Tiny Tim and The Ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge

The Sequel to A Christmas Carol

Children - Audiobook
Audio Book
Reviewed on 03/25/2019
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Author Biography

Norman Whaler is a multi-award winner from Grosse Pointe, MI, USA. With over 120 awards for his children's books, Norman focuses on positive messages, some on serious subjects and some that are just about fun. He is a member of SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators), IAN, and IBPA. His website is normanwhaler.com.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Erin Nicole Cochran for Readers' Favorite

Norman Whaler’s Tiny Tim and The Ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge is a sequel to the title we’ve all come to know and love by Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. It falls right in step with the original book so that one could almost believe it was written by Charles Dickens himself, which makes the story even more magical. Norman Whaler creates the perfect tale with Tim, Becky and Jimmy as the three main characters. One of the lines that struck me the most were the words, “But she also knew in her heart that it was the habit of despair that ultimately condemned a soul.”

This book took me through a whole gamut of emotions. The death of Ebenezer Scrooge and the way that his corner of the world had loved him and treasured him in his older years was hard to go through. It felt like someone close to you in your own life was dying; it was so expertly conveyed through the story line. There were moments that transfixed me, taking me deep into another era. The message that Scrooge was able to bring to Tim is one that we all need to hear from time to time. It had a religious bent toward the end and I cherished that; it felt very right and perfectly placed. A story to be shared at Christmas time and all the year round with your dearest of loved ones, and even those who might seem curmudgeonly themselves. It is a treasure to be gifted over and over again.

The audiobook is narrated in a hauntingly beautiful tone by Gordon Griffin and Naomi Frederick. Gordon Griffin’s ability to convey so many voices, from young to old, is absolutely praiseworthy. He is a man of many talents, including composer, lyricist, and established actor to name but a few of his varied abilities. Scrooge could be voiced by no one else. Naomi Frederick’s ability to bring Becky to life and into our hearts was nothing short of masterful. I have to presume she voiced the many children in the book as well, which again was done brilliantly. Tiny Tim and The Ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge was filled with creaking doors, footsteps, and the striking of church bells among other heartwarming and anxiety causing sounds that all pulled together to create an even more truly living world.

Peggy Jo Wipf

Tiny Tim and The Ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge takes you back in time to when Scrooge has died. Norman Whaler picks up the life of Tiny Tim Cratchit as he mourns his friend. Viewing his life, Tim feels the weight of his past failures and lost love. Christmas no longer holds the enchantment it once held as it was Scrooge who encouraged the unfortunate and the poor. Losing his will to live, Tim get a visit from Ebenezer’s ghost.
 
Writing a sequel to A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is not an easy task. But Norman Whaler captures the magical spirit of Christmas and touches the life of Tiny Tim Cratchit as Ebenezer’s spirit lives on. Flashbacks of Scrooge’s generosity and love for others remind Tim of his own shortcomings. As a sequel, in Tiny Tim and The Ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge the author keeps the characters in their true nature and setting, making the reader feel the novels come from same author. The greatest gift in the world, love, may truly be a gift we bestow on each other are the closing words from Norman Whaler. This portrays the heart and essence he wished to capture and did.
 
Having performer Gordon Griffin narrate this novel brings the characters to life as he adapts his voice perfectly for each person. The intensity needed for Tim Cratchit during his times of distress was excellent. I highly recommend listening to this audio book for the full effects of the characters and spirit in which Norman Whaler wrote. The beautiful Christmas songs at the end of the novel are definitely worth listening to repeatedly.

Ruffina Oserio

Tiny Tim and the Ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge: The Sequel to A Christmas Carol by Norman Whaler is an audiobook with strong religious themes, a Christmas narrative with a timeless message and one that will find a comfortable home with fans of Mitch Albom. Ebenezer Scrooge dies a few days before Christmas and this changes everything for Tiny Tim, the young man who had found in Scrooge a dear friend. This death comes at a moment when Tim is still aggrieved with the loss of his sweetheart, Becky. He thinks life is unfair, and allows the anger to take hold of him. But then Scrooge’s ghost comes back to offer new insights about life, the meaning of death, and what Christmas really signifies. Can the words of a ghost restore hope and bring back the faith of a despairing young man?

A brilliant re-enactment of Dickens’ characters in a beautifully narrated story of hope, faith, forgiveness and new beginnings. The narrative voice is clear and captivating and I felt that the narrator understood the story, captured its pulse, and maintained the pacing, just the way the author wrote it. It’s a story filled with lessons and it offered me great moments to be alone and to think about Christmas — even during a Lenten Season — and what it really means to forgive and let go of our pain. Tiny Tim and the Ghost of Ebenezer Scrooge features characters that readers can easily relate to and it handles themes that are part of our human experience. It is filled with light and love, entertaining as much as it teaches. One of the audiobooks you’d want to listen to more than once, even in your car; the kind that compels us to see beauty, even in our loss.