Last year, I started a new Christmas story that wasn’t completed in time for the holidays. When I picked it up this year to complete it, I realized I had more stories to tell about Nathan, his family, and his friends. This year I am publishing four new stories. I’m not going to label this a series, because each book can be read independently.
Each book will introduce more kids in Nathan’s life, while keeping old ones in the stories. Each story involves a life lesson in a way children age four and up can relate to. No preaching – no boredom for the reader; just old-fashioned stories to keep them interested.
I will also be playing with illustrations in these books. I love to play with software, so this will be fun to create cartoon-type images to help the reader visualize parts of the story. For instance, in Nathan’s Christmas Traditions and Repetitions, Nathan talks about the breakfast frittata his mother makes. Young readers may not know what a frittata is, so I have included a description of what it is, along with a picture.
Nathan is nine years old; his sister Rachel is four. Nathan has a traditional family with both parents still married. His parents believe in teaching their children life lessons and also helps them through the lessons that confront all children. Helping their children navigate childhood is their job and they are committed to doing it right.
Nathan was his parent’s only child for five years and is also an introvert who feels a need to care for others. When he knows the rules, he expects everyone to follow them and is thrown when the rules change. When is sister Rachel was born, he became her protector and champion. If Nathan seems “older than his years,” that’s because he takes things very seriously and is a loyal friend. His parents have taken the time to have conversations with him since he was very young and routinely introduce him to new situations.
In Nathan’s neighborhood, there is a mix of one and two-parent families of all colors and religions. Coping through life’s differences is more complicated than it used to be. Follow along as Nathan, his family, and his friends learn through their mistakes and complicated situations.
Nathan’s Best Christmas, Ever!
Nathan’s Christmas Traditions and Repetitions