My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories

It’s that rarest of short story collections: There’s not a single lump of coal. (Short stories. 12-18)

Copyright 2014 Kirkus Reviews, LLC Used with permission

Cute boys, mistletoe, counting down to the midnight kiss on New Year's Eve--there's no shortage of cozy setups for holiday romance in this captivating collection of short stories by a dozen of today's top YA authors. Readers will also find a broad cross-section of other emotions and relationships in these tales about the significance of varied holiday traditions. Jenny Han delivers a fantasy-tinged entry about a Korean girl left as an infant in Santa's sleigh, who is now the only human girl at the North Pole (and crushing on a cute elf). Kelly Link delves into supernatural territory, featuring a mysterious Christmas Eve visitor in an elegantly embroidered coat. And the Jewish narrator of David Levithan's story undertakes a wild nighttime mission, donning a Santa suit to help preserve a sense of Christmas magic for his boyfriend's young sister. A rare seasonal treat. Ages 13-up. (Oct.)

Gr 7 Up--Twelve of the best-loved and best-known young adult authors-Rainbow Rowell, David Levithan, and Matt de la Pena among them-have contributed stories to this appealing collection. Most have a Christmas setting, but Hanukkah, the winter solstice, and New Year's Eve are also represented. Most are realistic, but Holly Black, Kelly Link, Jenny Han, and Laini Taylor have contributed tales steeped in fantasy or the supernatural. What all 12 selections have in common is teen romance at its most fragile and meaningful. Never mind the winter holidays; booktalk this title all year round.--Virginia Walter, UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies