Of Mice and Nutcrackers: A Peeler Christmas (16 page)

I don’t have much more to say. I can’t tie up all the loose ends in my life because it’s going on right now. Our Christmas tree is up, and it looks great. This year I got to put the star on the top. Has Grandma gone home? Not yet, because Dad isn’t quite better, and we still need someone to take care of us while Mom works late. The idea, I think, is that Grandma will stay with us until Christmas and then go back to her apartment. Miss Gonsalves really liked the Sinatra record. Her mom had the same one.

Has Grandma stopped smoking? Of course she has. And if you eat the crusts of your sandwiches, your hair will grow curly.

Brad has gone to visit his dad over the Christmas holidays. I don’t know where. Did he ever tell his mother the truth about our nut project? I don’t know that, either. She hasn’t called me since.

Patti and I are still not best friends. I called her once to say hi. She asked how I was doing. Fine, I said.

I ran into Jiri and Michael at the mall. I told Jiri, again, how much I liked his ending to
The Nutcracker.
He said, again, how sorry he was that he didn’t remember his lines. His mind went blank onstage, and then the words just … appeared. Like a gift on the doorstep, he said. I told him I knew what he meant, and waved good-bye. Jiri waved back. Michael made a gun with his hand, and shot me good-bye. I wonder if he thinks this is suave?

Bill and David
are
still best friends. They play sailors together at our house, and study at David’s. Bill likes to show off his Hebrew words. David gave him a
kipah
to wear when they go to temple. Apparently
kipah
is the real name for the beanie. I didn’t know that – I thought it was called something else. I bought Bill a naval telescope for Christmas. I wonder if maybe I should take it back and get him a menorah instead. Mind you, a menorah makes an odd Christmas present.

I don’t know if we still have mice, but I suspect so. We’ve never caught any in the traps, but last night I had another bowling dream. I wonder if those kittens of Jiri’s are still available. I’ll ask him next term.

The idea for a sequel to
The Way to Schenectady
was Linda Granfield’s. I thanked her. She convinced my publisher, Kathy Lowinger, who thought it should be a seasonal story. I agreed. My agent, Dean Cooke, suggested that I hurry up and write it this year. I said okay. My wife, Bridget, who reads all my stuff first, worried about the balance of the big scene. I saw her point. My daughter Thea insisted that one of the names be changed. I changed it. My editor, Sue Tate, wanted an entire day to discuss inconsistencies. I gave it to her.

And you thought a writer’s life was lonely and pure.

Seriously, I’d like to thank all of the above for their contributions. Also, everyone connected with the Northumberland Players’ 200I production of
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
for letting me onstage, showing me a great time, and even trying to teach me – would you believe it? – to dance.

The Nose from Jupiter

Mild-mannered and shy, Alan Dingwall is not big or strong. He hates soccer, can barely survive math, and is a moving target for every bully in school. But all that changes when Norbert, an alien from Jupiter, moves into Alan’s nose.

A Nose for Adventure

Alan’s first trip to New York City begins badly. His father isn’t at the airport to meet him, and then Frieda – a girl he met on the plane – is almost kidnapped. Before long, smugglers are chasing Alan and Frieda through the streets of Manhattan. Fortunately help is on the way when Norbert comes to the rescue!

The Way to Schenectady

Jane Peeler is embarking on a typical family car trip. But during a stop at a gas station, Jane meets Marty, a kind, penniless, old man with a problem: he needs to get to Schenectady for his brother’s memorial service the next day. Jane’s plan to help Marty reach his destination leads the family on a hilarious detour.

Text copyright © 2001 by Richard Scrimger
Illustrations copyright © 2001 by Linda Hendry

Published in Canada by Tundra Books,
75 Sherbourne Street, Toronto, Ontario M5A 2P9

Published in the United States by Tundra Books of Northern New York,
P.O. Box 1030, Plattsburgh, New York 12901

Library of Congress Card Number: 2001086860

All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the publisher – or, in case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, a licence from the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agency – is an infringement of the copyright law.

National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication Data

Scrimger, Richard, 1957-
    Of mice and nutcrackers : a Peeler Christmas

eISBN: 978-1-77049-046-8

I. Hendry, Linda. II. Title.

PS8587.C74503    2001      jc813′.54      C2001-930267-3
PZ7.S37of    2001

We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing program.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program for our publishing activities.

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