{"product_id":"wishin-and-hopin-a-christmas-story-isbn-9780061950261","title":"Wishin' and Hopin': A Christmas Story","description":"Wally Lamb, the beloved #1 \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of \u003cem\u003eThe Hour I First Believed, I Know This Much Is True\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eShe’s Come Undone\u003c\/em\u003e, delivers a holiday treat with \u003cem\u003eWishin’ and Hopin’\u003c\/em\u003e—an unforgettable novella that captures the warmth and joy of the holiday season. Poignant and hilarious, in a vein similar to Jean Shepherd’s \u003cem\u003eA Christmas Story\u003c\/em\u003e and David Sedaris’s \u003cem\u003eThe Santaland Diaries\u003c\/em\u003e, Lamb’s Christmas tale focuses on a feisty parochial school fifth grader named Felix Funicello—a distant cousin of the iconic Annette! | \u003cblockquote\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt's 1964 and ten-year-old Felix is sure of a few things: the birds and the bees are puzzling, television is magical, and this is one Christmas he'll never forget.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\u003cp\u003eLBJ and Lady Bird are in the White House, \u003cem\u003eMeet the Beatles\u003c\/em\u003e is on everyone's turntable, and Felix Funicello (distant cousin of the iconic Annette!) is doing his best to navigate fifth grade—easier said than done when scary movies still give you nightmares and you bear a striking resemblance to a certain adorable cartoon boy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBack in his beloved fictional town of Three Rivers, Connecticut, with a new cast of endearing characters, Wally Lamb takes his readers straight into the halls of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parochial School—where Mother Filomina's word is law and goody-two-shoes Rosalie Twerski is sure to be minding everyone's business. But grammar and arithmetic move to the back burner this holiday season with the sudden arrivals of substitute teacher Madame Frechette, straight from Québec, and feisty Russian student Zhenya Kabakova. While Felix learns the meaning of French kissing, cultural misunderstanding, and \u003cem\u003etableaux vivants\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eWishin' and Hopin'\u003c\/em\u003e barrels toward one outrageous Christmas.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom the Funicello family's bus-station lunch counter to the elementary school playground (with an uproarious stop at the Pillsbury Bake-Off), \u003cem\u003eWishin' and Hopin'\u003c\/em\u003e is a vivid slice of 1960s life, a wise and witty holiday tale that celebrates where we've been—and how far we've come.\u003c\/p\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“Charming…. Full of pop-culture references of the day…this will have broad appeal.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Humorous and heartwarming…clever and well-written…A fun trip down memory lane from a skilled writer. The stocking stuffer might just become a cherished possession.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eColumbus Dispatch\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Lamb is a very good writer, and Wishin’ and Hopin’ is a charming read with a genuinely funny ending.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHouston Chronicle\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"We might as well call Wally Lamb the man with the golden pen...[\u003cem\u003eWishin’ and Hopin’\u003c\/em\u003e] will leave you laughing and thinking nostalgically about your own school days and holidays past.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBookPage\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Both heartwarming and laugh-out-loud funny…a cast of characters that are both uproarious and unforgettable…a poignant reminder that family and friends are the greatest gift of all.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHartford Books Examiner\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Lamb’s vividly detailed portrait of the 1960’s and the inner workings of a Catholic schoolboy’s mind puts his first Christmas book on par with his previous three novels.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMiami Herald\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“In the hands of Wally Lamb, what emerges isn’t an apology but a celebration of life...Felix makes a hilarious guide through a story that whirs right along.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWashington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A heartwarming slice of life....The entertaining characters will bring back youthful memories.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eRomantic Times (4 Stars)\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eWishin’ and Hopin’ \u003c\/em\u003efrom Wally Lamb reminds us of what innocence was like.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBody and Soul\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Lamb...proves he can be short, sweet and funny” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“This book is a bonbon for any baby boomer…Lamb gets Felix’s voice just right, and he does a spot-on job of evoking the special joys and trials of parochial school in the ‘60’s…Put a bow on this book and warm somebody’s heart.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSt. Petersburg Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Warmly, sweetly retro.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKansas City Star\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Lamb’s rich panoply of details...render this novel first-rate escapism just begging for a comforter and a cup of tea.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eMinneapolis Star Tribune\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Large Print","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44888649760997,"sku":"NP9780061950261","price":34.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780061950261.jpg?v=1730229531","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/wishin-and-hopin-a-christmas-story-isbn-9780061950261","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}