Kids into Books: Christmas Sonata

Author: Gary Paulsen

Illustrator: Leslie Bowman

Publisher: Macmillan, $13.95

Age Group: 8-10 years


I could not believe it and so I stood in his open door and looked up at him and asked him:

"Are you Santa Clause?"

He looked down at me and took a drink of wine and nodded. "Sure, kid. I'm Santa Claus."

I ran back to our apartment and cried some. When mother came home from work she had a can of Spam, which we ate at dinner with friend potatoes, but even that was not good enough to cheer me and I told her.

"Mr Henderson is Santa Claus."

Mother stopped chewing. "What do you mean?"

"I saw him today. He was dressed in his suit and I asked him if he was Santa Claus and he said he was."

She didn't say anything.