“We skip Christmas, save the money, and go splash in the Caribbean for ten days.”
Luther and Nora Krank are facing a Christmas that will be a little bit lonely. Their only daughter is going to another country to serve in the Peace Corps and will not be home. As the hustle and bustle of the season starts, Luther has an idea. They can “skip Christmas” by going on a cruise. But, the rules are that they cannot participate in any of the Christmas activities, including putting a giant inflatable on their house and buying a tree from the Boy Scouts.
I saw Skipping Christmas at our local library book sale and thought it would make a great holiday read, especially since it was by John Grisham. I didn’t realize the book had been made into a movie years ago, but luckily for me, I hadn’t seen Christmas with the Kranks yet, so the book was new to me. I do plan to see the movie now that I’ve read the book.
Just as the Kranks get used to saying no to their friends and family and start really looking forward to their cruise, they get a big surprise. The kind of surprise that leaves them scrambling to try and resurrect their normal Christmas activities and find a good excuse for the new tans they are sporting from the tanning beds at the mall. I won’t spoil the surprise, but it all ends well.
Skipping Christmas is a very fun read. I am so glad I stumbled upon the book. It is appropriate for middle school readers and older and I would highly recommend it as a holiday read. It has a good lesson about what the real meaning of Christmas is and how it should be celebrated. If you read the book, join our Online Book Club discussion about the book!
What is your favorite holiday read? Comment below!
