I recently read a clever and funny book about Christmas by Lynn Brittney. Did you know that Santa Claus doesn’t have to deliver presents all over the world by himself? Did you know that each country or region has its own Santa and they’re called by different names? And they’re all members of the Yule Dynasty.

As each Santa retires, he passes the mantel of gift bringer to his oldest son. But Santa Claus of the United States (Kris Kringle) does not have a son. He has a daughter, Christine Kringle who is very beautiful and intelligent and beyond her years in understanding the importance and meaning of Christmas.

Every year the Yule Dynasty has its annual meeting. Kris Kringle wants very much to propose changing the rules so that his daughter, who is now only fourteen, can become the gift bringer when he retires.

We now see Kris Kringle as a typical father, who wants the best and the most for his daughter—but what a shocking proposal for the council to consider! Would he have the courage to present it or should he be content to let Christine sometime in the future, marry a young man who is a member of the Yule Dynasty? Christine’s husband would then become the gift bringer.

The conference is interrupted when the news media reports the banning of Christmas in a small town in England. The Yule Dynasty is alarmed. What if this tragic development caught on in other towns, in other countries?

A secret plan had to be devised to reinstate Christmas before it’s too late. Who better to get the ball rolling than a group of eager and ambitious teenagers? The fun and fireworks begin when Christine Kringle and her friends Nick, the son of Santa of England and Little K, the son of Santa Kuroshu of Japan set out to save Christmas in a small town and possibly the world.

Little K, I might add is a very clever inventor who introduces us to a very exciting and illuminating invention with an unusual, if not shocking power source. His invention plays an important roll in the plan to save Christmas.

This is a fun Christmas story unlike anything we have seen so far. You will meet Zazu, a beautiful, tall, high fashion elf, who is married to Santa of England and is the mother of Nick. Even though she appears a bit ditzy, her beauty and charm are put to good use on several occasions.

You will also meet Zazu’s handsome brother Egan, whose charm, attention to detail and keen business sense help in the plot to save Christmas.

You will see a flying red Ferrari that was "borrowed” from Babbo Natalie, the Santa from Italy, and learn Santa’s secret of getting up and down chimneys.

Every good story has a villain: meet Angela Summer, the Scrooge-like councilwoman who runs the town and is responsible for the banning of Christmas. She hates anything that is uplifting and happy and seeks to depress the entire town. She is a despicable woman with a secret past and a character readers will love to hate.

The beginning of the book is a little slow as we are introduced to the characters and the scene is set. I personally like Lynn Brittney’s descriptions because she makes it easy to visualize the characters and their surroundings. It is this detail however, that may be a turn-off to readers under twelve.

This book is a fun ride. On occasion, I found myself laughing out loud. It is light-hearted and clever and takes a look at the importance of the Christmas spirit for everyone of every religion or no religion. Thanks to Christine Kringle and company, I can safely say Merry Christmas and happy reading.

(Source: Internet)