herald

 

“A new festive classic”—Mail on Sunday

 

“Like enjoying the warmth of a good fire on a cold day. […]Chris Mould’s brilliant line drawings inject rich humour into this gentle, affecting story, perfect for Christmas in every way.” — Independent

 

“Matt Haig puts the Happy back into Christmas.” —Jeanette Winterson, award-winning author of Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

“The definitive (and funny) history of ho, ho, ho! My children loved it.” —Yann Martel, bestselling author of Life of Pi
 

MATT HAIG is an award-winning author whose novels for children and adults have been translated into 25 languages. His children's books have won the Smarties Gold Medal, the Alex Award, The Blue Peter Book of the Year, and been nominated several times for the Carnegie Medal and the Waterstones Book Prize. He lives in Brighton with his wife and two children.

http://www.matthaig.com/ 


Chris Mould is the illustrator of Captain Beastlie’s Pirate Party, written by Lucy Coats. Chris went to art school at the age of sixteen. During this time, he did various jobs, from delivering papers to washing-up. He has won the Nottingham Children’s Book Award and been commended for the Sheffield. He loves his work and likes to write and draw the kind of books that he would have liked to have on his shelf as a boy. He is married with two children and lives in Yorkshire.

Chris Mould spends his working day in one of the prestigious art studios at Dean Clough Mills in Halifax. His studio is clearly marked with a skull and crossboned warning as to what might lie within.

Chris is not confined to book illustration. He has worked for the RSC, the BBC, the FT and many other famous initials, aswell as film development work for Aardman Animations which included character and environment development work on the film Flushed Away.

When away from his studio, Chris spends most of his time with his wife Sue and his two daughters Emily and Charlotte. (Author bio and photos taken from Goodreads)

http://www.somethingwickedlyweird.com/ 




 

Review: The Lost Gift by Kallie George & Stephanie Graegin

The Lost Gift: A Christmas Story
Author: Kallie George
Illustrator: Stephanie Graegin
Genre: Picture Book/Holiday
Release Date: October 18, 2016
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade

Description:

In this charming Christmas-themed picture book that feels like a classic, four animals deliver a lost package for Santa.
 
It’s Christmas Eve, and Bird, Rabbit, Deer, and Squirrel are eagerly waiting for Santa to fly overhead. When he does, a gift tumbles out of his sleigh, landing in the woods. The friends find the gift and read the tag: “For the new baby at the farm. Love, Santa.” And so, in spite of Squirrel’s grumbling—“It’s not our baby”—they set off on a long journey to deliver it. Sweet, poignant, and starring a cast of truly adorable characters, this is a story sure to be shared year after year at Christmastime.  

PRAISE FOR THE LOST GIFT:

“Graegin creates...an atmosphere of quiet magic as the animals discover the rewards of doing a kind deed.”—Publishers Weekly

“A delightful, quiet story with a subtle theme of giving to others as a gift in itself.”—Kirkus Reviews

“A cheerful choice for lapsits or storytime.”—School Library Journal

“Listeners and readers will empathize with the characters’ emotions, captured in friendly, digitally colored pencil-and-ink-wash illustrations.”—The Horn Book Magazine

The Lost Gift: A Christmas Story is an adorable picture book that will enchant readers of all ages! The story follows four animal friends on Christmas Eve as they discover a present that has fallen off of Santa's sleigh. They decide to help Santa by delivering the present themselves, and in the meantime, they learn some fantastic life lessons. Even though this is a picture book, the story was well developed and the animal characters were rounded. Each had a unique personality and traits that set them apart - which made it easy to empathize with them right away. Although the story isn't very long, it touches upon several great topics including friendship, doing what's right, and helping others. 

The illustrations were so cute and well done. There was a great amount of color and shading to bring the story and characters to life in front your eyes. The use of colored pencils was a good choice and the artist did a wonderful job creating fun illustrations to accompany the story. This is a fantastic story for children learning to read, as the text isn't overwhelming and will keep them engaged. It's also a great book to read to small children during the holiday season - or for all readers who enjoy a cute story with furry friends.

Kallie George
 I’m an author, editor, and speaker living in Vancouver, BC, near the sea. When I’m not writing or editing, I’m teaching creative writing workshops.

I have my Masters of Children's Literature from the University of British Columbia.

I love picture books, fairy tales, beautiful art and music, and baking cookies.

http://www.kalliegeorge.com/



Stephanie Graegin is the illustrator of Forget Me Not by Nancy Van Laan; Water in the Park by Emily Jenkins, which received three starred reviews; and Happy Birthday, Bunny! by Liz Garton Scanlon, which received two starred reviews. Graegin earned her BFA from the Maryland Institute for Fine Arts and her MFA in printmaking from the Pratt Institute. You can visit her at graegin.com.  

*A huge thank you to the wonderful people at Random House Children's Books for sending me a copy of the book for review!*

 

The WinterHaven Sleigh Tour - Week 1: Winter Book Review & Giveaway!

 

Today A Dream Within A Dream is super excited to join the WinterHaven Sleigh Tour hosted by WinterHaven Books. This week, we are posting our choice of a Winter Book Review. To see who else is on the sleigh, go to WinterHaven Sleigh Tour  for a list of participating blogs!

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Author: Dr. Seuss
Genre: Children's Christmas

Description:

"The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season! / Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason." Dr. Seuss's small-hearted Grinch ranks right up there with Scrooge when it comes to the crankiest, scowling holiday grumps of all time. For 53 years, the Grinch has lived in a cave on the side of a mountain, looming above the Whos in Whoville. The noisy holiday preparations and infernal singing of the happy little citizens below annoy him to no end. The Grinch decides this frivolous merriment must stop. His "wonderful, awful" idea is to don a Santa outfit, strap heavy antlers on his poor, quivering dog Max, construct a makeshift sleigh, head down to Whoville, and strip the chafingly cheerful Whos of their Yuletide glee once and for all.
Looking quite out of place and very disturbing in his makeshift Santa get-up, the Grinch slithers down chimneys with empty bags and stealing the Whos' presents, their food, even the logs from their humble Who-fires. He takes the ramshackle sleigh to Mt. Crumpit to dump it and waits to hear the sobs of the Whos when they wake up and discover the trappings of Christmas have disappeared. Imagine the Whos' dismay when they discover the evil-doings of Grinch in his anti-Santa guise. But what is that sound? It's not sobbing, but singing! Children simultaneously adore and fear this triumphant, twisted Seussian testimonial to the undaunted cheerfulness of the Whos, the transcendent nature of joy, and of course, the growth potential of a heart that's two sizes too small. This holiday classic is perfect for reading aloud to your favorite little Whos. (Ages 4 to 8)


Review:

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas was originally written in 1957 and has since become a Christmas classic for kids and adults of all ages. The book is a children's book and is relatively short with pictures on each page. The illustrations themselves are done in black, white, and red and appear to be drawn with pencil or ink. They aren't overly detailed or brightly colored, but they are interesting to look at because the characters of the Grinch and the Whos, as well as their village are so fantastically different from anything in the real world. 

The story itself is written in prose, with several poem qualities. The rhyme scheme used definitely appeals to the reader (or listener) as the endings of each line couplet rhyme to give it a sing-song  rhythm. Smaller children who are listening to the story being read to them will like this rhyming and it will keep their attention. Another interesting thing to note about the writing is the use of completely nonsensical and made up words. Dr. Seuss is a master of this kind of language and is famous for using it in his books. The words he invented for the story are unusual and are sure to stick in the minds of the readers. The plot is a fun one, but also has a great moral to it as well. The story is teaching children that the true meaning of Christmas doesn't come from gifts or things that are bought, but from love and being together. Overall, this is a Christmas classic that readers of all ages will enjoy. It's a true classic that never gets old and one that will be appreciated for years to come.

 

 

WinterHaven is sponsoring a giveaway which will include 4 winners who will each receive 1 Signed Copy of Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares (Signed by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn) AND 1 Not-Signed Copy of Let it Snow!

 
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