Cover Image: Back to Christmas

Back to Christmas

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Member Reviews

This is a short story about a family who is more into their electronics than each other and an elf who wants to make sure they are forever on the "Naughty" list. Throw in Santa's brother and some flying penguins, and you have a funny Christmas tale for all ages.

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This was such a good, cute Christmas read! Definitely something you could read with your family for the holiday season.

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Super fun and cute short Christmas story. I really enjoyed it and will let my daughter read it as well. I think this story has some good messages as well and that's always a plus. Nice quick feel good story for my favorite time of the year! I think it would appeal to all ages.

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Overall, this was a sweet and easy holiday read. I think this would be quite appropriate for a family read-aloud.

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Cute Christmas story for the family! The Krumwerth family is so absorbed in their electronic devices, they are hardly a family at all! In steps a disillusioned elf to try and change this family and save his own magic. Fun tale with folks one would never think to meet in a Christmas story- heavy metal rocker?? Lol! Fun!

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Back to Christmas was a nice, lighthearted book best read during the Christmas season. It was a quick read, perfect for an afternoon. I think child me would’ve rolled my eyes at some of the cheesier parts. Overall it was a cute story.

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This book was so cute! A great Christmas story that I can see being made into a movie.

Marmel, head labeling elf he is in charge of labeling the naughty and nice and he is in a tizzy because Santa changed the rules and now no one is on the naughty list but Marmel has found a whole family (The Krumwerth’s) that he thinks should be on the permanent naughty list, no more chances they are just bad, bad, bad, at least according to Marmel. However Santa wants to give them a chance to redeem themselves, much to Marmel’s chagrin. According to the rules Marmel must inform the family they are in danger of being on the naughty list forever, so he heads to the house and informs teenaged Amanda of the family’s fate. We also get to see Santa’s brother RC (Reverse Claus) who lives on the South Pole and wears green and has green and white candy canes, which I will never look at without thinking of RC again!

I enjoyed the Krumwerth family too they used to have fun on Christmas but have somehow forgotten their Christmas spirit, but they aren’t the only ones Marmel seems to be having a problem with this himself and for and Elf that is a very bad thing to happen.

The story is told by Marmel & Amanda in alternating chapters as you see how they try to get their Christmas Spirit back. I enjoyed the family stuff and know what it is like when Christmas becomes more of a chore than the fun and family it is supposed to be. I also enjoyed the scenes in the South Pole and hope maybe RC will get his own book one of these days!

I truly enjoyed this book and can so see it as movie **Hello Hollywood… Do You Hear Me?**

I highly recommend this fun book, even if you are done with your Christmas reads for the year I say pick one more up. I will be buying a paper copy for our library.

4 ½ Stars

I received this book from Netgalley for a fair and honest review.

PS I see there is an audiobook version of this that I am sure would make a fabulous roadtrip book for you and your family!

Edited to add:I was excited to try the audiobook this year, and I was not disappointed, Ralph Lister’s narration was fantastic all the characters, voices and accents were fabulous!

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Back to Christmas was a such a fun children's Christmas novella about an elf who is not feeling the Christmas spirit! I don't have kids at home, but I am a teacher and plan to use this in my classroom next holiday season.

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A Christmas novella about an elf who seems to have lost his Christmas spirit and is about to put an entire family on the Permanent Naughty List. This would make a great Christmas movie!

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I was offered an advanced copy of this book by the publisher through Net Galley, in exchange for an honest review. This sweet children's book by Dennis Canfield, Back to Christmas, follows Marmel, one of Santa’s elves who has gotten his priorities mixed up severely. He is in charge of the Labeling Department where humans are labelled as “nice” or “naughty”. Upset that there are no naughty reports, Marmel declares that Christmas is all about separating the naughty from the nice. He seems to have it in for the Krumwerth family, who do seem to have their priorities mixed up, as well.

On the day before Christmas Eve, Marmel confronts the daughter of the Krumwerth family about their “sins”, and how they could all go onto the Permanently Naughty List. He definitely puts the fear into her as she realizes that is what has happened to her aunt and uncle who are miserable at Christmas, and make everyone else miserable, too. Marmel has lost his Christmas spirit, but with the help of an older elf, and an aging rock star, he is forced to confront his own mean-spirited ways.

Back to Christmas reminds all of us that we are not to judge others. It also makes the case for cleaning up our own attitudes and habits before even thinking about those of other people. If you are looking for a quick, easy read, this is it. I make a practice of putting a link to each author's website in my reviews, but after searching Google, GoodReads, Amazon, and even Facebook, I could not find a web address for this author.

What made The Grumpy Book Reviewer grumpy?
Very little: singular vs. plural disagreement within a sentence.

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Marmel, Santa's Head Labeling Elf, has determined that the Krumwerth family has found their way onto the naughty list yet again. The Krumwerth has one more chance to get off the naughty list. If they fail, the family will never experience Christmas spirit again. In order to get off the naughty list, the family has a few tasks to get through, with the help of Marmel. Marmel has observed the family and thinks they deserve to be on the naughty list. All the family does is fight and only pay attention to the electronics in front of them. They will have to come together to get through these tasks and get into the Christmas spirit as a family.

In the end the story had a wonderful message for the holiday season. Nowadays with technology, every one has their heads down on their phone and no longer communicate or enjoy each other's company. Some people just want to "get through" the holidays and forget what Christmas is really about. Marmel was a little too cranky for my liking and felt that as an important part on Santa's team, he had become to jaded. Overall it was a cute holiday story and also made me terrified to be on the naughty list!

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I received this book from NetGalley and Well-Spoken Books in exchange as an honest review.

A sweet story of Christmas, I enjoyed this book and I even asked my 4th grade son to read it and asked his opinion about this book. What did he learned and take notes for it is almost the same like me.
- Do nice things, - Do nice things together, - Do nice things to someone else.

So not just human who lost their Christmas spirit but also the elfes, and how they want to regained it is take a look back at the picture “what is Christmas meaning to all of us”. Everybody needs this feelings again, specially during Christmas or other holiday occassion.

All children needs this kind of reading, it is important to touch their heart since early age about “doing nice things” to everyone.

Thank you for the wonderful story about Christmas

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A heartwarming middle grade Christmas book reminding readers of the importance of family and finding ways to have fun together and enjoy each other. As a bonus readers get to meet Santa's brother who lives at the South Pole which for me added an unexpected and very enjoyable twist to the usual Santa-and-his-elves-in-the-workshop-plus-trying-to-save-Christmas scenario.

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This is a fun Christmas story! A little girl meets Santa's head Labeling Elf. Can she get her family off the naughty list before its too late? An excellent story that I plan to read every Christmas.

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Back to Christmas is a fast and fun Christmas read! It shows the importance of spending time with your family at christmas, putting away technology for a bit and just having fun with your family and spreading Christmas cheer!
This was a lovely quick read, I perhaps would have liked a bit more depth to the characters and story but overall this was a very read!
[I received a copy on NetGalley for an honest review]

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It is a short read, and by that I mean don't expect depth of character for anyone in the story. It would be best read as a family outloud book around Christmastime. It's cute and nice, but simplistic, almost cliche: a happy end that finds little to no resistance to happen. If it had been a longer novel, I would have enjoyed more depth, more exploration of the going-ons at the North Pole and South Pole (RC is more interesting than Santa, if you ask me). RC as well as the atypical elf who is in danger of losing his Christmas spirit adds diversity to the all to familiar world of Santa Claus. However, everything is very predictable, but for a quick middle grade read it could pass. The book could also be a starting point for deeper conversations. I wish there was more to this, to be honest.

It was my first Christmas book of the season, and I am glad I started with this one since it eased my transition into the season.

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Got this for my daughter to read for the Christmas spirit and she thought it was so funny and enjoyed reading it. Was a fun Christmas read for her.

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The Krumwerth family is in deep trouble but they don’t even know it. Why you ask? Because they are on Santa’s naughty list for what will be the third year in a row. And everyone knows that that means they got on each other’s last nerve with bad behavior for the last time. After three years on the naughty list in a row, you are destined to be on it for all eternity. No more Christmas spirit and no way to get back on the nice list.

The head sorting elf, Marmel, gives Santa the bad news. But Santa is a compassionate man, he wants Marmel to give the Krumwerth’s one last chance for redemption, even though Marmel thinks it is futile.

The family is comprised of twelve-year-old Amanda, her younger brother Patrick and her always busy parents. All four of them are plugged in to electronics and tuned out of each other’s lives. Marmel appears to Amanda foretelling their future of hating Christmas due to landing on the forever naughty list. She is afraid, but what can a kid do to save Christmas? With the help of Santa’s younger brother RC, Marmel just might be able to help the Krumwerth Family and save himself while doing so.

Written as a children’s book, Back to Christmas brings the spirit of Christmas to all ages. Canfield reminds readers that the true gift of Christmas is the love, hope and charity surrounding the season, not the newest electronics or gift cards from the mall.

The characters are true to life and fun. Especially the elves and Santa’s younger brother. I would love to have some of his magic green cinnamon to help me wrangle penguins and get where I am going faster.

This adorable Christmas tale should be on everyone’s bookshelf or wish list. It will undoubtedly become a Christmas classic. Be sure to read the book before the movie (which will be fabulous) is optioned for the big screen.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy for free from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Copyright © 2019 Laura Hartman

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Fast-paced and unputdownable, I finished it in one sitting. I was thinking of reading a few chapters before cooking dinner, but then I got hooked. It’s just unputdownable.

I love the writing style and I love the chapter titles.

“Back to Christmas” stresses the importance of spending quality time with family and how technology, despite its convenience, distracts us from forming meaningful connections with the people around us which I think is a pretty big issue that almost everyone can relate to.

Can’t stop myself from laughing at this: “Amanda, do you remember when we made this one? You were four years old. You thought the glitter was so pretty you dumped the whole jar in your hair.”

I like this line from the book:
“Sometimes, crazy is exactly what we need.” -Santa

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Loved this book! It was well written, of course--who would have expected anything less from Dennis Canfield? The story was entertaining and fun, and had a positive lesson layered in with subtlety and precision.

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