When Santa Fell To Earth

by Cornelia Funke

Hardcover, 2006

Description

When he and his caravan come crashing down to earth during a thunderstorm two weeks before Christmas, Santa is befriended by two children, Charlotte and Ben, who try to help him save the holiday from the tricks and moneymaking schemes of Gerold Geronimus Goblynch and to take off in time for his annual rounds.

Publication

Chicken House (2006), Edition: 1, 192 pages

User reviews

LibraryThing member bell7
When traveling during a terrible storm, Nicklas Goodfellow loses his invisible reindeer and his caravan goes crashing down to earth. Folks in the neighborhood aren't quite sure who Nicklas is, but he confides in Ben, a boy who is good at sports but made fun of at school because he doesn't talk
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much. Nicklas is actually the last Santa, but his job is in jeopardy because of a hostile takeover in Yule Land -- Nutcrackers and bad Santas are on the lookout for him, and if they find him it will be the end of Christmas as we know it!

My sister begged me to read this, as it's her new favorite book. It was lighthearted and a funny story, though it took me awhile to like the characters and I wanted to know more about them. It's much more plot-based and quirky, and I can see why she liked it.
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LibraryThing member porch_reader
This was an impulse buy at the bookstore. I've been trying to get in the habit of reading out loud to my boys every night (even though they insist that they can read to themselves). And when I saw this one, I thought they might like it.

This book is an original Christmas story. Niklas Goodfellow is
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a good Santa who falls to earth one night when fleeing from a bad Santa, Gerold Geronimus Goblynch, and his Nutcracker goons. Two children, Ben and Charlotte, band together with Niklas, his two angels, and his team of elves to try to save Christmas.

The story itself was interesting enough to elicit cries of "One more chapter, please!" The action keeps moving until the final chapter. Funke also includes a number of clever details about Christmas. For example, Santa learns what children want for Christmas from angels who listen to children's dreams. And, the elves cuss. Yes, you read that right. They are gruff little workers, and when faced with trouble, they have been known to exclaim, "Steaming reindeer poo!" Or "stinky goblin farts." (Pardon my French.) This was my kids' favorite part of the story, and it is sure to show up in the book report that my third grader will be writing tomorrow.

What a fun book!! This has become one of our holiday favorites.
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LibraryThing member tlesr
Santa Claus falls to earth 2 days before Christmas. But he's not safe. The evil Gerold Geronimus Goblynch plans to make the holiday season into his personal moneymaking scheme. can Santa frost Goblynch in time to rescue Christmas?
LibraryThing member KimJD
This may not be Cornelia Funke's most well-known book, but it's one of my favorites.... The blend of whimsy and intrigue put me solidly in a holiday mood.
LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
When Niklas Goodfellow's Christmas caravan falls to earth in the midst of a terrible storm, the Santa finds himself with no way of getting going again. Pursued by the evil Gerold Geronimus Goblynch, a bad Santa who leads the Great Christmas Council, Niklas knows that he is in danger. What is worse,
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the idea of Santa itself is threatened by Goblynch's changes to the way that the world's Santas deliver gifts. Gone are the days of listening to children's wishes - now orders are taken from parents, and for money! - and gone are the Christmas elves and angels. Only Niklas and his helpers hold out for the old ways. But when two young children - Ben and Charlotte - enter the picture, it sets in motion events that will lead to the downfall of the terrible Goblynch, and a return to the true Christmas magic...

Originally published in German as Als der Weihnachtsmann vom Himmel fiel, this Christmas fantasy novel from Cornelia Funke, author of such popular children's books as The Thief Lord and Inkheart, is an engaging story. It's entertaining, and a quick, fun read. I liked all of the characters, from Matilda the scolding angel to the cursing elves, patient Niklas to shy Ben. That said, I did wonder a bit at the main story idea, as this seems to point to the (quite legitimate) idea that Christmas has become too commercialized, the magic lost to more mundane gift shopping on the part of parents. Given that parents are in fact the ones who buy "Santa's" gifts in real life, I wonder whether reading this tale might make children who are aware of that fact (I was, myself) feel somehow less enchanted by the whole fantasy of Santa. With that caveat - that despite its message of Christmas wonder, it may in fact diminish that wonder for some children - I would recommend this to middle grade readers looking for fantasy fiction at the holidays.
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Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

1994

Physical description

192 p.; 6 inches

ISBN

043978204X / 9780439782043
Page: 0.5627 seconds