The True Story of Christmas [Hardcover]

Anne Fine (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Everyone knows the story of Christmas. Decking the halls with boughs of holly. Hanging stockings by the chimney with care. Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Then there’s the true story of Christmas. And Ralph Mountfield is smack in the middle of it.

Great Granny’s crustier than ever. Grandpa’s singing to the dog. Great Aunt Ida is completely crackers. Uncle Tristam’s giving out bricks. The cousins are whining and throwing tantrums. Mum’s looking for Dad. Dad’s looking for aspirin. And Ralph is looking to stay out of trouble.

But when a Christmas Quiz brings out some hidden truths, trouble is exactly what Ralph finds. It’s anything but a silent, holy night for the Mountfield family!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6-Banished to his room on Christmas Day, Ralph recounts the disasters that occur when his highly eccentric relatives come together to celebrate the holiday. Funny dialogue ("-I'm not going to sing `Away in a Manger' because I don't love the Little Lord Jesus and I don't think he has a sweet head-"); unique characters, from a demonic preschooler to a daft great-aunt; and hilarious but believable situations make this book a great read-aloud. It's reminiscent of Helen Cresswell's "Bagthorpes Saga" (Macmillan; o.p.), but accessible to younger readers. Fine is in fine form here.-S. P.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-7. Fine always has an amusing take on things, and here she casts a very British eye on Christmas. Ralph Mountfield, banished to his bed on Christmas Day, details what happens when 16 relatives descend on his house, and a family feud does them in. It's hard to decide who is the worst of the group: cousin Titania, an egotistical little twit who fancies herself a fairy; Great-gran, whose favorite line is, "If I had my own teeth, I'd bite you"; or the twins, who enjoy pelting dinner rolls at the cat. If Fine's humor isn't black, it's certainly very dark brown, so this story may best suit readers somewhat older than her usual audience. But kids who get the bitter, ironic tone will find this very funny, and fans of Harry Potter will enjoy the Briticisms and feel as if they've found their way to an all-Dursley Christmas. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (September 9, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385731302
• ISBN-13: 978-0385731300
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.7 x 8.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,666,551 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dreadfully Funny Novel, February 13, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The True Story of Christmas (Hardcover)

Ralph doesn't get along with his family. In fact, no one does ...

Meet Ralph in this dreadfully funny novel. Ralph is a normal kid. But every Christmas, Ralph is thrown into the torture of spending it with his family. Even though spending Christmas with your family may not sound that bad to you, it is to Ralph. You see, no one in Ralph's family gets along. From his unbelievably negative Great-Granny, Natasha (who says things like, "If I had my own teeth, I'd bite you"), to his perfect princess cousin, Titania (who puts on "cute acts" by singing songs of fairies and wearing frilly pink dresses), and finally to the terrible twins, Sylvester and Sylvia (who trash the house in every possible way), Ralph is bound to tell the worst Christmas story ever.

This funny book has become one of my favorite humor novels. I enjoyed reading the lines the characters said, and I also enjoyed the great number of problems that came up without a solution. The thing I like most is that the plot really draws you into the story. As I was reading, I got more and more involved with what the characters were thinking. Most of the time I felt like I was standing right next to the character who was talking. This book is great for readers who are looking for something nasty and funny.

5.0 out of 5 stars not just for kids, July 5, 2005

By 

Wu (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The True Story of Christmas (Hardcover)

The book cover may fool you into thinking that this story is probably only for kids in 3rd or 4th grade. This is not true. I read it one day out of complete bordem, and by the end of it, I was laughing till tears pratically came out of my eyes!! Not only does Anne Fine does an amazing job as the narrator for Ralph, she will keep you laughing page after page. With Uncle Tristam's "educational" short stories for poor Albert to Great-granny's way of training kids. Which, by the way; is not exactly pleasant.

Anne Fine uses humor to show us that even on the merriest of all holidays, disaster can happen right in our very own house. This is a book that I enjoyed TREMENDOUSLY and hope that others will too after reading my review.

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious!, February 11, 2004

By 

J. Danielson "jd11757" (austin, texas United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The True Story of Christmas (Hardcover)

I loved this book! It's not just for kids, but for any family plagued by obnoxious relatives during the holidays. If you've ever had to sit through a performance by a snotty brat in front of her adoring parents you will identify. Likewise if you've ever slaved over a meal, only to have your guests spew out their dietary restrictions and/or peculiarities at your table. Read it and put it on your next year's Christmas list.