Winterfrost

Gr 3-5—The Larsens' Christmas dinner is interrupted by a frantic emergency call that summons both parents away, leaving 12-year-old Bettina in charge of the farm, the household, and baby Pia. Unfortunately, in the confusion, family members forget the tradition of putting a bowl of holiday rice pudding out for the nisse who protects their Danish homestead. While the wee magical folk are usually kind and helpful, tradition warns that they can be prickly when slighted. So, when little Pia vanishes, Bettina fears that the offended nisse are to blame. An enchanted winterfrost opens the way for her to enter their hidden world. She learns that Pia is being held by Ulf, an angry nisse, estranged from his family and filled with guilt over a long-ago mistake. To bring her sister home, Bettina must travel to Ulf's lonely island and help the unhappy recluse make peace with his family and his past. Children with a fascination for all things cute and tiny will delight in the cozy details of nisse household life, with its acorn cups and thistledown stockings. At the same time, they will appreciate Bettina's struggle to cope with very adult responsibilities. A gentle holiday adventure with a quiet message of courage and responsibility.—Elaine E. Knight, formerly at Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL

Never neglect a nisse. Such is the hard lesson learned by young Bettina in this novel, set in Denmark. Bettina's grandfather, or Farfar, has always believed in the nisse, the elflike creatures rumored to look after the family and its livestock, and he never forgot to leave them a bowl of Christmas pudding. But on this first Christmas since Farfar's death, Bettina's parents are called away and leave her in charge. In the resulting confusion, Klaake the nisse gets no holiday treat and resorts to mischief as payback. Things get out of hand when Klaake snatches away Bettina'a baby sister and sets off a chain of dramatic magical encounters between Bettina and the nisse. Houts's descriptions of the glistening weather phenomenon of winterfrost heighten the air of wonder in the story. The mix of fantasy, legend, and holiday tradition makes for a heady, escapist read. Ages 8-12. Agent: Karen Grencik, Red Fox Literary. (Sept.)