Kringle

SLJ 10/1/05
ABBOTT, Tony. Kringle. illus. by Greg Call. 338p. Scholastic. Oct. 2005. Tr $14.99. ISBN 0-439-74942-5. LC number unavailable.
Gr 4-6-In northern Britain in the early fifth century, a boy named Kringle and an old woman named Merwen live in an isolated cottage. When they are attacked by goblins, Kringle runs away, meets friendly shoe-repairing elves and pirates, and above all makes it his mission to rescue Merwen and hundreds of children. This fantasy combines magic (elven runes and flying reindeer), history (the end of the Roman occupation figures prominently, as does a certain Brother Alban), theology (Kringle is fascinated to learn about baby Jesus and his family), and a good dose of imagination to come up with a delightful explanation of the origins of our present-day Santa Claus. Fantasy readers will enjoy this tale year-round, despite the reindeer and holly on the cover.-E. M.
10/1/05
Booklist
Abbott, Tony. Kringle. Oct. 2005. 352p. Scholastic, $14.99 (0-439-74942-5).
Gr. 5-8. On first glance, this story of how Kris Kringle came to live at the North Pole, surrounded by toy-making elves, sounds like the premise for a lighthearted cartoon. It is anything but. The boy Kringle lives in a dark wood in a dark age with Merwen, the old woman who has taken care of him since his mother died in childbirth. On the longest day of the year, the goblins come to enslave children. Kringle barely escapes, but Merwen is captured. So begins Kringle's long journey to find her, during which he learns his true purpose, after being rescued by elves, who aid him in the inevitable battle against evil. Framed in a world of cold and with religious overtones, the fantasy recalls C. S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. In the end, Kringle triumphs and vows to make the year's longest day, which marks the birth of the Child, a happy one for children. Told in a come-nearer voice, this epic could have used some tightening, but the enticing premise, i