Publisher Description

Carol really loves Christmas. The decorating and shopping, the Christmas sweaters and music-she wishes it all could be a year-round event. The only downside to the holiday is that she lives in Florida (not exactly the land of snow) and her only family is her Uncle Christopher, who adopted Carol when she was young, after her father's disappearance and mother's death. Her uncle owns a toy company and is super rich-but he's a grinch and a workaholic.
Then, on a magical December trip to NYC, Carol meets her destiny. Santa-the real man with the bag-meets Carol at the top of Rockefeller Center, overlooking the tree. There he explains that Carol is descended from a long line of Defenders of Claus, those who protect and serve Santa. Carol's dad was a Defender. And now Carol has been tapped to fulfill his legacy.
Who would want to hurt Santa? Someone pretty scary and shady, it appears-a masked man who's trying to destroy Christmas! Carol is whisked off to the North Pole on the adventure of a lifetime. Can she help save Santa before it's too late?

Author Biography

Robert L. Fouch is an author and journalist who grew up in the hills of West Virginia and now makes his home on Long Island in New York. He has worked in the newspaper business for longer than he cares to admit, including twenty-two years at Newsday as a copy editor, page designer, and occasional feature writer. He has a bachelor's degree in editorial journalism from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, and is married with a teenage son, who is his sounding board and toughest critic. He is a Browns and Cubs fan, which, before the end of the curse in 2016, was about as much misery as a sports fan could stand.

Review

"A glittering sleigh-ride of a holiday tale! Fouch conjures an enchanting vision of what Christmas means, while giving us the perfect gift, a lively and hilarious new heroine—Christmas Carol!" - Tony Abbott, author of Kringle
"A glittering sleigh-ride of a holiday tale! Fouch conjures an enchanting vision of what Christmas means, while giving us the perfect gift, a lively and hilarious new heroine—Christmas Carol!" - Tony Abbott, author of Kringle

Long Description

Twelve-year-old Carol is one of those people who really love Christmas. The decorating and shopping, the Christmas sweaters and music--that's Carol. It's challenging sometimes at the holidays because her only family is her Uncle Chris, who has adopted Carol. He's a humbug workaholic. But, sweet--he owns a toy company and is super rich. On a magical Christmas trip to NYC, thanks to Uncle Chris, Carol meets her destiny. Santa--the real man with the bag--meets Carol at the top of Rockefeller Center, overlooking the tree. There he explains that Carol is descended from a long line of Defenders of Claus, those who protect and serve Santa. Carol's parents--presumed dead or missing--were Defenders. And now Carol has been tapped to fulfill their legacy. Who would want to hurt Santa? Someone pretty scary and shady, it appears. And off Carol goes, whisked to the North Pole on the adventure of a lifetime to help save Christmas.

Review Quote

"A glittering sleigh-ride of a holiday tale! Fouch conjures an enchanting vision of what Christmas means, while giving us the perfect gift, a lively and hilarious new heroine--Christmas Carol!" - Tony Abbott, author of Kringle

Description for Sales People

While tons of Christmas picture books, licensed titles, and activity books abound, there are very few fiction books for middle-graders. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is the gold standard for middle-grade holiday fiction. It sells like crazy every year. This appeals to the same audience. Contains so many appealing middle-grade plot elements -- an orphan adopted by her rich uncle (i.e. Carol gets whatever she wants for Christmas); a mystery involving said missing parents; a magical trip to the North Pole; an action-packed adventure to save Santa AND Christmas; and a legacy to fulfill. Similar in theme and genre to the blockbuster DreamWorks movie Rise of the Guardians , but focuses on Santa Claus's backstory.

Details