The Happy Hollisters and the Ice Carnival Mystery (#16 in the Happy Hollisters series)A visit from Gram and Gramp Hollister in the Hollister home at Shoreham opens up the opportunity for the five children to go to Canada with their grandparents to see the Mardi Gras and Winter Carnival in Quebec. That, however, is not the only purpose of their trip. Mr. Hollister tells the children that a Christmas gift he had ordered for them has taken overlong in reaching Shoreham and, although he had wanted to keep it a secret, he is now worried about the delay. The gift was a cariole, a French Canadian sleigh, and was to be made by a master sleigh maker in Quebec. He commissions the children to try and solve the mystery of the missing sleigh. The children meet many interesting people and are introduced to the customs and ways of the French Canadians as well as encountering adventure and excitement in their efforts to find the sleigh . . . maker and the sleigh. The crowning glory for the children is their participation in the parade at the Winter Carnival.Again a Hollister story of mystery and adventure, with a setting that will introduce young readers to a different way of life in a most interesting and historic location.First published in 1958, this charming mystery-adventure story, faithfully reproduced, is now available in paperback and eBook for the first time Written for boys and girls between the ages of six and twelve, The Happy Hollisters are wholesome books, with an accent on humor and good, clean fun. Integrity always pays off and right wins over wrong. Parents, grandparents, and teachers love these books for their healthy celebration of life in simpler times. Kids are thrilled with the fast-paced action and will not want to put them down. The action-packed illustrations make the story - and the Hollister family - so vivid that the reader has a feeling of really sharing in on the adventures of this lovable and interesting family.
The Hollister children are onto another mystery - a cariole (sleigh) that they were to receive for Christmas is more than a month delayed, with its location unknown. The builder is from Quebec. When the children have the opportunity to visit Quebec with their grandparents for the Winter Carnival, they jump at the opportunity to solve the mystery as well. They set off on the kinds of adventures and mishaps that only the 5 Hollister children can get themselves into and out of, Grams and Gramps in tow. Readers are also treated to descriptions of the festivities of Winter Carnival in Quebec and of the wintery countryside.
The Hollister children are delightful. I loved this series as a child, and I still enjoy rereading it as an adult. The kids are plucky and resourceful, and the family unit is strong. Consequences are questionable, though - because it is a children's book the bad things are glossed over, but that means that consequences for things like bullying and stealing are glossed over with "well they apologized." It is perhaps not the best message for children reading the stories as there is really never an actual consequence for doing something wrong. Overall it's a fun read and there are important messages within the books, which emphasize helping others, solving problems, and treating people with respect.
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