4 out of 4 stars
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Christmas is a magical time of year, and for those of us who celebrate the holiday, Santa is a loving, giving, magical embodiment of the season. A Toy's Journey - A Tale Of Lost And Found Treasure by Madeliene J. Kurtz (Maddie) is the semi-true story of one seemingly-magical Santa toy that was tossed away one day in New Jersey, journeyed across the world and returned to Tennessee 40 years later to be found by the same woman. While the toy's exact journey is fiction, the fact that it was lost in New Jersey and found in Tennessee 40 years later with identical damage is absolutely true!
The story flows quickly, giving one chapter to each of the people the Santa toy comes into contact with. From Connie, the original owner, to Joey the garbage man and so on, each person's life is made better by the seemingly-innocent little toy. We're also introduced to numerous different characters like Don, Joey's brother who attempts suicide, Sally who's dying of an illness and Saranna, a poor orphan girl. While these are some really heavy topics, they're handled wonderfully in a way I feel even kids can hear about.
The story was written by Maddie when she was just 10, and as such it makes it easy to pinpoint the age group that would enjoy it best. I would also add that it could be read to a child much younger, and although it's a bit long (30+ pages) for kids TOO young, the language and themes are great and accessible at any age. When the book was put together in its current form, Maddie illustrated the book as well. The illustrations are cute, touching and sometimes even artistic in a style very fitting with the concept of a book written by a 10-year-old.
Perhaps the most touching bit of the story was the fact that the story was created as a gift for Connie, the woman who originally had the Santa toy. Connie is Maddie's mom's friend, and it's both touching and encouraging that this story became the book that I reviewed. Because the book ends by explaining this, it could very well encourage more kids to begin writing, turning more folks into writers and authors!
If the book wasn't based on truth, and it wasn't concluded with the tale of the story originally being a heartfelt gift, I'd have given it 3 out of 4 stars. Those things, however, pushed it into earning 4 out of 4 stars. While the book does center on a Santa toy, the book is not at all religious (aside from Maddie thanking God in the dedication, another plus in my book) so folks of any religion (or none at all) can enjoy it. I'd suggest the book to anyone with kids aged up to perhaps their teenage years; while all kids are different, the brevity of the story probably won't be enough for anyone over 12.
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A Toy's Journey - A Tale Of Lost And Found Treasure
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