It's 1964 in this book, and ten-year-old Felix is sure of a few things: the birds and the bees are puzzling, television is magical, and this is one Christmas he'll never forget.

In this gem of a book, LBJ and Lady Bird are in the White House, Meet the Beatles is on everyone's turntable, and Felix Funicello (distant cousin of the iconic Annette!) is doing his best to navigate fifth grade—easier said than done when scary movies still give you nightmares and you bear a striking resemblance to a certain adorable cartoon boy.

Back in his beloved fictional town of Three Rivers, Connecticut, with a new cast of endearing characters, Wally Lamb's new book takes his readers straight into the halls of St. Aloysius Gonzaga Parochial School—where Mother Filomina's word is law and goody-two-shoes Rosalie Twerski is sure to be minding everyone's business. But grammar and arithmetic move to the back burner this holiday season with the sudden arrivals of substitute teacher Madame Frechette, straight from QuÉbec, and feisty Russian student Zhenya Kabakova. While Felix learns the meaning of French kissing, cultural misunderstanding, and tableaux vivants, Wishin' and Hopin' barrels toward one outrageous Christmas.

From the Funicello family's bus-station lunch counter to the elementary school playground (with an uproarious stop at the Pillsbury Bake-Off), Wishin' and Hopin' is a book with a vivid slice of 1960s life, a wise and witty holiday tale that celebrates where we've been—and how far we've come. A great book to give and receive this Christmas.

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Reviews
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"Charming.. Full of pop-culture references of the day.this will have broad appeal." (Library Journal )

"Lamb is a very good writer, and Wishin' and Hopin' is a charming read with a genuinely funny ending." (Houston Chronicle )

"Humorous and heartwarming.clever and well-written.A fun trip down memory lane from a skilled writer. The stocking stuffer might just become a cherished possession." (Columbus Dispatch )

"Humorous and heartwarming.clever and well-written.A fun trip down memory lane from a skilled writer. The stocking stuffer might just become a cherished possession." (Columbus Dispatch )

We might as well call Wally Lamb the man with the golden pen...[Wishin' and Hopin'] will leave you laughing and thinking nostalgically about your own school days and holidays past" (BookPage )


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Gift your loved ones this Christmas with Wishin' and Hopin': A Christmas Story.

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Other books by Wally Lamb:
The Hour I First Believed



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