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What happens to the Christmas ornaments hung on the tree when the lights are turned out and everybody goes to bed?  Well, from the movie Toy Story, we naturally know that all toys come alive when humans aren’t around and there are no exceptions to Christmas ornaments.  In Secrets of a Christmas Box, Steven Hornby explores just what happens in that tree while we are all snug in bed dreaming of Christmas.

After a long sleep in the Christmas box, all the ornaments are excited to greet each other and are looking forward to another Christmas season.  Larry, a snowman ornament, is worried.  His brother Terrance is missing.  Although everybody knows that not all ornaments make it back from year to year, Larry has to find out what happened to him.  He begins to wonder if Terrance is simply still in the Christmas Box.

At the encouragement of Splint, a new ornament on the tree this year, Larry decides to set off in search of the box.  Larry’s girlfriend, Debbie, refuses to stay behind and isn’t so sure if Splint is a friend or foe.  The task isn’t easy.  The tree is protected by the Tree Lord at the top of the tree and his faithful lights.  It’s against the rules to leave the protective boundaries of the trees branches and nobody has left before.  The journey is dangerous and full of obstacles.  It’s an adventure that will have readers wondering exactly what will happen in the end and discovering that not all people are what they really seem.

Children will enjoy the environment that Hornby has created in the magic of Christmas as well as the adventure of the ornaments.  I was surprised to find that there are some violent moments in what I had anticipated to be a rather sickingly sweet read. There are some scary scenes (one involving a shattered – ie: dead – ornament, and a few fight scenes) that might be too much for little ones, so stick to the ages 9-12 recommendation.

I wish I knew exactly what the time period was that the book was set in.  I kept feeling like it was the ’50’s.  The family in the story is a little too perfect for my tastes with rather unrealistic dialogue.  If I were to say what I found most unpleasant about the book, it would be the dialogue.  It also felt a bit too long for me.  With some tighter editing, I would have liked to see it a good 50 pages shorter.

Definitely the most pleasant were the adorable line drawing illustrations from Hornby himself.  Hornby has a background in visual effects and animated movies and I would love to see him adapt his story into a short animated film.  The story is certainly full of intrigue, mystery as well as a few life lessons for us all.

Links of interest: Secrets of a Christmas Box website, Steven Hornby on Twitter, more book blogger reviews.
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction, approx ages 9-12. Holiday/Christmas/Fantasy
Publisher: Ecky Thump Books. September 1, 2009
Hardcover, 248 pages. ISBN 0981588301
Secrets of a Christmas Box is available from your favorite independent bookstore, Powell’s, and Amazon.

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