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Mandie #25.5
Mandie and Joe's Christmas Surprise
When she finds herself in charge of the Christmas Eve skit, Mandie, with Joe's help, tries to remind everyone of the holiday's true meaning by secretly gathering all the town's orphans and giving them parts in the play as well as a home in the church basement. Also includes a script version of the story with stage directions.In charge of the Christmas Eve skit, Mandie, with Joe's help, tries to remind everyone of the holiday's true meaning by secretly giving all the town's orphans parts in the play as well as a home in the church basement
127 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1995
2 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
About the author
Lois Gladys Leppard
120 books289 followersLois Gladys Leppard was the author of the Mandie series of children's novels. Leppard wrote her first Mandie story when she was only eleven and a half years old, but did not become a professional author until she was an adult. Leppard has also worked as a professional singer, actress, and playwright. At one time, she and her two sisters, Sybil and Louise, formed a singing group called the Larke Sisters.
There are forty Mandie books in the main series, an eight-book junior series and several other titles. Leppard said that she could write a Mandie book in two weeks, barring any interruptions.
The eponymous heroine lives in North Carolina in the early 1900s, encountering adventure and solving mysteries with help from her friends, family, and pet cat, Snowball. These young reader novels are meant to teach morals as well as be fun and captivating stories to read. Leppard stated that her books contain "nothing occult or vulgar", and Mandie is depicted as a faithful Christian. The Mandie books often deal with issues of discrimination and prejudice relating to race (particularly with regard to the local Cherokee), class, and disability.
Lois Gladys Leppard based some of the incidents in her Mandie books on her mother's experiences growing up in North Carolina. The dedication in the first book is: "For My Mother, Bessie A. Wilson Leppard, and In Memory of Her Sister, Lillie Margaret Ann Wilson Frady, Orphans of North Carolina Who Outgrew the Sufferings of Childhood".
There are forty Mandie books in the main series, an eight-book junior series and several other titles. Leppard said that she could write a Mandie book in two weeks, barring any interruptions.
The eponymous heroine lives in North Carolina in the early 1900s, encountering adventure and solving mysteries with help from her friends, family, and pet cat, Snowball. These young reader novels are meant to teach morals as well as be fun and captivating stories to read. Leppard stated that her books contain "nothing occult or vulgar", and Mandie is depicted as a faithful Christian. The Mandie books often deal with issues of discrimination and prejudice relating to race (particularly with regard to the local Cherokee), class, and disability.
Lois Gladys Leppard based some of the incidents in her Mandie books on her mother's experiences growing up in North Carolina. The dedication in the first book is: "For My Mother, Bessie A. Wilson Leppard, and In Memory of Her Sister, Lillie Margaret Ann Wilson Frady, Orphans of North Carolina Who Outgrew the Sufferings of Childhood".
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 21, 2017
Ahh, such a sweet story!
I had read this little books several years ago when I read the entire 42-book Mandie series, and I re-read it last month with my reading buddy. It was really sweet! :) And Lisa. *laughs* Oh, Lisa. ;D
It's not a favorite of mine among the Mandie books (not a lot of mystery, here... xD), but still so good! Lots of Mandie/Joe moments for my fellow shippers out there, and the true reason of Christmas shows through very well. <3
This book would be good for any age, whether you're a long-time Mandie fan or new to the series. A sweet lil' Christmas story!
I had read this little books several years ago when I read the entire 42-book Mandie series, and I re-read it last month with my reading buddy. It was really sweet! :) And Lisa. *laughs* Oh, Lisa. ;D
It's not a favorite of mine among the Mandie books (not a lot of mystery, here... xD), but still so good! Lots of Mandie/Joe moments for my fellow shippers out there, and the true reason of Christmas shows through very well. <3
This book would be good for any age, whether you're a long-time Mandie fan or new to the series. A sweet lil' Christmas story!
December 20, 2019
What a sweet feel good story!
Mandie and Joe deliver the true meaning of Christmas. It’s not about the presents. They made it about doing the right thing for those in need.
I love their friendship and I love their interaction with all those that assisted.
Mandie and Joe deliver the true meaning of Christmas. It’s not about the presents. They made it about doing the right thing for those in need.
I love their friendship and I love their interaction with all those that assisted.
December 7, 2018
About this book:
“In this festive holiday story, Mandie finds herself in charge of the Christmas Eve skit at the church in Franklin, North Carolina. With Joe Woodard’s help, Mandie decides to plan a very special event that will remind everyone of the true meaning of the season.
The week before Christmas, Mandie and Joe secretly round up the orphan children in town and hide them in the church basement. As the stars of her Christmas skit, the little orphans need a place to stay, but will Mandie’s Christmas performance compel the people of Franklin to provide a permanent home for the children?
A Charming Christmas Story With a Script at the End for Mandie Fans to Perform.”
Series: Part of the “Mandie” series, but is considered to be an extra book and not part of the main series. Best to read in the middle of the main series but can be read at any time after the first book because this book is not mentioned in other books nor are other books mentioned besides the first book’s events.
Spiritual Content- Scriptures are mentioned, read, & remembered (mainly at the end with Mandie reading the Christmas story); Set during and around Christmas; Prayers; Talks about God, Christmas, & churches; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Many mentions of the first Christmas, reading it, & those in the Bible; Many mentions of Christmas, a play, songs/hymns, churches, church going, Sunday school, pastors, & sermons; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers & praying A couple mentions of thanking & praising God; A mention of being blessed;
*Note: Mentions of the devil (Liza wonders if he is at a spooky church & Mandie quickly says that the devil wouldn’t come into God’s house); A mention of Santa Claus.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘shucks’; A rude man calls Mandie a ‘half-breed’, but she yelled back that that what God made her (this happens in the story and in the script); Mandie does keep from her parents about the orphans and their part in the play; Mentions of a bootleggers brewing alcohol; A couple mentions of orphans being beaten; A mention of a (spooky) graveyard.
Sexual Content- N/A.
-Amanda “Mandie” Shaw, age 13
P.O.V. of Mandie
Set in the early 1901
128 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Three Stars
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
After completing the main Mandie series, it’s been bittersweet not reviewing those books anymore! This is considered an extra Mandie book that really isn’t connected to any of the books besides being set after the first book’s events. While I would have liked the ending to be a little bit better, it was still a good story and nice to see Mandie and Joe again.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
“In this festive holiday story, Mandie finds herself in charge of the Christmas Eve skit at the church in Franklin, North Carolina. With Joe Woodard’s help, Mandie decides to plan a very special event that will remind everyone of the true meaning of the season.
The week before Christmas, Mandie and Joe secretly round up the orphan children in town and hide them in the church basement. As the stars of her Christmas skit, the little orphans need a place to stay, but will Mandie’s Christmas performance compel the people of Franklin to provide a permanent home for the children?
A Charming Christmas Story With a Script at the End for Mandie Fans to Perform.”
Series: Part of the “Mandie” series, but is considered to be an extra book and not part of the main series. Best to read in the middle of the main series but can be read at any time after the first book because this book is not mentioned in other books nor are other books mentioned besides the first book’s events.
Spiritual Content- Scriptures are mentioned, read, & remembered (mainly at the end with Mandie reading the Christmas story); Set during and around Christmas; Prayers; Talks about God, Christmas, & churches; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God; Many mentions of the first Christmas, reading it, & those in the Bible; Many mentions of Christmas, a play, songs/hymns, churches, church going, Sunday school, pastors, & sermons; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers & praying A couple mentions of thanking & praising God; A mention of being blessed;
*Note: Mentions of the devil (Liza wonders if he is at a spooky church & Mandie quickly says that the devil wouldn’t come into God’s house); A mention of Santa Claus.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘shucks’; A rude man calls Mandie a ‘half-breed’, but she yelled back that that what God made her (this happens in the story and in the script); Mandie does keep from her parents about the orphans and their part in the play; Mentions of a bootleggers brewing alcohol; A couple mentions of orphans being beaten; A mention of a (spooky) graveyard.
Sexual Content- N/A.
-Amanda “Mandie” Shaw, age 13
P.O.V. of Mandie
Set in the early 1901
128 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- Three Stars
New Teens- Three Stars
Early High School Teens- Three Stars
Older High School Teens- Three Stars
My personal Rating- Three Stars
After completing the main Mandie series, it’s been bittersweet not reviewing those books anymore! This is considered an extra Mandie book that really isn’t connected to any of the books besides being set after the first book’s events. While I would have liked the ending to be a little bit better, it was still a good story and nice to see Mandie and Joe again.
Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
December 6, 2023
Mandie and Joe plan to give local orphans the best Christmas ever. A sweet book with a play script of the story in the back.
Content:
A girl is called a half-breed. Insinuation that some of the orphans have been abused.
Ages 8+
Content:
A girl is called a half-breed. Insinuation that some of the orphans have been abused.
Ages 8+
December 21, 2016
Not sure this is a realistic tale, even for the time period in which it is set. I also don't like books in which kids are encouraged to keep things from their parents, even for a good cause. The second half of the book is a 3-act play based on the first half of the book, which would be great if I were a classroom teacher, but didn't really work as just a general reader.
February 20, 2020
This book was so AMAZING! I read all the books in the Mandie series and was sad when I finished the last book. When I found out there were two extra Mandie books that Lois Gladys Leppard wrote I was so happy! This book is about the true meaning of Christmas and Mandie and Joe, with the help of some others, collet orphans and bring them to Mandie's church to live for a while.
A heart warming story about Christmas and Love.
A heart warming story about Christmas and Love.
December 31, 2019
A ok book. Generally, the storyline was a bit dry. I would recommend to big Mandie fans, but the average person wouldn’t really be drawn into the series through this book.
January 19, 2024
Very cute and short. I would have loved to perform the included play as a kid.
January 18, 2016
Mandie wants to celebrate Christmas as a time of giving rather than just of Santa Claus coming with presents. She and Joe organize a play to be given at the church. It was a relief to see that Mandie (for once) didn't get herself into trouble because she disobeyed advice given by the adults in her life.
March 8, 2010
Quite cute short story.
January 9, 2011
This book was not my favorite out of the series, but I still liked it.
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January 12, 2017I love the Mandie books
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews