Bah! Humbug!

A school production of A Christmas Carol sets the stage for this retelling of Dickens’s classic alongside a contemporary family drama that parallels the beloved tale. Eleven-year-old Harry is prepared to play Scrooge, even though he’s “nervous times four” to do so. But as soon as he hits his stride on stage, Harry sees his distracted, workaholic father sneak out of the show. Just as Harry is visited by various spirits in the show, Dad has similar experiences, haunted by memories of the past and realizations about the present and future. Rosen intersperses the play’s lines with passages of prose, allowing readers a front-row seat to both sets of proceedings. Signature loose-lined ink drawings of modern and period characters by Ross (the Horrid Henry books) pepper the pages. Dad’s admissions about a tough childhood and difficult marriage strike an adult tone, but they dovetail with Dickens’s themes of memory and regret. After happy endings prevail, Rosen (We’re Going on a Bear Hunt) offers concluding pages filled with recipes, games, and other holiday fare. Ages 8–12. [em](Sept.) [/em]