Cole Family Christmas (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Hazel Cole Kendle (Author), Jenniffer Julich (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-6–A nostalgic look at a Christmas in a small Kentucky coal town in 1920, based on the author's family lore. Ruble Cole, 10, doesn't expect much for Christmas. Life is hard for a family with nine children. So she and her siblings are surprised when Mama tells them to look through the Wish Book (the Sears, Roebuck and Company catalog) to pick out one thing they really want. Will an unexpected snowstorm put a stop to what just may be the family's best Christmas ever? Not if Mama and Papa can help it. These hardworking, loving, and forgiving parents possess an unusual understanding of all their children's secret dreams. Despite a few moments of real charm, the writing is serviceable at best, and the illustrations are cartoonish and unattractive.–Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library
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Product Description

The wish book.

This amazing year, the nine children in the Cole family have been allowed to sit down with the Sears, Roebuck and Company catalogue to choose the gift they would most like to receive for Christmas. This is a rare event, for the Coles are not wealthy.

Indeed, Cole Family Christmas is the true, tender, and wholly unforgettable tale of a coal miner's family. The story takes place in the small company town of Benham, Kentucky, in a time (1920) and place when coal was king and families made their precarious living mining the dirty and sometimes deadly coal.

When one of Mama's few possessions, a treasured purple glass bowl with fluted edges, is accidentally broken by exuberant children rushing in from the outdoors, and an unlikely blizzard prevents Papa from coming home after working extra hours at the coal mine on Christmas Eve, the stage is set for a Christmas morning in which gifts are given and received that no one could have predicted.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 74 pages
• Publisher: Next Chapter PR (September 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0981626505
• ISBN-13: 978-0981626505
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #546,306 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Washington Examiner-Children's Book Examiner, September 20, 2008

By	Robert E. Robbins - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Washington Examiner
September 16, 2008
Diane Petryk Bloom
Children's Book Examiner

One Christmas in the 1920s, nine siblings in a Kentucky miner's family were allowed to ask Santa for presents from the Sears catalogue wish book.

The girls and boys were expecting their best Christmas ever.

They got their wish. But none of it came from the Sears catalogue.

An unexpected snowstorm that stopped the mail led to gifts given and received that no one expected. The story of that memorable holiday was part of the oral history kept by the family for four generations.

Now, it's a touching book for other families to enjoy.

Next Chapter Press released 60,000 copies of the 74-page Cole Family Christmas today, marking the literary debut of author Hazel Cole Kendle, 88, and her grandaughter-in-law, Jennifer Liu Bryan.

Kendle was the youngest of the Cole children.

"It was my sister Ruble, our family's storyteller, who passed down to me the story of a magical Christmas when things didn't go quite as planned," Kendle said. "Yet that Christmas became one of my family's most beloved and memorable holidays."

Kendle, in turn, told the story to her children, who then told it to their own children.

"I think this tale has been meaningful to each new generation," she said.

Bryan said she hopes Cole Family Christmas inspires other families preserve their histories.

"Having the opportunity to spend time listening to Hazel's stories has been such a rewarding experience," she said. "I hope other families can share their cherished tales in this way, too."

Actually, more than 20 Cole family members collaborated on Cole Family Christmas, from background research to design.

The $17.95 book is earmarked for ages 9 to 12, but its nine short chapters are designed for family read-alouds with all ages. Said Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-Texas: "...the book reminds us of some of the greatest treasures of Christmas - creating family memories that last generations."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Christmas Tradition, October 28, 2008

By	Sally "SmilingSally" (Odessa, FL) - See all my reviews

Looking at the cover of this book made me smile. It promises a treat inside, and it delivers! A true story, that tells about a poor/rich family experiencing the real meaning of Christmas. Further enhanced with beautifully detailed illustrations by Jenniffer Julich, the story holds the reader's attention page after page. Why, there are even "six vintage Christmas-themed fabrics featured on the borders" that reflect Mama Cole's quilts!

You'll find good use of vocabulary, table manners, and sharing skills.

The Cole family is a special one because of their love and their traditions of Christmas. Each member is valued, and in nine chapters a story is told that can become a part of your family tradition. I loved the gifts for Mama Cole. A terrific chapter book!

4.0 out of 5 stars Cole Family Christmas, September 10, 2009

By	W. Barker ""http://wendisbookcorner.blogs... (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Perfect for : Family reading / Children

In a nutshell: This is a beautifully written and illustrated book full of fun family memories. Written by the youngest Cole child, Hazel, and her grand-daughter-in-law Jenniffer, the authors write a wonderful story that retells a favorite family Christmas that took place just before the Depression. I had so much fun taking a walk down memory-lane with this book. While I did not grow up in a coal town, I did enjoy making my list for Santa from the Sears Wish Book each year when I was younger! I also remember sitting with my parents and reading from family books each night, which is something the Cole family does. Finally, the book leaves the reader with a powerful message of love, family, and Christmas wishes.

Extended Review: With nine children in the house, something was bound to happen sooner or later, and the story starts with one of Mother Cole's favorite carnival glass bowls accidentally being broken. That night after dinner, the children get to look through the special Wish Book and choose something they want to write to Santa for.

Christmas Eve arrives and the family gets ready for the town holiday party. The party ends early as the miners need to try to get one more load onto the train and out of the town before the snow storm shuts the rails down. All through the night, Mother Cole stays up to make sure her husband returns safely, and the children pray for his safe return.

With the worst snow storm in 100 years, the family fears that Santa won't be able to make it to their house, but the children each receive a precious gift that they will always cherish.

Characters: The members of the Cole family make up a heart-warming group. The main character of the story is Ruble, whom the authors disclose as the families main story-teller. This wonderful family will work its way into your heart and help you remember what the holidays are really about!

Story-line: I can see why Hazel chose to retell this family story with the help of her grand-daughter-in-law - it is a wonderful story, and I hope to have many family memories like this one.

Readability: A very fun and easy read, great for children and adults alike.

Overall: A wonderful family-friendly holiday story. This wonderful family will work its way into your heart and help you remember what the holidays are really about! I hope you will join me in adding this book to your holiday collection.