A graphic novel about the midadventures of Santa

The story of everyone's favourite time of year - Christmas

When Billy Getten's class puts on a holiday play he learns how different cultures celebrate winter and wonders if there really is a Santa Claus.

At Christmastime all over Australia - from the bush to the 'burbs - Santa arrives on the back of the fire truck! This boisterous picture book celebrates a much-loved Aussie tradition. A Christmas tradition, all round this land, from the city to the country, from the bush to the sand, in a shiny red truck instead of a sleigh, Santa sets out on his jolly old way. But this fire truck has seen better days. It creaks and rattles and groans as Santa makes his rounds. It will take a miracle to get through Christmas Eve... With beautiful illustrations by Nathaniel Eckstrom, this is an energetic and delightful celebration of a wonderful Aussie tradition.

It’s winter in Girard, Pennsylvania and the pond is completely frozen over—ready for a young boy to go skating!—but Georgie’s ice skates are too small. All Georgie wants for Christmas is a new pair of skates. But times are tough in 1920s Pennsylvania, and he gets the disappointing news Santa might not come this year. Follow Georgie as he decides to take matters into his own hands—and discovers what Christmas is all about. The Santa Thief is a heartwarming tale of boyhood set in 1920s Pennsylvania for children ages 4–8.

Santa Claus is in trouble! Who will save Christmas? This A-to-Z guide to holiday films, television movies and series specials provides cast, credits, production information and commentary for 228 cinema Christmases that were almost ruined by villains, monsters, spirits, secularism, greed, misanthropy or elf error--but were saved by helpful animals, magic snowmen, selfless children or compassionate understanding. Reviews and references are included.

Noel Justice adds another regional guide to his series of important reference works that survey, describe, and categorize the projectile point and cutting tools used in prehistory by Native American peoples. This volume addresses the region of California and the Great Basin. Written for archaeologists and amateur collectors alike, the book describes over 50 types of stone arrowhead and spear points according to period, culture, and region. With the knowledge of someone trained to fashion projectile points with techniques used by the Indians, Justice describes how the points were made, used, and re-sharpened. His detailed drawings illustrate the way the Indians shaped their tools, what styles were peculiar to which regions, and how the various types can best be identified. There are hundreds of drawings, organized by type cluster and other identifying characteristics. The book also includes distribution maps and color plates that will further aid the researcher or collector in identifying specific periods, cultures, and projectile types.

Much of the modern-day vision of Santa Claus is owed to the Clement Moore poem "The Night Before Christmas." His description of Saint Nicholas personified the "jolly old elf" known to millions of children throughout the world. However, far from being the offshoot of Saint Nicholas of Turkey, Santa Claus is the last of a long line of what scholars call "Wild Men" who were worshipped in ancient European fertility rites and came to America through Pennsylvania's Germans. This pagan creature is described from prehistoric times through his various forms--Robin Hood, The Fool, Harlequin, Satan and Robin Goodfellow--into today's carnival and Christmas scenes. In this thoroughly researched work, the origins of Santa Claus are found to stretch back over 50,000 years, jolting the foundation of Christian myths about the jolly old elf.

Alan Simmons summarizes and synthesizes the evidence for prehistoric seafaring and island habitation in the Mediterranean as part of the mounting evidence that our ancestors developed sailing skills early in prehistory.