The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher - OPTIONAL

The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher, 356 pages.  Random House, 2016, $14.

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

William Trundle, age ten, wants a dinosaur for Christmas.  It just so happens that the elves at the North Pole have just dug up a dinosaur egg.  Of course, Santa doesn’t plan on delivering a real dinosaur to a ten-year old boy, but stranger things have happened. Things to know about William:  his mother died the same year he got relegated to a wheel chair, his dad loves Christmas beyond all reason, and he is at an age where he could go either way with believing in Santa.  

The illustrations by Shane Devries are fun and engaging.  There is plenty of action, and having the protagonist in a wheel chair is actually pretty cool.  That said, the story seems long for ten-year olds, and the characters are mostly one-dimensional.     

Michelle in the Middle, Teacher