Christmas takes on a loving twist in a tale, which takes a familiar situation and mistake, and shows how a little love and effort help Christmas magic flow.

Carla can't wait to get to Grandma's house. It's Christmas Eve and, better yet, cornbread is on the menu. Grandma's cornbread is the best, and Carla loves to watch her make it. When Carla is about to turn in for the night, a pretty cookie on the table draws her attention, and she takes a nibble. And while it is yummy, she soon discovers that it's the cookie meant for Santa...and she just stole his cookie.

I had to smile while reading this one because it reminded me of a couple Christmases in my own family. Carla's excitement for something as simple as cornbread is so familiar...it's not always the gifts kids love. And when she makes the honest mistake of eating Santa's cookie, her guilt touches the heart. For her, Christmas is as good as ruined, and this is something young readers will identify with. Of course, this doesn't end on a bad note, though.

The family relationship is wholesome and strong. The love between the grandmother and her grandchildren is heart-warming and wakes memories in readers. I love how we get to see the cornbread sizzling in the pan...almost making the smell and sounds real. The grandmother's solution to Carla's problem illustrates love in every respect and shows that mistakes can be corrected. To round everything off, there's a lovely recipe at the end, so that the reader can make the Christmas Cornbread themselves. It's a rounded read for the holidays.
I received a complimentary copy and loved the natural feel of this one ( )