In the tone of A Christmas Story, syndicated columnist and author Joseph Walker has created a coming-of-age story and, one of fitting in with Christmas on Mill Street (Shadow Mountain; Oct. 2009; 978-1-59038-804-4; Hardcover, $14.95). 

Sam Andrews is having trouble fitting into his new Utah neighborhood.  A recent Arizona transplant, Sam made a hasty promise in hopes of gaining acceptance—to sled the infamous, un-sleddable Mill Street on Christmas day. 

Only a few minor problems with his plan: Sam doesn’t own a sled, he doesn’t know how to sled, and for that matter he has never even seen snow before.  But to the kid who tried to dress up as Fidel Castro on Halloween amid the Cuban Missile Crisis, inadvertently turned the church Christmas pageant into a comedy, and witnessed Santa Claus fall out of a helicopter, a few minor details are nothing to sweat about.  Now, if he can just convince Santa he really does deserve that Flexible Flyer….

Readers will laugh out loud at Sam’s adventures and fondly recall their own childhood memories of the holiday season; you’ll be as eager as Sam’s friends to find out if he makes it all the way down Orchard Drive. Based in part on the author’s own childhood experiences, Christmas on Mill Street is the perfect book for anyone who knows (or used to be) the boy who really wanted to be good, but had a bit of trouble actually making it there. 

Christmas on Mill Street will be available at retailers nationwide and online.