Auntie Claus

by Christine Dvornik

Author: Elise Primavera
Publisher: Harcourt Brace
Ages: Four to eight

Who is Auntie Claus and where does she disappear to each year? That's what Sophie Kringle has vowed to find out!

Sophie, an 11-year-old New Yorker, has wondered about her great-aunt for years. Auntie Claus has many mysterious qualities. For instance, she loves Christmas even more than Sophie's mother and father (who kept a Christmas tree in their penthouse all year long), always wears red velvet gowns, and keeps a diamond key around her neck. And then there was the most mysterious part of Auntie Claus -- each year right after Halloween she would disappear and not return until Valentine's Day. Auntie Claus said it was an annual business trip -- but Sophie never did believe that story. So this year, Sophie decided to find out for herself just where it is her great-aunt really goes during her annual "business trip."

Stowed away in Auntie Claus' luggage, Sophie is carried into the elevator and then up to the real destination of Auntie Claus' business trip -- the North Pole! Sophie's journey doesn't end after she discovers the whereabouts of her great-aunt. There is plenty of excitement up at the North Pole. To avoid being caught, Sophie goes undercover as an elf. Then she learns of the dreaded Bad Boys and Girls list -- and her brother's on it!

The conclusion (and moral) of the story comes when Sophie acts to save her brother from holiday heartbreak and learns the true meaning of the holiday season.

More on: Christmas Activities and Resources for the Whole Family