Norwich School community Christmas reading suggestions The nights are drawing in. It's time to curl up with a good book and feel Christmassy. There should be something to appeal to readers of all ages among these suggestions. Parents - we have indicated which books contain adult language but do check content and difficulty for yourselves.
'What Katie Did At School' - Susan Coolidge
(Suitable for younger readers)
Writing in The Guardian, Sarah Crowne comments that 'This novel includes one of the most magical descriptions of a Christmas in literature: Katy and Clover receive a Christmas box brimming with gifts, flowers and all manner of exotic edibles (I was just about down with ginger snaps, but "jumbles ... crullers, and ... frosted plum-cake" were all mouthwatering mysteries) sets off the bitter cold beautifully. "To Katy," we're told, "the cold was more bracing than depressing. There was something in her blood which responded to the sharp tingle of frost." The same was true for me, in the reading of it.
'The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories'
This is a collection of the most magical, moving, chilling and surprising Christmas stories from around the world, taking us from frozen Nordic woods to glittering Paris, a New York speakeasy to an English country house, bustling Lagos to midnight mass in Rio, and even outer space.
'Village Christmas' – Laurie Lee
This is a lyrical portrait of England which focuses on Lee's childhood home in the Cotswolds. The essays explore the traditions, landscapes and stories of the area and include Lee’s memory of Churchill’s icy January funeral, and of carol-singing in the snow. It is a moving glimpse into a vanished world.
'Letters from Father Christmas' – J.R.R. Tolkien
(Suitable for younger readers)
Every December an envelope bearing a stamp from the North Pole would arrive for J.R.R.Tolkien’s children. Inside would be a letter in strange spidery handwriting and a beautiful coloured drawing or some sketches. The letters were from Father Christmas.
'The Snow Queen' - Hans Christian Andersen
Suitable for younger readers
Read the fairy tale that inspired Disney's Frozen. It is a classic tale of friendship, love, and bravery. Best friends Kai and Gerda would do anything for each other. When Kai starts to behave cruelly and disappears, Gerda sets out on an epic quest to save Kai from the evil Snow Queen. Can Gerda break the Snow Queen's enchantment and complete the final task?
'A Child's Christmas in Wales' – Dylan Thomas
(Shorter read - suitable for younger readers)
A recollection of Christmases past, Dylan Thomas’s celebrated poem is a walk down nostalgia lane anyone can relate to. In a sort of stream of childlike consciousness, the poet recalls the holiday’s mistletoe decor, crackling fires, and steady snow. It was originally recorded for the radio, so consider listening to the audio.
'The Terror' - Dan Simmons
(Recommended for older readers)
Whether you’re a horror or a historical fiction fan, The Terror is the ultimate, atmospheric read. Based on the tragic true story of an 1845 expedition to find the Northwest Passage, this novel explores what happens when men are pushed to the brink by nature, paranoia and starvation.
'Into Thin Air'
(Contains adult language)
Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air is the true story of an expedition to summit Everest. Members of three separate expeditions were caught in a storm and faced a battle against hurricane-force winds, exposure, and the effects of altitude, which ended in the worst single-season death toll in the peak's history
'The Left Hand of Darkness' - Ursula le Guin
Two people, until recently strangers, find themselves on a long, tortuous and dangerous journey across the ice. One is an outcast, forced to leave his beloved homeland; the other is fleeing from a different kind of persecution. What they have in common is curiosity, about others and themselves, and an almost unshakeable belief that the world can be a better place.
'The Snow Goose' - Paul Gallico
(Suitable for younger readers)
'The Snow Goose' is a parable about the regenerative power of friendship and love, set against a backdrop of the Second World War. It documents the growth of a friendship between Philip Rhayader, an artist living a solitary life in an abandoned lighthouse in the marshlands of Essex because of his disabilities, and a young local girl, Fritha.
'Orlando' - Virginia Woolf
(Suitable for senior students)
The story of Orlando spans over 300 years (1588–1928). During this time, Orlando ages only thirty-six years, and changes gender from a man to a woman.
In The Guardian, Sam Jordison praises Woolf's unforgettable depiction of the devastating 'Great Frost' of 1608/09. It was so severe that "birds froze in mid air and fell like stones to the ground". Other strange events occurred: "At Norwich a young countrywoman started to cross the road in her usual robust health and was seen by onlookers to turn visibly to powder and be blown in a puff of dust over the roofs as the icy blast struck her at the street corner." She also notes that "an increase in rocks in Derbyshire" was attributed to "the solidification of unfortunate wayfarers".
Jordison concludes by saying that the next time anyone tries to tell you – as people often do – that Virginia Woolf was a cold fish, just direct them to her seductive writing about winter. It warms the heart.
'The Faber Book of Christmas' - Simon Rae
This collection of stories and poetry brings together Charles Dickens and Philip Larkin, W.H.Auden and Wendy Cope, Jilly Cooper and Dylan Thomas. From tales of carolling and snatched mistletoe kisses to 'The Worst Christmas Dinner, Ever', there's something here for everyone.