by Naomi L. | December 18, 2013 | Blog, Creative Writing, Off The Bookshelf |
It’s the holiday season, and that means it’s the perfect time to share a blog post about a Christmas-themed story! I had originally planned this post for next week (Christmas Day), but when I realized Christmas is also the last Wednesday of the year, I decided to bump this review up and save next week for a special post instead. So here it is a week early, a review of another of my favorite Dr. Seuss books: How The Grinch Stole Christmas!
How The Grinch Stole Christmas!, by Dr. Seuss
Summary
Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot,
But the Grinch, who lived just north of Whoville, did NOT!
– How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (Dr. Seuss, 1957)
Originally published by Random House in 1957, How The Grinch Stole Christmas! tells the story of a grouchy creature known as the Grinch and his plot to ruin Christmas for the town of Whoville, located just south of his cave on Mount Crumpet. Annoyed every year by the festivities of the warm-hearted Whos, he dons a makeshift Santa Claus costume and descends into Whoville on Christmas Eve to steal all their presents, food and decorations, in the hope of stopping the holiday from ever arriving. Come Christmas morning, however, he is surprised to find that despite his best efforts to discourage them, the Whos still have the spirit of Christmas in them, and that day, the Grinch learns a valuable lesson about the true meaning of the holiday season.
Review
I’ve always appreciated How The Grinch Stole Christmas! for its uplifting message about the holiday spirit. With all the commercialization that Christmas has undergone over time, it’s easy to lose sight of the simpler things we should enjoy during the holidays, such as the company of our loved ones and all the possibilities that come with a new year. Puzzled to hear the Whos singing on Christmas morning, the Grinch starts to wonder why his plan didn’t work, and comes to a heartwarming revelation.
Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store.
Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.
It probably goes without saying that the author’s intention with this story was to criticize the commercialization of Christmas. Interestingly, the Grinch has been compared to Seuss himself, who claimed to have found inspiration for the character after seeing a “Grinchy” face in the mirror on December 26th. His idea was to write this sour character in order to rediscover the meaning of Christmas, which he felt had been lost on him at some point in the past. The same way he did with Horton Hears a Who!, Dr. Seuss drew from his own life experience to tell a heartwarming story that readers of all ages can enjoy for its important lesson.
The Grinch and Cindy Lou Who, How The Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
Like most of Dr. Seuss’s children’s books, How The Grinch Stole Christmas! is written in rhyming verse and illustrated with colorful and bizarre characters, making it a fun and memorable read for the whole family. A noteworthy adaptation of the book is the 1966 TV special directed by Chuck Jones (of Looney Tunes fame). I remember watching it often as a kid and smiling every time the Grinch’s heart grew three sizes at the end of the story (not to mention Cindy Lou Who was probably the sweetest little thing I’d ever seen in a classic cartoon). It’s an adaptation I’d highly recommend, so if you haven’t seen it yet and it runs annually on TV in your region, be sure to watch it this holiday season! And while you’re at it, you may want to read the book again; it’s truly a Christmas classic!
Inspiration
What I find most inspiring about this book is the way it never fails to fill me with holiday cheer, regardless of the time of year. I enjoy a good story where the villain is the main character, and seeing the Grinch embrace the Christmas spirit helps me remember that there’s more to the holidays than presents (not that I ever needed much reminding, with a wonderful family like mine).
Overall, How The Grinch Stole Christmas! is a very enjoyable read, and one that should definitely be on every Seuss fan’s bookshelf. Whether I’m in the mood for his fun stories and illustrations or for his good life lessons, I always find something wonderful to enjoy in Dr. Seuss’s charming holiday tale! Enjoy, and have a very Merry Christmas!
by Naomi L. | December 16, 2013 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: ubiquitous
Pronunciation: yoo-BI-kwə-təs
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: present, appearing, or found everywhere
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
“Ubiquitous” is one of those words that I would hear and see fairly often, but that I never really bothered to look up. Maybe I was forgetful, maybe I was just plain lazy. After recently reading it again, though, I decided I might as well learn more about it. Interestingly, I actually regretted not looking it up sooner, because it seemed like a good word that could have been… “ubiquitous” in my stories all along.
Anything that’s “ubiquitous” is omnipresent, that is, it appears everywhere. The word comes from the modern Latin adjective ubiquitas, which in turn originates from the Latin adverb ubique, meaning “everywhere” or “anywhere”. The root of this word is the adverb/conjunction ubi “where”.
Honestly, even if I didn’t bother to look up this word, I’ve always liked the sound of it. It has kind of an exotic feel to it, and I wouldn’t mind including it in some of my descriptions to indicate feelings, objects or even people that are present everywhere. So if you enjoy learning new words, I’m sure you’ll be able to use this one well. Curiosity over new vocabulary is “ubiquitous” among writers, is it not?
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
by Naomi L. | December 13, 2013 | Flash Fiction, J.C. Wolfe's Writing |
A few years ago, I received a gift from a friend: a box of chocolates. I was excited about it for the brief time I had it, but I never got to enjoy it, because the same week, you took it away claiming you needed a gift for a friend of your own. Because you promised to replace it, I agreed to let you take it. But you never kept that promise. Of course, I’m partly to blame; since I didn’t want you to think I was petty and annoying, I didn’t insist. At the end of that story, my life was exactly the same as it was in the beginning.
Over a year later, an honest mistake left me without my gift of chocolate again. However, this time I decided to try something different: instead of sitting back and trusting you to replace it like you said you would, I was going to risk sounding petty and insist you keep your promise. I reminded you several times about the gift I had lost, and I kept asking when you would be going to the store so I’d know when you could get me the chocolate you promised. And you know what happened? I got chocolate!
So you want to know what I learned from all this? I learned that when you want something from someone, you have to insist. You have to keep asking when they plan to keep their promises, regardless of whether they’ll think you sound petty. And I know you think I sound petty. But honestly, I’m OK with that, because between these two endings – you thinking I’m a big person or me having chocolate to enjoy at the end of a trying day – I’d rather have the chocolate.
by Naomi L. | December 11, 2013 | Blog, Creative Writing |
It’s the last Writers Reveal round of the year! This month’s topic was sent to me by Emily Hawker, who suggested the prompt “Santa Claus is real”. Based on that idea, I wrote a short story with a Christmas theme. Hope you like it! Thanks for the topic, Emily! Happy Holidays, everyone!
Catching Santa
Noelle crouched behind the living room sofa, staring at the fireplace as quietly as her excitement would allow. This was it for sure, she thought. The cookies and milk had been set by the Christmas tree, and hanging over the fireplace was a laundry basket tied to a rope that ran over the shelves all the way to her hand, exactly the way she’d seen her big brother do it. Everything was in place, and she was confident her plan would work. This year, she was going to catch Santa Claus.
The eight-year-old girl waited in the dark corner for what felt like an eternity. She was all alone in the living room. Her parents had gone to bed ages ago, and she had made sure to sneak back downstairs long after the lights had been turned off. The only illumination in the room came from the moonlight through the window and the dim lights on the tree, but it would still be enough to see Santa when he came… right?
Yes, of course it would. After all, the room starting to grow darker was just her imagination. She was so excited to see him; that’s why the lights on the tree seemed to be fading. She couldn’t possibly sleep now. No, she only needed to rest her eyes, just for a second…
“Noelle?”
The eight-year-old stirred at the sound of a female voice above her, and she slowly opened her eyes… until she remembered where she was. Suddenly, Noelle bolted upright to see her mother looking down at her from over the couch. At the same time, the string that had been trapped under her weight broke free. A second later, there was a loud crash, and mother and daughter turned to see a man sitting by the fireplace with a laundry basket over his head and some boxes wrapped in bright paper sprawled around him.
Noelle jumped up and hurried across the room to the man now lifting the basket off his head. Could it be…? No, it wasn’t Santa, she realized when the lights were turned on; it was her father. The man rose to his feet as his wife approached and the girl apologized profusely. After they asked if he was all right and he insisted he was fine, both parents turned their attention to their daughter.
“Noelle, sweetie, what are you doing?” said the woman.
The child looked at her feet, embarrassed. “I was trying to catch Santa Claus.”
“But why?”
“Tommy said Santa isn’t real, so I wanted to catch him to prove that he is!”
“Sweetheart”, said Noelle’s mom, kneeling down to her level, “you shouldn’t listen to your brother. I know you really want to meet Santa, but… it’s very hard to catch him, especially on Christmas Eve. He’s magical, and he’s always a step ahead. He probably knew about your plan all along, so…”
“That’s why he left your presents in our room”, said Noelle’s dad awkwardly. “He wanted us to put them under the tree for him.”
“Right.” The woman smiled at her husband before turning back to her daughter. “OK, sweetie? Now it’s time for bed.”
Noelle’s mother scooped her up while her father set about cleaning up the mess left by the trap. The girl sighed as her mom carried her upstairs, watching over the woman’s shoulder as her dad placed the boxes under the tree. Was Tommy right after all? Did their parents really leave Santa’s presents every year? Or were they the ones telling the truth?
Tucked into bed, Noelle bid her mother goodnight with a kiss and watched her step out of the room. Alone again, the child fell back on her pillow and turned on her side. That was when she noticed the red envelope sitting on her nightstand. Curious, the girl turned her lamp on and opened the envelope to read the neatly written letter inside.
Dear Noelle,
I’m sorry for ruining your plan to catch me tonight. As you know, Christmas Eve is a very busy time for me. As much as I would love to help you, I have a lot of presents to deliver to other good children like yourself, and I wouldn’t have the time to stay. I hope you understand why I needed your parents to help me.
I’m sure we’ll have a chance to meet next year. Until then, keep being a good little girl. And try not to trap your dad with a basket again.
Thank you for believing in me, Noelle! Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!
Your friend,
Santa Claus
P.S. Don’t worry about Tommy. He doesn’t like to believe in me because I put him on the Naughty list every year. He isn’t very nice to his little sister.
Noelle smiled as she read the last line of the letter. Jumping out of bed and rushing to the window, she looked outside just in time to see a silhouette flying past the moon, shaped very much like… Could it be?
Yes, it had to be. She had proof right in her hand, and she clutched the paper tight as she flailed her arm at the figure waving back at her. She didn’t need anything else for Christmas, not even to prove she was right. It was enough to know the truth in her heart.
From that night on, Noelle promised she would never again doubt that Santa Claus was real.
This has been a special topic post in Emily Morgan’s Writers Reveal. To learn more, just follow the button below to her site, and be sure to check out the other blogs participating in the event. Thanks for reading!
Other bloggers in the Writers Reveal
Emily Morgan: Emily Morgan Writes
Melissa Khalinsky: Melissa Writes
Jodi Gibson: JFGibson
Becky Fyfe: Imagine! Create! Write!
Rhianna: A Parenting Life
Ashley Howland: Ghostnapped
Emily Hawker: You Learn Something New Every Day
Emily Toxward: Have A Laugh On Me
by Naomi L. | December 9, 2013 | Blog, Word of the Week |
Word: cloy
Pronunciation: kloi
Part of Speech: verb
Definition: disgust or sicken (someone) with an excess of sweetness, richness, or sentiment
Source: Oxford Dictionaries
Sheldon: Would you like to see my cats?
Amy: I would. I love cats. They’re the epitome of indifference.
Sheldon: Ah, then you may find Zazzles a little cloying.
– The Big Bang Theory (Season 4, Episode 3 – The Zazzy Substitution)
That’s right; it’s another vocabulary word from The Big Bang Theory! To be fair, I was already familiar with this one before I noticed it on the show, but this dialogue was the first time I could remember hearing it being used in context. This example comes from an episode when Dr. Sheldon Cooper adopts 25 cats in a subconscious attempt to get over his “girl-and-friend-but-not-girlfriend” Amy Farrah Fowler after they “break up”. Upon reconciling with her and offering to introduce his pets, Sheldon warns Amy that if she appreciates cats for their standoffish nature, she may find a certain one named Zazzles a little too sweet for her taste (because he’s so, as Sheldon puts it, “zazzy”).
To “cloy” is to sicken somebody with exaggerated sweetness. When used in its more common adjective form “cloying”, it basically means “sickeningly sweet”. The word can be traced back to the Old French verb encloyer, meaning “to drive a nail into”. This, in turn, originates from the Latin verb inclavare, which comes from the noun clavus “nail”.
You’ll probably never see me use the word “cloy” as a verb in my stories, simply because it isn’t very common. As the adjective “cloying”, however, I find it appealing. I’d probably use it to describe things (or even characters) that are too sweet for their own good, potentially to the point of putting people off. It’s always good to know a word that sums up the exact feeling you want to portray!
What are your thoughts on this word? Any suggestions for future “Word of the Week” featured words?
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