The rich traditions surrounding Christmas make for great ingredients for lovely stories. There are the special features of snowy and icy weather, the wonderful food and drink, the presents and the perennial magic of Father Christmas. Funny, sad, old and new this is a collection for all families to enjoy.
Families and friends come together at Christmas and, as they do, there are stories to be told. Stories about love, secrets, friendship, bravery, conflict, and compassion. This collection includes stories by Charles Dickens, Laurie Lee, Philippa Pearce, Geraldine McCaughrean, Jacqueline Wilson, Nicholas Fisk, and many, many more. So whether you want to slide with Mr Pickwick on the ice or find out what's on Adrian Mole's Christmas list, there are delights and surprises to be discovered in this wonderfully varied anthology of stories illustrated in both colour and black and white.
Dennis Pepper was born in Sleaford, where his parents still live and where he is still a regular visitor. From Carre's Grammar School and Sid Doughty's Bread Round he went to Leeds and Oxford Universities and then into teaching in London. He has worked in the education advisory service, has run a Curriculum Development Centre for teachers of English, and was a Field Officer for the now defunct Schools Council. At present he divides his time between running workshops for teachers about using stories in the classroom, compiling and editing books, both for use in schools and for children to read and enjoy outside school, and his own writing.