title: Smudge and the Book of Mistakes: A Christmas Story
author:  Gloria Whelan 
description: Gr 2-5-A talented but easily frustrated young man is transformed by the encouragement and belief of the right mentor. Like many boys, Cuthbert is impatient, lacks discipline, and doesn't like making mistakes. After his annoyed father sends him to a monastery, he ends up in the scriptorium, where he earns the name "Smudge" for his poor skills. When he is mistakenly assigned to do the lettering for the Christmas story, everyone is sent into a tizzy except for master illuminator Brother Bede, who sees some talent in the boy and takes the time to encourage him to practice. Eventually the two create a masterpiece. Whelan's prose makes the long blocks of text flow like water and includes fun details (like the monks taking their yearly bath in preparation for Easter). Costanza's illustrations have the look and feel of animated movie art, which adds humor to what is essentially an apprenticeship tale. A lengthy read-aloud for parent/child sharing, but one that could be inspirational for the right listener.-Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
zlib_text: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00004.jpg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00001.jpg)
  
  THE CHRISTMAS KNOT
  
  A Slightly Gothic Regency Mystery Romance Novella
  
  BARBARA MONAJEM
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00001.jpg)
  
  The Christmas Knot © 2015 by Barbara Monajem
  
  All Rights Reserved.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](images/00001.jpg)
  
  CHAPTER ONE
  
  Wanted: respectable, fearless widow to serve as governess to two children in
  remote Lancashire location. Spartan conditions, haunted house, fair pay.
  Inquire at the Duck’s Head, Rawden.
  
  As the stagecoach neared Rawden, Edwina White withdrew the advertisement from
  the agony column of The Times and perused it again. Not that she needed to—she
  already knew it by heart.
  
  In her mind, she put check marks against the requirements, as she’d done many
  times before.
  
  Widow—yes.
  
  Fearless―no, not precisely. Desperate was a better word for it, but
  desperation breeds courage, so…yes.
  
  Respectable—almost. She’d behaved badly once, but that was nearly twelve years
  ago. Since then, she’d been married and 