Adapted by Elizabeth Spurr ,
Illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin
$16. 95 US - $25.50 CAN - Ages 7 – 10

Atheneum Books for Young Readers

There's Mr. and Mrs. Peterkin , Agamemnon, Solomon John , Elizabeth Eliza , and the three Little Boys (whom everyone forgot to name when they were born).

The Peterkins love a good surprise almost as much as they love Christmas time, and this year is no different as they try to surprise the Little Boys, with their tallest Christmas tree ever. All their secret plans go awry, though, when they realize that the special tree is too big to fit in the house! How will they save Christmas?

The Peterkins were first introduced to delighted children everywhere more than one hundred and twenty years ago, when Lucretia Hale wrote The Peterkin Papers. Adapted from that timeless children's classic, The Peterkin's Christmas is a charming holiday tale that will thrill readers of all ages.

"This adapted excerpt from the 19th-century classic, The Peterkin Papers, focuses on the foolish family's preparations for Christmas, with the specific problems of a Christmas tree that's too tall for the parlor, a lack of proper decorations for such a huge tree, and a piano that can be played only through an open window."  Kirkus-- Meet the Peterkins

Wendy Anderson Halperin is a versatile artist who is the illustrator of many critically acclaimed books for children, including The Full Belly Bowl, Love is ..., Turn, Turn, Turn, and The Cobble Street Cousins series. She lives with her family in Michigan .

"Halperin's delicate cheerful watercolors perfectly suit the old-fashioned tone." – Horn Book

Lucretia Hale was born in 1820 to a literary family in Boston , Massachusetts . In 1874 she became one of the first women ever elected to the Boston school committee. She was author of many books for children and adults, including The Peterkin Papers, which was first published in 1880, and The Last of the Peterkins, published in 1886. Lucretia Hale passed away in 1900.