Jingle Boy (Hardcover)

by Kieran Scott (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 6-8-Paul has always adored Christmas-that is, until a mall Santa steals his girlfriend, his father is nearly electrocuted by a Christmas light display that burns down much of their house, and his mother loses her job. Attributing all this tragedy to the loss of his lucky Santa hat, the embittered teen sets out to get his revenge on the mall Santa, and on Christmas in general. Paul is an appealing character whose holiday season goes from bad to worse, culminating in a night in jail. There is an appropriate moral at the end and even a visit from St. Nick himself, but luckily the tone is peppy rather than cloying. If you have an urgent need for Christmas fiction aimed at young teens, this is the book.-E. M.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 6-9. Paul Nicholas and his family have the most lit-up house in Paramus, New Jersey, every Christmas, and they are devoted to the whole season--carols, presents, carrots for the reindeer. This year, Paul is even going to be Santa at the mall. But all at once, his new blonde girlfriend dumps him for another Santa, his dad nearly electrocutes himself putting the lights up, and his mom gets fired. Paul joins Holly, his best friend, and a handful of others in an anti-Christmas campaign, which leads to some very questionable activities. A predictable plot and a touch of unnecessary fantasy don't quite sink this first-person confection. What saves it are the mall-rat locale, quirky premise, and the satisfying best-friend-to-girlfriend metamorphosis. It is also noteworthy in its treatment of Christmas as an entirely secular holiday. GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 230 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte; 1st edition (September 23, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385731132
• ISBN-13: 978-0385731133
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 4.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,455,682 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 Fantastic Holiday Fiction for Teens, December 30, 2003

By	Erika Sorocco (Southern California, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Paul Nicholas is sure that this Christmas will be the absolute best. For once he has a great girlfriend, Sarah, who just happens to love Christmas as much as he does, or at least the present part; he's got the job of being the mall Santa Claus, and he's getting the absolute perfect present this year, a jeep. Everything is just fine, beyond fine, until Paul loses his lucky Santa hat, and everything goes wrong. First he finds his girlfriend making out with the mall Santa Claus, who just happens to be the same one who'll be training him for his job next week, his father electrocutes himself while putting up Christmas lights, and almost burns down the house at the same time, and his mother loses her job. Now, the kid who has always been the biggest nut over Christmas, has decided to get even with the holiday, and everything associated with it.

As someone who absolutely LOVES reading books about the Christmas season, I was ecstatic to find JINGLE BOY. Not only is it one of the only teen fiction Christmas books on the market, but it is also one of the funniest I've ever read. Reminiscent of John Grisham's SKIPPING CHRISTMAS, JINGLE BOY is a must for all who love (or hate) the holiday season. It will keep you laughing out loud throughout the entire holiday season. Possibly longer. Don't miss it.

Erika Sorocco

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best, March 10, 2005

A Kid's Review

This book was amazing. It's the perfect novel to read even if it isn't Christmas time. It's hilariously funny, with memorable characters and a catchy plot. A must-read for all fans of teen fiction!