Return to Christmas

by Chris Heimerdinger

Until he was three years old, Artemus Holiday and his twin brother, Andrew, shared all the adventures of life. But when young Artemus lost his brother in a terrible tragedy on Christmas day, the magic of the Christmas season seemed forever shrouded by a cloud of sadness and despair. But miracles have been known to happen during this time of year. This heartwarming Christmas story follows the lives of two eleven-year-old heroes—the wary and cynical Artemus and an outcast named Chess, a homeless con artist with a heart of gold. Through a simple twist of fate, these boys will find themselves swept into the adventure of a lifetime—one that takes them beyond their wildest imaginings. A Return to Christmas wraps holiday sadness, joy, and wonder into one very special package. 2 cassettes, running time approximately 3 hours.

Genres: Christmas, Fiction, Lds Fiction, Holiday, Lds, Young Adult, Middle Grade

Audio Cassette

First published January 1, 1996

About the author

Chris Heimerdinger is an author and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) who has presently written sixteen adult and young adult novels, most of which center on religious themes familiar to LDS members. Most are published with Covenant Communications in American Fork, Utah. One title, A Return to Christmas was also picked up by Random House/Ballantine in 1995. When the title was released by Ballantine in 2004, it was republished by Covenant Communications.

Reviews

[Janssen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was SO fun to read again - Bart started listening a few chapters in and then was as hooked as the rest of us. Perfect Christmas time read.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

12/22/2019
Always a good book to revisit. I still remember a lot of spots Mr. Applegate stopped reading to spur a class discussion, even some of the voices he did, which only makes this book more special to me.

12/20/2016 review, 5 stars
My love for this book is purely sentimental. My 5th grade teacher had a knack for picking out great books to read to us—most of them are to this day still among my favorites. It's super cheesy at times, but that's kind of to be expected in a Christmas story, right?

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the re-telling of the Prince and the Pauper story. Twins are seperated at birth and one is raised to be a rich arrogant boy and the other is a poor petty criminal. They swap places and learn lessons about life and learning to be grateful for what they have. This all happens around Christams.

My disbelief had to be suspended, because honestly, how do parents not know that someone is not their son. As a twin, I can honestly say that even identical twins can be recognized as not being perfectly identical. The personalities of the two boys were completely different.

[Dianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

i first read this book in the 90's. was impressed. i wanted to read again and again.
my parents came to visit just after i had read the first time. my father saw the cover and decided that maybe he would skim through the pages. HA. he ended up reading the book cover to cover and enjoyed the story as much as i had.
Chris keeps you on the rollercoaster ride with this book

[Bree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just plain my favorite book. It doesn't even have to be christmas and it'll make you cry, guaranteed

[Tucker Fielding · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really sweet and heartwarming story! The first half of the book was a little slow and hard to get through and I thought I’d be bored throughout the whole book but the second half was very worth reading and it made everything click in the end. (: I recommend this book to anyone who doesn’t want a chunky book and not a terribly boring story.

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was completely ridiculous. How do parents not recognize their own son? Really the twin didn’t die but happened to get picked up by some drugged up lady? What was she doing in Utah anyway? Never explained. And the two boys just happened to run into each other? What are the odds? And how did uncle boon hand chess over to child services and then somehow get him back later just to help him run scams when in the end he reveals he’s not even related to him? Just so unbelievable. But it was almost so ridiculous that it was awesome. That’s why 2 stars not 1

[Natalie Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

So freaking good!

[Rayni · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was telling an aunt about Donna VanLiere's Christmas Shoes series & how I loved those books. So my aunt told me about this book & that I would love it. It had been a gift to her & she read it in one sitting. She brought it over this evening. Yes, I did enjoy it. Yes, it was unputdownable, just as she had said. I had started another book this afternoon & was right in the middle of it. I did not plan to read A Return to Christmas tonight. However, I started reading the cover blurb & the beginning of the book. I IMMEDIATELY knew how it was going to end. I started for the end of the book, as I invariably do, & she made me promise, pinky-swear, that I would not read the end of the book. I had the hardest time keeping that promise. When I finished the book, just as my son & his girlfriend came home & wanted the only couch in the house, my mom immediately asked me if I had read the end. I had to tell her a couple of times I DID NOT READ THE END OF THE BOOK!!!

Because it took place in Salt Lake City, & I lived there for almost 20 years, it was easy to picture the city, Temple Square all lit up, the Christus, the freeways ...

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I chose this as a Christmas-themed read aloud to Keira (age 11) for a break from our never ending slog through Harry Potter ;). The plot was *quite* a stretch, and while Keira didn’t love it, we persevered to the end. The best part for us was reading a book set in our own state, with so many familiar cities, highways, and other landmarks.

[Lynae Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I surprisingly really enjoyed this book. It was predictable in some ways, and yet totally not at the same time. :) It was intriguing, sweet, and touching without being too much, too sappy and too unbelievable.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book of separated twins. It deals with a family's grief and how they deal with it...not so good. Also two 11 yr. old boys discovering happiness and what's really important in life.

[Gerberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great read-aloud-with-kids kind of book. We loved it.

[Makayla Woods · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually really enjoyed this blind date with a book! I would never have read this story otherwise! This book was written with a lot of emotion, and the characters all had depth to them. I loved the message of the true meaning of Christmas spread throughout. I also didn't see the plot twist coming! I will definitely read this book to my future kids someday!

If you liked the book, then I suggest:
The Wild Robot
The Aquamarine Surfboard
Kiki's Delivery Service
Look for Me by Moonlight

Watch:
Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas

Listen:
Any of Brett Elderedge's Christmas Albums: Glow, Mr. Christmas, Merry Christmas: Welcome to the Family

[Nicole Brockwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally finished our Christmas advent reading three weeks late. Finally! This was a fun read. 25 chapters so it conveniently fits as an advent reading. I would say perfect for elementary aged kids. I thought it was pretty predictable but my kids were blown away by the conclusion. The vocabulary is fantastic. There were words in the book even I didn’t know the definition of.

The author is LDS. This mainly is seen when they visit s lights display at an LDS church. Not pushy and easily avoidable if (like me) you aren’t LDS.

[Macy Lugo · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids and I loved this book. I read aloud to them over the course of a few weeks. They would play with legos and didn’t want me to stop reading. We loved the story. Lots of twists and turns that had us keep turning the pages. It felt like we were watching a really good, suspenseful movie. Multiple times my boys said how fun the book was, they loved it, they didn’t want me to stop. I enjoyed this book and bonding with my boys while we read it, especially!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to suspend a lot of belief with this one, but as long as I could set that aside and remind myself that it was fiction I could enjoy the story. There were some good lessons and it was a really fun one to read with my son. It was hard to put down and we stayed up too late reading (just one more chapter) and then we would wake up to speed read before remote learning started.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this with my kids on the car ride up to the ski hill—Fun to read together!

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fast moving, but predictable.
Two boys encounter each other in a store. One is there to purchase new clothes, the other to steal what he needs to stay warm. These boys look remarkably alike and through an accident, exchange places for a short time. The poor boy finally knows what family is, the rich young man finally learns to appreciate his family.

[Mercy Davenport · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great Christmas read aloud with the kids. Lots of redemption in the story.

[Danae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bawled my eyes out as I read the last few pages to the kids! I love the message of this story and the hope it reminds us of, the hope of Christ.

[Brittany Fielding · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is seriously one of the best Christmas books I’ve ever read. I read this book back in my childhood and there’s so much nostalgia. If you haven’t read it, you need to. It’s a classic Christmas story. It’s also a quick read. 5 stars all the way!!! Tis the season to read Christmas books!!!

[04TannerH Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Return to Christmas by Chris Heimerdinger, Year 1996, Pages 141.

I think this book could be for anyone who is looking for a little christmas spirit and magic. The main problem I think is when the Holidays Andrew dies on Christmas day. The setting of this book is in parts of Utah mainly Sugar House and Las Vegas. The setting could be changed but you would still need the same time of the year and weather conditions I think. The Main character are the two twin boys Artemus and Andrew Holiday. In the biginning of the book the twins are both 3 years old at the supposive death of Andrew but most of the book takes place when they are 11.

The two twin Boys, Artemus and Andrew Holiday grew up having fun until the age of 3 when on christmas day Andrew fell in the river and drowned. From then on the Christmas season was never the same for the Holidays. It was around the Christmas season when Artemous was at the mall shopping when he ran into someone that looked like himelf. Andrew needed clothes so he stole artemuses and ran out with the clothes to the parking lot when the collision happend and that is when the boys found themelves in very unfamiliar worlds. Through this the boys have switched worlds and do not know who and what is going on around them. Chess Folum (Andrew in the book thought he has always been with his uncle boon. While Andrew is enjoying the new life with his family he has no clue about Artemus is trying to find his way back home. During this time they find out how much they love family. In the end Artemus and Andrew Holiday are reunited and the family that thought they lost there son has been alive all along.

I liked the book. It had a good story line that kept me involved and a good climax. I loved the tension it brought at the end of the story and all the times in between. The quotes I liked from the book that showed a little taste of what the tesion was like are from page 61 where it says,"with a grip tight enough to squeeze of the curculation boon led artemus to the door" the other one is from page 118 where it says,"This is the Holiday residence no one can come to the phone right now. If you wouldnt mind terribly, please leave a message and we'll call you right back." I Think the theme for this book is recognize the love and help your family gives you just in times when you have hard and confusing times. This book could really be for anyone really who wants a good read with a good ending for the christmas holiday. The outcomes, climax, and the ending in this book were all huge surprises. It was an exciting book with a good ending.

[Juergen John Roscher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Each Christmas season I try to read or listen to several Christmas books. I found a copy of “A Return to Christmas” at a local used book store and decided to give it a try. I was familiar with Heimerdinger’s “Tennis Shoes” series so I thought I would see what kind of Christmas story he could write.

This is a story of a Christmas miracle – a very unlike one that rekindles a family’s Christmas spirit and even reunites them in the conclusion of the story.

The story is about a wealthy couple that lost the desire for Christmas when one of their twin boys died in a Christmas time accident. Ever since the tragic accident, Christmas has been a time of guilt and remembrance of the event rather than a time of celebration, love, and remembering the birth of Christ.

Due to some happenstances that leave the reader doubting the possibility of the events of the story, the family starts to enjoy the Christmas season when their son is abducted and an identical looking boy takes his place in their home. Eventually the son escapes from his abductor and returns to his home to find that, surprise, his abductor and the other boy were stealing some of the family’s valuables. The daughter of the family happens to come home and sees that something is wrong in the home and calls the police. When the police come and the family returns to their home an unexpected surprise is revealed. I won’t ruin the surprise for those who might want to read this book.

I thought the book relied upon too much coincidence for the story’s plot. I know miracles are accepted and expected in Christmas stories but the circumstances in this book were beyond a miracle and an excess of unbelievable conditions to drive the story to completion.

The story was well written and had compelling characters, but I could not get over how everything depended upon luck and unbelievable circumstances. Moreover, I could not buy the fact that the family could not tell that the boy in their home was not their son even though he looked like him.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy reading Christmas stories, especially if you happen to be a fan of Heimerdinger’s other stories or if you like having a Christmas story the is placed in Utah. I would rate this as an average Christmas story but is worth a quick read.

Other books I’ve read by author
None

[kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chess Folsom, an orphan who has lived with a criminal and abusive uncle his entire life, suddenly finds himself accepted as the son of a wealthy Salt Lake Family. For the first time in his life he finds out what it's like to have parents and a sister and all the things he needs and more. Chess is overwhelmed by it all and soon finds that he would give anything to be a part of this family for the rest of his life. But his uncle has other plans. Artie on the other hand who finds himself separated from his family finds that he suddenly misses what he took for granted. This is a heartwarming tale about family, Christmas and acceptance.

Chess and Artie are only eleven years old. My grandson is the same age. I found this tale a little unbelievable because I couldn't see my own grandson being able to do the things these boys did

[Lisa Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Holiday family has lost the spirit of Christmas. Ever since their 3 year old boy, Andrew, drowned on Christmas day 8 years earlier, they have had a hard time celebrating anything. However, things get completely shaken up, when Artemis (his twin) gets mixed up with another boy, a runaway named Chess. While Artmeis is in danger, Chess is enjoying what it is like to not only be in a place where he has everything he needs, but to have a "real" family for the first time in his life. However much fun as he is having, he knows that the truth will come out soon, and the outcome may be drastic.

Such a wonderful and sweet Christmas story. I read it originally 14 years ago when it first came out, and I just read it again with my family. Very fun.

[Chanae · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book when I first read it years ago. I saw it at Seagull Book a few weeks ago so bought it and just finished reading it again.

I still enjoyed the story. Unfortunately there is a lot that happens that is just unbelievable and very unrealistic. However, I think the message that "Christmas is a time for healing, love and family," still comes across well despite all the unrealistic things that happen in the story.

I'm changing my rating from 4 stars to 3 (3.5 if I could). If I were to give it an unbiased rating (as if I never read it before) it would probably be a 2 - so taking in the fact that I loved this when I first read it so long ago I am giving it a 3.

[Misty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book years ago. When I recently saw it again, I remembered it as a fun kids book with a nice message of healing.

Brontë and I read it together each night for a few weeks. It was fun for me to experience her reluctance to put it down at the end of each evening and her excitement to pick it up the next evening. The chapter endings were cliff hangers.

The story-line reminded me of The Prince and the Pauper set in modern days with familiar places. Brontë was so enthralled by the adventure, that during the day she would think about the characters; trying to guess the mystery.

I give reading together with her.... a million stars.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An imaginative story with an intriguing plot. Through an impossible (almost) series of circumstances and coincidences two boys learn some amazing life lessons and come to understand that there truly is a God who cares about them and who is guiding their lives. The series of events portrayed in the book is frustrating, comical, agonizing, heartbreaking, and heartwarming. All in all, an easy and delightful read. Could say more, but I'm afraid that would release some spoilers. I would recommend this book for older pre-teens (ages 10-12), as well as teenagers and adults. It is available on CD, which is how my husband and I enjoyed it. It was fun to listen to together.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Christmas themed combo of The Prince and the Pauper and Oliver Twist. I don't think he built enough sympathy for Artie at the start of the story, in fact he seemed a spoiled brat, I realize there were reasons for that but it was harder to root for him later, and made it a bit less believable. Still it was a pretty good read for a short Christmas story.