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Reviewed by Karen Tolentino for Readers' Favorite
Before Christmas, ten-year-old Joy Hardwick writes Santa a letter asking for just one thing: to bring her father home from a faraway war. Can Santa grant her wish? The Adventures of Black Santa by Bodie Plecas follows Joy as she clips her letter to the mailbox. A mysterious gust of wind carries it straight to the North Pole. There, Santa Claus is a warm, jolly, dark-skinned man. He reads the letter and is unsure how to make it happen. He admits he needs help. Then his night of deliveries goes wrong in a way no one at the North Pole planned for. Santa ends up stranded in an unfamiliar town, far from his sleigh and reindeer, with the clock ticking toward morning. Along the way, he meets a lively group of people, including a sharp-witted grandmother with a handy cane, two bright girls, their curious little brothers, and neighbors who may be more willing to believe than they first appear. What starts as a child’s simple letter becomes a race against time and a gentle test of faith.
Bodie Plecas writes in the warm, chatty voice of a storyteller beside a fireplace, and it suits the material beautifully. He speaks to the reader directly, sometimes poking gentle fun at Santa’s eager helper, Mr. Pickle. The children's dialogue sounds realistic: bossy, funny, and full of wonderful questions. Meema and Santa are standout characters. Readers will like them. The story feels cozy and magical, from the reindeer stable to Mrs. Claus’s quiet wisdom. Once the sleigh goes missing, the author adds real suspense with a few tense moments, but the humor is never far away. Its themes of family, faith, and kindness between strangers come naturally. The Adventures of Black Santa features a Black Santa, something few holiday books offer. Overall, this chapter book makes a lovely Christmas gift and is one to return to every December.
