Jingle Boy

September 22, 2003
Readers attracted to this title by its relatively hip jacket art—a photo of a cute boy staring out soulfully from under a Santa cap—may be disappointed by the contrived and somewhat cloying comedy-cum-fantasy within. Paul Nicholas, the teenage narrator, is a self-proclaimed "Christmas freak," just like his parents. "My family has more Christmas traditions than an elf has pairs of pointy earmuffs," says Paul, who confesses that he thinks Christmas will somehow be "destroyed" if he stops wearing his Santa hat. Indeed, he loses said chapeau at the mall, and all-out calamity follows. As the plot twists and turns in overdetermined and obvious fashion, even encompassing a visit from the real Santa Claus, readers are likely to find Paul's Christmas quirks more peculiar than endearing. Ages 12-up.

October 1, 2003
Gr 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 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2003
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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2004
The holidays go sour for Christmas fanatic Paul when his girlfriend dumps him, his mom loses her job, and his dad is hospitalized. Paul joins the "Anti-Christmas Underground," a group that steals holiday decorations, puts dog-doo in presents, and plans to burn down the mall. The slick, over-the-top story is peopled with cliched characters, contains ludicrous plot turns, and comes to a predictable conclusion.

(Copyright 2004 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)