#juniper's christmas

[iesnoth]

If I had a nickel for every book about a smart 12-year-old using Santa Claus technology, with tech-elf side characters, mentally ill mother figures, dead dads, themes of loss, and magic ex machina taking place at Christmas time and written by Eoin Colfer, I'd have two nickels.

And somehow the books are foils of each other. Artemis would 100% be Juniper's nemesis if they lived in the same universe. Love that, love them.

Read Juniper's Christmas if you haven't, it's great.

[carriagelamp]

Winter reading is the cosiest reading, I love getting to read next to the Christmas tree when the lights are on! As usual, I tried to squeeze at least a couple Christmas reads in because I enjoy seasonally appropriate stories~

And Then, Boom!

An unexpectedly good read! This is a middle grade novel that I picked up on a whim because I had some time to kill and it was there. I figured I’d read the first bit and then be done with it, but I enjoyed it enough to get it out of the library and finish — it helps that it’s all written in free verse poetry and therefore a very quick read. I feel like free verse fiction books have become more and more common lately... as a kid the only ones I can think of off hand were those books like Crank written by Ellen Hopkins, but I’ve read a handful now that have been written in verse.

This book is about a boy who comes from a dysfunctional family. His father isn’t in the picture and his mom is neglectful — she’ll get “the itch” and then up and leave — so he primarily grew up with his grandmother. However in his life he frequently experiences “and then… boom!” moments, when a sudden disaster turns everything on its head. When his mother’s arrested, when his grandmother loses her house and they have to live out of their car, they're all “booms” he needs to weather. The book explorers some of those ups and downs and the difficulty of being a child who lives in poverty until the biggest and then, boom moment happens: his grandmother dies.

The Anxious Generation

My favourite book from this month; I’ve heard a lot of people talking about it and have been very eagerly awaiting my hold at the library to come in. It's a popsci account of Haidt’s research into the sudden increase in childhood anxiety that started spiking in the 2010s, and how smartphones and social media may play a significant role in it. As someone right on the cusp of this age bracket, I found it both an interesting insight into what’s affecting the younger generation, and also a sometimes uncomfortable spotlight on my own experiences and anxieties.

The main argument this book makes, despite the focus on childhood exposure to tablet devices and social media, is less about the internet and much more about the experiences children are being allowed. He points out how much less freedom and independence children are being afforded now, and how overprotective parenting is becoming more and more the norm. Children aren’t being allowed to take risks — not physical risks, but also not social risks. They don’t have time to play independently and unsupervised, they don’t get given chances to make social mistakes and learn how to repair them on their own and without adult mediation, and that’s having a serious impact on their ability to build and maintain relationships going forward in life. This is compounded by technology that further draws them away from important real world interactions and milestones.

It’s a very well-written book and I highly recommend picking it up. Whether or not you agree with every claim that's made, I found it gave me a lot to think about and most of his arguments are well-reasoned. I think it’s valuable to look at how it may be impacting people, both so we can do better by the children our society is raising and so we can do better by ourselves.

Behind the Screens: Illustrated Floor Plans and Scenes from the Best TV Shows of All Time

This was a fun coffee table book. The author researched different sets from iconic showsacross TV history and managed to create cohesive floorplans for them. Each section talks a bit about the show, what made it important for Western television, and some of the details that went into each blueprint. Some of the shows include: The Simpsons, The Office, Seinfeld, Friends, I Love Lucy, Sesame Street, Schitt’s Creek, Killing Even, Sherlock, The Golden Girls… you get it. There’s lots!

The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish v2

This series continues to be ridiculous! I already have the third book sitting on my shelf, waiting for its turn to be read so I'm pretty bought in!

Li Yu gets isekai’d into a webnovel… but as a pet fish rather than any sort of character. Despite this he’s tasked with trying to help the “tyrannical” Prince Jing. In this book Li Yu has begun to get used to his role, gets more opportunities to transform into  a human, and has even officially met Prince Jing as a human. Li Yu is convinced that he’s being very very sneaky and that Prince Jing has no idea he’s both a human and a fish. Prince Jing is convinced he has somehow acquired a carp spirit and is being very respectful about not mentioning it since his fish clearly doesn’t want it to be known. However if his carp spirit wanted to be a bit more forward about siphoning off his life force, Prince Jing is very ready and willing 👀👀👀

Dracula Daily

For anyone who's been living under a rock unfamiliar with Dracula Daily, it's an "internet book club" that started a few years back during the pandemic. It's the entire, original novel of Dracula as written by Bram Stoker, but re-arranged by Matt Kirkland so that it is being told in chronological order instead, each new entry to the story being emailed to readers on the day it would actually be happening.

When Dracula Daily first started I had read Dracula literally the summer before, so it was too early for a reread but now enough time's passed that I figured I should buy the physical edition that was released and try to follow along this year. It was a ton of fun! The physical copy is nice because it’s included a ton of art, memes, and posts people made while doing Dracula Daily in previous years, so it was a lot of fun getting to see people’s insights as I read along! Obviously I didn’t quite stay perfectly up to date, hence me including this with my December reads rather than my November ones, but I was generally fairly synched up and it really did add to the tension… waiting to see what happened to one character when big gaps of time might elapse between letters or journal entries. This is a very amusing way to read Dracula, I think I even enjoyed it more than the traditional way.

Dragons at Crumbling Castle and other stories

A collection of some of Terry Pratchett’s old children’s short stories. Not a lot to say about it — it was fine. They’re fun little stories, and Pratchett’s talent as an author always shines through, no matter what he finds things to be satirical or clever about, things that make you laugh along with or actually stop to consider. By they are, ultimately, from earlier in his career and just short stories for kids so they obviously don't have as much meat on their bones as his other work. Still, it made for a nice audiobook to listen to at bedtime.

Juniper’s Christmas

A really cute Christmas novel, I read it at the very beginning of the month to start getting into a festive mood. In this story, Santa has long since retired but many people still miss and honour him. Juniper’s family, who works as caretakers in a city park, are one such family and they host a “Santa Vigil” every year that's one part Christmas festivities and one part a time for people to donate to support disadvantaged people in their community. However when officials threaten to shut down the vigil, Juniper’s mom goes missing, and a mysterious, gift-giving woodsman appears Juniper finds herself thrust into a action-filled Christmas adventure around London. This book as comically evil villains, flying reindeer, good social messages, and lots of magic! A very worthwhile read!

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (MDZS) v1

@redoftheturks has made and posted fan-audiobooks of the entire MDZS (and TGCF!) series!!! So really, it was completely impossible for me not to start rereading it, not when it was delivered up to me on a silver platter like that! And honestly what a blessing 🙏 this has been helping me unwind during some high-stress nonsense that's been cropping up over the past month. No matter how bad things are going for me, at least I know things are going worse and weirder for Wei Wuxian. And it is such an excellent reading. I swear this is just going to be how I imagine Wei Wuxian’s voice from now on, it’s so perfect. More than anything (maybe it's rereading with a fuller understanding of the characters and story, or maybe it's thanks for the great line delivery) it's really making me appreciate how much fun Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are having together which I'm not sure I fully grasped my first time around.

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation follows Wei Wuxian, the feared and powerful creator of demonic cultivation, who was finally killed before he could rain any more terror down on the world. The story starts 13 years after his death, with Wei Wuxian very unexpectedly waking up in a new body, in the middle of a strange, supernatural murder mystery, and with a need to hide his presence before people start coming for his head again. It should all go great!!! right?

Out of My Mind

This is a book I’ve been peripherally aware of for a while and knew was supposed to be a pretty good middle grade novel, so I figured I’d finally read it. It was… fine. The story is about Melody who has cerebral palsy, and it follows her time in grade five and the difficulties she has in connecting to her peers and communicating the thoughts in her head. Everyone expects very little of her, but things begin to change when she gets a new computer to replace her old communication board and suddenly has a whole new range of communication options open up to her… and gives her a chance to show just how much she actually knows in time for the big trivia contest that her school competes in annually.

It’s a fine book, well-written, and I certainly don’t regret reading it but I can’t say it did much for me. Of course, I’m not the target demographic and I’ve never been a huge fan of contemporary fiction, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street

A fun nonfiction book that looks into all the people, work, and thought that went into the creation of Sesame Street. Honestly when I think of Sesame Street I do tend to just think of it as Jim Henson’s creation, so it was shocking to realise how late in the planning process he actually joined! So many people went into creating this show, and it was all done in such an intense, methodical way! They really were determined to try to bring early childhood education to disenfranchised families who couldn’t afford things like preschool. They had no idea if it could even be done, if this would be a failed project or not, and in the process they created a cultural behemoth! I really enjoyed reading this and learning about it all! ...And it gives you an excuse to think about the muppets, which, in my opinion, is always welcome <3

This Winter

I’ve been meaning to read this Heartstopper novella for ages, and am glad that I finally did. It’s a cute little story set between book 4 and book 5 (or is a prequel for Solitaire, though I haven't read that novel), which focuses in on Charlie’s on-going struggles with / recovery from his eating disorder during the holidays, his anxieties, and his relationship with Nick. It manages to touch on some serious or emotional topics, while also being sugary sweet and heartwarming in a way you want your Christmas stories to be. You get to see all three of the Spring children’s POVs throughout the course of the novella, which is a nice treat since that’s not something the graphic novels can really deliver.

Willodeen

Another book that was… fine. I do love Katherine Applegate’s works and I have no complaints against this one. It was a lovely story set in a world separate from ours that seems to be going through its own form of industrial (or at least steam related) revolution. It follows Willodeen, who was orphaned after a fire swept through her village and destroyer her home, killing her parents in the process. Fires like this are an on-going problem for the village which is struggling from climate change that is affecting everything from crops to the migration of hummingbears which their tourism industry relies on. While everyone else is worrying about the adorable hummingbears though, Willodeen is concerned for the disappearance of the screechers — an ugly, loud, smelly pest that most villagers are happy to kill and drive away.

The book is a very beautifully written story that looks at environmental change, charismatic vs uncharismatic species and how they fit together, and what a community can do for each other. I enjoyed reading it, it was clever, and it was quick. However my main complaint is that it feels like the novel equivalent of Oscar-bait. Very very beautiful and meaningful and it knows it, and it feels a little… hollow. Not fully formed. But whatever.

[wannabe-british-fangirl]

~ books read in 2023 ~

#38: Juniper's Christmas by Eoin Colfer

I'm sure you know Santa's story. Everyone knows it, but since it's one of the greatest tragedies of all time I shall summarize here before we move on to the story of a girl from London who would track down Santa Claus when he hid himself away from the world.

Rating: 5/5

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4/5

Book Blurb: From acclaimed, mega-bestselling author Eoin Colfer comes a Christmas classic-in-the-making--a beautifully illustrated novel about an eleven-year-old girl's wild adventure to find her mother, protect a public park, and save Christmas.

Everyone knows Santa doesn't do Christmas anymore, but Juniper Lane only wants one thing this year: to celebrate the Santa Vigil in Cedar Park in honor of her late father. But then her mother goes missing and the park's bureaucratic director declares the vigil is canceled, so Juniper seeks the help of mysterious and grumpy woodsman Niko--who accidentally reveals his expert craftsmanship, flying reindeer, and magic powers. Niko insists he's not Santa and refuses to help, so it just might be up to Juniper to find her own magic and fly the sleigh herself.

From the beloved Eoin Colfer comes a story of hope, magic, and Christmas spirit, told with the author's signature exuberance and warmth. Juniper's Christmas is the perfect holiday read, year after year.

Review:

A Christmas adventure like no other featuring a Santa in hiding who has grown sick of his job and the eleven year old girl who wants to find her mom, protect a public park, and save Christmas! Ever since Santa lost his wife he stopped being Santa, in fact he got tired of people constantly demanding things of him while he was forced to be away from his family... so he stopped. Now the world doesn't do have Christmas anymore. Juniper Lane and her mom still celebrate the holiday with a Santa Vigil in Cedar Park in honor of her late father. Yet when her mom suddenly goes missing and the park's bureaucratic director declares the vigil cancelled, so begins Juniper's journey to see if she can get the park's mysterious grumpy woodsman Niko... who accidentally reveals that he is Santa, to help her find her mom. But helping her means using his magic again and coming out of hiding, and it also means that the elves can track him again. Nik refuses to help... but Juniper isn't going to let that stop her from getting what she wants and that means unlocking her own magic and even finding a way to fly the sleigh herself! This was a really fun and sweet adventure, perfect for middlegrade readers and perfect for the holiday time. It's a unique story filled with magic, hope, friendship and so much more. I would definitely recommend it!

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[vintagehomecollection]

Red roses in full bloom, garlands of juniper, and ropes of sliced dried fruit meet in a sumptuous showing on the mantel of Williams's living room. Carolyn Gregg ran ropes of juniper around the mirror above the fireplace and let them puddle onto the mantelpiece.

House Beautiful Christmas, 1994

[riley-coyotl]

Practicing for Christmas photos. They were very good and cute!

[sweetdonutsart]

happy holidays from the Starbound crew! 🥺✨💕🎄❄️

may you have a wonder rest of the year and a good start for the next one!

alt versions under the cut ☺️

[stellar-collective]

have y’all ever seen that one post about Mistlefoe(TM)? it’s just mistletoe but instead of kissing whoever is under it you have to FIGHT them.

i think that mistlefoe is a time-honored Agency/Zoraxis tradition that stretches back so far that no one knows which of the two organizations came up with it first. over the years, it’s been honed down to a science: no weapons, one attack each, dodging and blocking is allowed. it’s still stupid dangerous but when has that EVER stopped them

most people have a signature attack that they do under the mistlefoe. here are a couple of my ideas, feel free to add on!!

Agent Phoenix - bit of a wildcard; default is a friendly slug to the shoulder since most agents don’t try to dodge their attack (highly subject to change since every Phoenix is so different)

Reginald - a well-telegraphed right hook that can be easily dodged. you’d better actually dodge it tho bc he hits HARD

Juniper - he’s slapping you. everyone knows that that’s what he’s going to do, and everyone thinks that they’re going to be the one who can block or dodge or otherwise avoid it, but you cannot prevent the John Juniper Movie Slap. it is inevitable. he’s slapped everyone at Zoraxis, and now he’s slapping everyone at the Agency. you cannot stop him

Roxana - she thinks that this game is stupid (true) but if absolutely forced to participate she’ll roll her eyes and punch you in the solar plexus and instantly knock the wind out you. most people don’t force her into it twice

Fabricator - she plays dirty, man. either she’s got a trap already set up (technically against the rules, but who’s going to call her out?) or she’s going for the shins with her high heels. you will die

Solaris - she’ll effortlessly block anything you throw at her, then flick your forehead. sounds weak but she’s got enough finger strength she can knock you off your feet like that

Hivemind - no bees allowed, so he’ll just pinch you really hard for a similar effect

Caliente - he’s the sort of man who respects the classics. you can expect any kind of straight-forward punch from him

Anna - when she first joined, she’d go for the ribs. by the end, though, whatever she threw was so easy to dodge it was sort of hard to tell what she was even going for

Ollie - he’s either booping your nose or laying you out flat with a punch even he didn’t know he was capable of, no inbetween

Zor - pray that you never find yourself under the mistlefoe with them. no one knows what they do because no one has ever survived it

did i miss your fave? do you have a funnier idea? lmk :]

[killanyone4you]

look at my children 😍

[brodingles]

"Like yeah he's eldritch we been knew"

[ashyybees-art]

Christmas style Arkos commission!🎄

I know it's still only August, but Arkos content is a year-round delight~❤💛🐇

[no7er]

Christmas Juniper Digital artwork by me, 2024

[seabeck]

Do you think my dog has enough toys?

[halljavalge]

Source: vibekedesign

ℍ𝐚𝓵ｌ נ𝐀 𝔳คĻǤẸ

[middlegradeeveryday]

Juniper’s Christmas by Eoin Colfer

Summary: Eleven-year-old Juniper Lane is thrown into a Christmas adventure like no other when she seeks the help of a mysterious woodsman living in her local park, who she suspects is Santa himself, and accidentally gets exposed to North Pole magic. Join a boisterous cast of characters―including a neighbor who always believed in Santa, a young reindeer in training, and a cutthroat crime boss out to steal Santa’s magic―on an unpredictable journey bursting with Eoin Colfer’s signature exuberance and merriment. Complete with cheerful, festive illustrations, this is a beautifully packaged tale of wonder, sure to delight readers and inspire the Christmas spirit in the whole family.

Genre: Fantasy

Book Type: Novel

[insanelyadd]

31 Doodles Of Halloween Year 10 | Day 2 | On Holiday

This is another in the redraw week that's more like a prompt redo, since the characters on the right side in the original image were based on a concept that I have since removed from this world. So instead I replaced them with my brand new, freshly design Christmas kids. Left to right order we have Dia Diabla, Felicia Calico, Mortimer Graves, Lazarus Zombitski, Mystique Enchantra, Crystal Frost, Clove Allspice, Juniper Douglas, Carrie-Boo Dearly, and Holly Garland. Yes that's right. I love horrible, horrible, directly on the nose, pun names. Tomorrow I get to show you the redraw I did of one of my all time favorite pictures I've ever made.

The original:

Also look at the glow up for my characters on the left.