Book guide: Mission: Save Christmas
Christmas is under threat!
Someone or a few destroy Christmas trees, and raisins turn into harlots in mulled wine. Gingerbread dough and packages disappear. Lina and Peppar must find out what is going on. And they have to save Christmas!
Questions about the book
1. In the book, Christmas is threatened. Not everyone celebrates Christmas. Have you celebrated Christmas? What do you like about Christmas? What do you like less?
2. In the book, it snows at Christmas. What do you think about snow? What do you like to do when it snows?
3. It is as if those who destroy Christmas are playing pranks. Have you ever fooled around? What is your funniest prank?
4. Åskbacken is an important place for Grandma Hilda. Which place is important to you and what do you usually do there?
5. Lina feels in her heart how much she missed Peppar. Who do you miss? And where in your body do you feel the loss?
6. In the car on the way to Åskbacken, Lina's siblings shout for them to be quiet, because he thinks it disturbs him when he is reading. When are you disturbed?
7. Pepper is a determined person who is not afraid to speak her mind. What could be good about being such a person as Pepper? What could be complicated?
8. Pepper gets caught, and Lina decides to help her even though it's dangerous. What is the most dangerous thing you have done?
Different holidays
Christmas is one of the biggest Swedish holidays, although of course not everyone in Sweden celebrates Christmas. It is rooted in the Christian traditions with such things as nativity scenes and Christmas Eve. And also borrows from paganism, with things like buck and fir.
Holidays can be a smart way to include different traditions, religions and cultures in school. By talking about them, exploring them and looking at what values they focus on, it is possible to naturally show curiosity and learn more, or make room for things that may be important to some children in private, but may tend to be invisible in the school environment.
