Publisher's Synopsis
Bernice Blossom Bolton is nine and a half-years-old, and taking her first trip to New York City. After refusing to go to breakfast, because she is angry at not receiving any gifts on Christmas morning, she decides to leave the hotel and explore the city on her own. During her walk she encounters a number of interesting people, from the phony Santa guy ringing a bell on the corner of Fifth Avenue, to the kindly pretzel vendor, to the not-so-kind taxi driver who almost runs her over as she attempts to cross the street. Eventually, Bernie makes her way to Central Park where she spends the rest of day with a remarkable homeless man named, Ellis Duncan. As evening falls, Ellis Duncan tells Bernie about a long ago Christmas, and a wonderful and unforgettable gift. BERNIE BOLTON'S BIG APPLE CHRISTMAS, attempts to convey the simplest of lessons...that not all gifts are the ones you receive. Bernie Bolton is, indeed, a force to be reckoned with as she charges head-first into the 21st century. She is feisty and fun, liberated and opinionated, and definitely ready to take on the world. Today's pre-teen girls will be able to relate to Bernie as she struggles to understand her fast changing world, to deal with the changes in her family, and to come to terms with the changes in herself.
