The Return of Knecht Ruprecht

Honesty, trust, integrity and more!

This story caught be completely unaware. I was not prepared for the beautiful life lessons buried in the pages of The Return of Knecht Ruprecht.

The cover indicates a dark fairy tale and that aspect is available to the reader but this book has so much more! The opening paragraphs drew me in with what felt to me like, “The Polar Express.” Magical and beautifully written.

The characters are three tween children from very different backgrounds. Jack is the innocent one, Chance is abusive, and Emily is a gifted. A neighborhood man is labeled the “dirty Santa” by the locals because of his appearance. Judgments are quickly made and then dashed to bits as we realize how quick we are to judge people by the appearance or masks they wear. Life lesson

One of the characters sets off a chain of events that drives the story forward. The children are sent on a quest of discovery and every choice they make alters the outcome of the story. Without spoiling the story line I will say this, my ten and seven year old loved this book. I read it to them, which I haven’t done in a while, and I was mesmerized by their reactions. They were excited, scared, emotional, and touched. They learned to listen to their inner voice and respect their elders. Life lesson

Perhaps the most important lesson can be found in the sentence, “A man is judged by his actions not his words.” Martin Luther King Jr. said it, Mahatma Gandhi lived it, and even the Bible agrees with it. Honesty, trust, and integrity. Well Done! I will recommend this book to anyone and everyone!