The Great Santa Search

Description

This follow-up to Jeff Guinn's bestselling holiday favorites The Autobiography of Santa Claus and How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas takes readers on a sleigh ride through the history of Christmas in America that lands smack-dab in 2006, as a new reality TV show threatens to destroy the true spirit of Christmas. This third installment in Jeff Guinn's bestselling Christmas Chronicles series finds Santa facing perhaps the biggest challenge of his career. As Santa himself relates in this delightful holiday read, the trouble began in 1841, when a Philadelphia merchant named J.W. Parkinson hired a neighbor to dress as Kris Kringle in order to lure shoppers into his dry-goods store. Much to Santa's chagrin, it's been pretty much downhill since. It seems everybody wants a piece of Christmas, and through the years, it has gotten worse-to the point that not a Christmas can go by without phony Santas posing on street corners across the country. But when, in 2006, it's announced that a new reality TV show called The Great Santa Search will feature a competition to find the "real" St. Nicholas, Santa knows it's time to step in! With all the rich historical detail and glorious Christmas cheer that made The Autobiography of Santa Claus and How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas treasured family favorites, The Great Santa Search is destined to become yet another Christmas classic from Jeff Guinn.

Jeff Guinn is books editor at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He is the author of eight books, including The Sixteenth Minute- Life in the Aftermath of Fame and Our Land Before We Die- The Proud Story of the Seminole Negro, which received the Texas Book Award.Jeff Guinn is also the author of the bestselling Christmas Chronicles series, which includes The Autobiography of Santa Claus, How Mrs. Claus Saved Christmas, and The Great Santa Search. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas.

THE GREAT SANTA SEARCH: "Guinn's clever premise draws on the historical roots of the commercialization of Christmas, and his Santa, who narrates, is sanguine when faced with the prospect of facing off against street corner Santas." --PUBLISHERS WEEKLY "I've read the two earlier books by Mr. Guinn (THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SANTA CLAUS and HOW MRS. CLAUS SAVED CHRISTMAS), but I felt this one was the best. This was such a fun book to read. While the earlier books were based more on events in history, this one is set in the present. There were so many references to things common to us now - PlayStation 3, CD burners, MP3 players and iPods. Oprah and Randy, Paula and Simon from American Idol made guest appearances. It was fun to see Santa adapt to the 21st century!" --Lynne's Little Corner of the World THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF SANTA CLAUS: "A book that deserves classic status." --The Dallas Morning News "Delightful." --Memphis Commercial Appeal "Charming." --The Kansas City Star "The Autobiography of Santa Claus is a great tale with an intriguing premise. It is a heartwarming and fun Christmas read." --Squeeky-Clean Reviews "This Christmas tale combines solid historical fact with a fun, enchanting story that will make anyone a believer in Santa Claus. It's a great book for children who are questioning the existing of Santa Claus and teaches all readers, big and small, the real meaning of Christmas." --The Examiner HOW MRS. CLAUS SAVED CHRISTMAS: "A humorous, well-written historical romp." --Atlanta Women "Rich in Christmas-y detail." --Fort Worth Star-Telegram "Both educational and amusing." --Library Journal THE CHRISTMAS CHRONICLES (all three novels in one volume): "This elegant paperback volume makes for a delightful holiday gift for just about anyone on your Christmas shopping list. Whether it's reading through 17 centuries of Santa's autobiography peppered with Christmas magic, discovering how Mrs. Claus and a group of people saved Christmas from being extinct or hopping onto a sleigh ride 'through the history of Christmas in America', reading the book will bring Santa's infectious good cheer into your Yuletide festivities." --Time Out "All three books are excellent volumes and well worth sharing with your children. In fact, Guinn cleverly separates each book into 24 chapters, allowing parents who are so inclined to read them to their children one chapter at a time, beginning on December 1 and finishing on Christmas Eve. I dearly love these books." --Evertime Realms