A War of Gifts

This Chirstmas season I decided to read one of the very few Christmas-oriented books on my To-Be-Read Shelf. I picked up A War of Gifts, by Orson Scott Card, which I got last Christmas. It is a tiny book; a novella, or short story, that comes in at only 126 pages. It is set in Card's Enderverse, and features some of the supporting cast from the Ender and Bean series.

It is a sweet little story about the kids in Battle School as they deal with not being able to celebrate Christmas (and/or Sinterklaas Eve). It focuses on Dink Meeker and Flip Rietveld as they secretly celebrate Sinterklaas Eve, and lead a Santa Claus revolution at the school. And, Card shows this story through the eyes of Zeck Morgan, a right-wing, religious zealot.

The story is short and sweet and even includes a chapter which was published as a standalone story called Ender's Stocking, in Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show. The only problem I would have recommended this book to everyone is that if you have never dipped your toe in the Enderverse and into any Battle School book, you may not have any clue what is going on. Also, what's wrong with you? Get out there and read Ender's Game
.