Books for the Holidays

Yuletide in the Motor City

No city seems to love Christmas as much as Detroit. Whether at Hudson's, or sitting at the Fox Theatre, or seeing the hundreds of dolls and live reindeer at the famous Rotunda, the city can't get enough of the holiday season. Detroiters have been celebrating Christmas for over 300 years, when the city was French and children waited for Pere Noel. As holiday traditions evolve, some endure, like Christmas trees and children writing letters to Santa. Some, such as meat pie and saying 1,000 Hail Marys for good luck, fade, and new ones--Santa at the Thanksgiving Day Parade--take their place.

Local history writer Bill Loomis leads a very merry jaunt through the happiest days of Christmas in Detroit.

Relieve the excitement of State Street's Christmas parade through these historic photographs, many of which have never been published ... until now!

State Street, that Great Street. The name itself stands the test of time, remembered by anyone who lived in or visited Chicago. It is the main artery of the heart of the city. It is where memories were made and kept. This book vividly recreates, for the first time, a Christmas holiday trip down State Street. You will visit many of the major shops and stores that existed during the 1940s and beyond, viewing old display windows and getting reacquainted with famous Christmas characters such as Weiboldts's Cinnamon Bear, Montgomery Wards's Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and the crown jewel of State Street, Marshall Fields's Uncle Mistletoe. Get into the Christmas spirit, taste the charm of holiday dining in State Street's fine restaurants, and the go back to that magical wonder of a child's first holiday trip to State Street, complete with a visit to Santa.

Generations of Clevelanders share cherished memories of the city at Christmastime. Many recall the incredible Sterling-Lindner Christmas trees, shopping for mom and dad at the Twigbee Shop and the mesmerizing Nela Park light displays. And no one can forget exciting downtown parades and enchanting visits with the beloved Mr. Jingeling. Yet few may know that E.L. Baldwin's 1881 sale paved the way for today's "Black Friday" frenzy or that, through the decades, a host of celebrities ranging from Bob Hope to boxer Joe Louis have helped make the holidays brighter for the city's neediest families. Touching on all of this and more, author Alan Dutka evokes fond recollections of bygone holiday seasons.

One of the grand annual events in Chicago's history is the spectacular Christmas Parade on State Street. Filled with pageantry, these parades showcase amazing floats and displays, often featuring local VIPs along with Hollywood stars. In this companion to Christmas on State Street: The 1940s and Beyond, Robert P. Ledermann continues his celebration of Christmas in Chicago. Over 200 photographs, including 16 pages of full color, lead you on a wonderful trip down memory lane; you will also share the recollections of many famous personalities who participated in the parade. Crowds viewed the famous windows at Marshall Field's and Carson's while awaiting the parade; complete sets of those windows are featured here. Finally, Chicago can be cold in the winter, so to warm up we'll stop in at Miller's Pub and the Berghoff Restaurant.

Louis J. Koch had a dream--one of family, fun, and Christmastime year-round. And so he created Santa Claus Land, the nation's first theme park, in Santa Claus, located in the gentle rolling hills of southern Indiana. Now, six decades later, Koch's legacy lives on at Holiday World and Splashin' Safari. Still owned and operated by the Koch family, Holiday World and Splashin' Safari are consistently voted the friendliest and cleanest parks in the country, and their wooden roller coasters are rated in the top ten list among coaster enthusiasts. The Koch family members treat visitors to the park as family and welcome everyone into what has become a true extension of their home.

Believe in the Magic

The most wonderful time of the year has its own special meaning for those who grew up in the Queen City. The elves at Shillito's and Pogie and Patter the talking reindeer were as integral to holiday merriment as caroling and eggnog. The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden really knows how to throw a Christmas party for people andanimals, and WinterFest at Kings Island provides much-needed warmth in the winter chill. Many city squares display Christmas trees bathed in lights and offer horse-drawn carriages or a skating rink. But only Cincinnati offers Santa rappelling down the face of a building and an ice skating rink with bumper cars.

Join local author Wendy Hart Beckman for a merry jaunt through Yuletide years gone by.

Journey to a region where all the perennials are said to bloom at midnight on Christmas Eve and where a family's luck is determined by the first person to walk through their door on New Year's Day. Spend a literary Christmas in Herrin, listen to the twelve bells of Belleville ring out the coming year and greet the Three Kings of Germantown at Epiphany. Whether you are a newcomer to southern Illinois or whether you feel like you have been singing La Guiannee" since the tradition started in Prairie du Rocher in 1720, join John J. Dunphy for a season of sacred memories and merry recollections."