Cody and Grandpa’s Christmas Tradition

During his family’s Christmas Eve celebration, Cody finds his grandfather sitting alone upstairs, gazing at a photograph of the men he served with in Vietnam. Grandpa explains how he and his fellow soldiers sang “Silent Night” under a bright star one Christmas Eve. That night, the soldiers vowed to gaze up at a star every Christmas Eve to “think about each other and those who didn’t come home.” Although Cody can sometimes take on a stiff, doll-like appearance, Van Wagoner (The Mermaid’s Gift) elegantly transitions from scenes of the festive household to shadowy ones of Cody’s grandfather in his youth at war. It’s hard to believe that Grandpa has sequestered himself away from the family on Christmas Eve for decades without it having been addressed (“No one has ever asked me about this picture,” Grandpa tells Cody), but Metivier (Until Daddy Comes Home) nevertheless delivers a poignant story about remembrance and togetherness. Ages 5–8. (Sept.)