A Very Dairy Christmas (Hardcover)

by Sylvia Hysen (Author) "Callie Michaels shook her head in amusement as she watched her friends scatter to the different racks of clothing..." (more)
Key Phrases: Deer Creek, Very Dairy, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
AVDC is a tribute to the importance of family. It's humorous, fun and glows with a genuine warmth. -- BookWire, January 11, 2006

Product Description
Books become classics when they appeal to all generations, and A Very Dairy Christmas manages to do just that in this heart-warming comedy about dysfunctional family relationships. With chapters like "There's no place like a stranger's home", "You don't need a farm to have a pig", and Redemption is a mouse click away", you'll be whisked away into the privileged, and often controversial, world of Callie Michaels, the teenaged daughter of famed high fashion photographer, Zoey Michaels. Be prepared to laugh and cry when social tolerance and generational differences are put to the test in this inspirational novel about a New York City pop-culture princess who is unexpectedly forced to visit her estranged German grandparents on their Wisconsin dairy farm during her Christmas vacation. A Very Dairy Christmas emphasizes the true meaning of Christmas in a present-day setting while delivering a message that is sure to inspire the reader!

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 312 pages
• Publisher: 1st Impression Publishing; 1 edition (November 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976336561
• ISBN-13: 978-0976336563
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #832,969 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amusing and warming to the heart, March 13, 2006

By	Reader Views "www.readerviews.com" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

Reviewed by Tammy Petty Conrad for Reader Views (3/06)

Teenager Callie lives a luxurious life bouncing between New York City and her prestigious prep school, but she's forced to spend her Christmas holiday with grandparents in Wisconsin whom she barely knows. She arrives with a chip on her shoulder having been disappointed by her over-achieving, guilt-ridden mother, Zoey, and makes sure that everyone is as miserable as she is.

But as in all entertaining books, twists and turns deliver a very different teen by the end as she learns valuable life lessons about the importance of family and friends. We also meet a variety of entertaining characters, from the farm hands that reminded me of those on the Wizard of Oz to Callie's outrageous friends. And we know exactly what kind of girl Callie is when the staff at Tiffany's knows her by her first name!

Admittedly, I didn't expect to enjoy this novel for several reasons. First I only read Christmas books in December. Second, designer and brand names are dropped right and left which makes it either more realistic or more like one big advertisement, depending on your perspective. And I'll confess I am many years removed from wearing a teenager's shoes. But I told myself each night just one more chapter, and then found I had read ten more before I put the book down. Ample dialogue and short chapters kept the story moving as it delved deeper and deeper into Callie's family history and that of a potential love interest and his family.

Sylvia Hysen is a screenwriter and this contemporary family comedy is an adaptation of her own award-winning screenplay. I can easily see how it would translate to film. Plenty of details make it a visual read. As a writer, I enjoyed learning how she took a personal interest in the Locks of Love organization, which uses donated ponytails to make hairpieces for ill children, and incorporated it into the story.

While we can't all relate to prep schools or dairy farms, most of us can understand family conflict and the importance of resolving it. It is always compelling to read abut a female character with brains, spunk and heart. A Very Dairy Christmas amuses and warms our hearts. And it's not just for the holidays either!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Very Dairy Christmas, March 23, 2006

By	Lilliana - See all my reviews

You can't help but fall in love with the characters from A Very Dairy
> Christmas by Sylvia Hysen. It is heart warming to watch Callie Michael's
> dynamic character develop from a spoiled little rich girl to a generous
> caring teen. Callie leaves all her indulged comforts in the Big Apple
> to spend Christmas on a dairy farm in Wisconsin with grandparents she
> barely remembers. While she thinks she is heads above all the people she
> meets in Wisconsin the locals can't wait to see her leave. I appreciated
> the mishaps the farm hands played on Callie, she deserved them all and
> more. Despite how poorly she treats her grandparents and their friends,
> her grandparents stick by the girl they loved as a little girl and they
> give her time and opportunity to grow and come to her senses on her own.
> Just when you are ready to throw Callie out with dirty dishwater, she
> does a 180 degree turnaround and realizes that people from varied walks of
> life should be valued and respected. This story also has a just the
> right amount of romance. Casey is a handsome young boy that is connected
> to the grandfather's dairy farm. He definitely is a match for Callie and
> eventually she has to convince him to give her a chance. You can't help
> but fall in love with him.
> I think girls ages 12 - 15 would enjoy this book. I also enjoyed it and
> would recommend it to others.
>
> Lillian Armijo
> Reading Specialist
> Ranch View Middle School

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Warm Tale That Is Not Just For Christmas, March 10, 2006

By	Nancy Illing "educator and author" - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What do you get when you take a young girl of privilege from a private school in New York and plop her down on a farm in the midwest? You get a funny, touching tale of human nature and family ties, sprinkled with humerous references to popular culture.

Sylvia Hysen has created a plucky young girl, along the lines of Pippi Longstocking or an older Eloise. A born leader whose energy masks a longing for a solid family life. Beautiful prose brings her story alive and the reader is swept away into Callie's world.

A great read, A Very Dairy Christmas has the makings of a classic. You are going to want to own this one. Get an extra copy to give to a friend.

Nancy Illing, author of Sparks Ignite Imagination and Ladies' Shoes to Color