What do you think?
Frede and Santa (WINTER)
In a faraway village there lives a farmer with his wife. The summer harvest has failed and winter already arrives. So, how should they feed their three sons? The idea arises to fetch wood in the northern forest. They could dry it, sell it from door to door and earn some money to buy food.
Frede knows that his parents are doing their best, but is it enough to withstand the most barren period of the year? Together with his brothers, Rhune and Folke, he wants to visit Santa and ask him for help. But, first they must travel through that extensive forest where the evil Elf King lurks.
[Family Read Aloud]
[Midde Grade Novelette]
[Crossover Fiction]
[Seasonal Stories, Holidays]
[#1/4: WINTER Tale]
Frede knows that his parents are doing their best, but is it enough to withstand the most barren period of the year? Together with his brothers, Rhune and Folke, he wants to visit Santa and ask him for help. But, first they must travel through that extensive forest where the evil Elf King lurks.
[Family Read Aloud]
[Midde Grade Novelette]
[Crossover Fiction]
[Seasonal Stories, Holidays]
[#1/4: WINTER Tale]
36 pages, Paperback
First published December 6, 2014
About the author
Leen Lefebre
15 books53 followersLeen Lefebre grew up in West Flanders where she works at the Local Heritage Service. As a kid, she threw herself upon each book that was available. Later, she turned around and settled on the worldwide web. She then emerged as a true explorer of literature, music, and sports. Leen is a dreamer and a doer – and this is how her stories rose up as charming and lively fairy tales for adventurers of all ages.
Leen Lefebre groeide in Deerlijk op, in West-Vlaanderen, waar ze werkt op de dienst Erfgoed. Ze wierp zich al erg vroeg op elk boek dat voorhanden was. Daarna wentelde en nestelde ze zich in het wereldwijde web. Literair, muzikaal en sportief ontpopte ze zich als een ware ontdekkingsreiziger. Leen is dromer én doener. Zo zijn ook al haar boeken ontstaan: verhalen voor avonturiers – jong en oud.
Leen Lefebre groeide in Deerlijk op, in West-Vlaanderen, waar ze werkt op de dienst Erfgoed. Ze wierp zich al erg vroeg op elk boek dat voorhanden was. Daarna wentelde en nestelde ze zich in het wereldwijde web. Literair, muzikaal en sportief ontpopte ze zich als een ware ontdekkingsreiziger. Leen is dromer én doener. Zo zijn ook al haar boeken ontstaan: verhalen voor avonturiers – jong en oud.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
November 15, 2018
4,25 sterren - Free ebook - werd in een bericht van de schrijfster gewezen op dit boek. Wat een leuk verhaal. Ik heb het met plezier aan een aantal kinderen op de kinderafdeling van het plaatselijke ziekenhuis voorgelezen. Zij wilde ook wel een broertje als Frede en een hulpje net als Nisse. ❤️😁❤️😁🌺
December 4, 2017
(Disclaimer – I received a copy from the Author. This does not affect my review in anyway)
Review: Liked it, a nice easy and fun children’s book. It sits at 36 pages so it a fast read. Which is sometimes very key for children’s book, keep it short and sweet. You don’t want to be reading a 300 page book to a child when your trying to get them to sleep. Unless that kid is a book nerd, then you go kid 🙂
The first book was done in the Author’s naive tongue; Dutch. This is evident a little in the translation to English, you do get the odd é throughout the book. This doesn’t affect understanding the book in anyway.
https://lfbooks.blog/
Review: Liked it, a nice easy and fun children’s book. It sits at 36 pages so it a fast read. Which is sometimes very key for children’s book, keep it short and sweet. You don’t want to be reading a 300 page book to a child when your trying to get them to sleep. Unless that kid is a book nerd, then you go kid 🙂
The first book was done in the Author’s naive tongue; Dutch. This is evident a little in the translation to English, you do get the odd é throughout the book. This doesn’t affect understanding the book in anyway.
https://lfbooks.blog/
December 19, 2016
Sfeervol kerstverhaal over de jongen Frede die een donker en gevaarlijk woud doorkruist om de kerstman om hulp te vragen.
December 7, 2017
Today We Did
Frede and his family live in a small village on the edge of a large forest. Unfortunately the summer crops did not thrive, and they have entered winter in dire need of more food. Frede convinces his older brothers to travel with him to visit the Christmas village and ask Santa for help. In order to reach Santa, the three boys must traverse the forest, where an Evil Elf King lurks, just waiting for victims to come his way.
This book was first published in Dutch under the title Frede en de Kerstman. I read the English translation, though I wish I read Dutch well enough to read Frede and Santa in its original form; a translation doesn’t always do the story justice. Some of the word choices and sentence structure isn’t what one would expect from native English writers, and I had to re-read a number of parts to follow what was happening. And even then there were still a few bits I didn’t get the full meaning of. Despite this, I was able to enjoy the story well enough.
Frede and Santa is a fairytale-esque, magical adventure. The story flowed at a steady pace, but I thought the ending felt rushed and slightly disappointing. I would have liked more time spent in the Christmas village, and more time getting to know the elves and Santa. I was also expecting a rescue mission that was more involved, but due to the brevity of the story, I guess there just wasn’t time.
The three brothers were well developed characters. Frede was a spirited little fellow with his family’s best interests in his heart. I rather liked Folke and Rhune too, though they were quite different to each other. I really liked the way that the boys were described based on the seasons. The other characters felt a bit shallow, but again, there just wasn’t enough time to get to know them very well.
I don’t think that the cover suits the story. After reading the book, I pictured Frede as the son of a poor farmer with simple, well-worn, home-made clothing, rather than the modern boy on the cover.
Overall, Frede and Santa was a sweet festive read about being brave and strong for your loved ones. While the story itself is suitable for all ages, the difficulties arising with the translation make this a story better shared between adults and children.
*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.
Frede and his family live in a small village on the edge of a large forest. Unfortunately the summer crops did not thrive, and they have entered winter in dire need of more food. Frede convinces his older brothers to travel with him to visit the Christmas village and ask Santa for help. In order to reach Santa, the three boys must traverse the forest, where an Evil Elf King lurks, just waiting for victims to come his way.
This book was first published in Dutch under the title Frede en de Kerstman. I read the English translation, though I wish I read Dutch well enough to read Frede and Santa in its original form; a translation doesn’t always do the story justice. Some of the word choices and sentence structure isn’t what one would expect from native English writers, and I had to re-read a number of parts to follow what was happening. And even then there were still a few bits I didn’t get the full meaning of. Despite this, I was able to enjoy the story well enough.
Frede and Santa is a fairytale-esque, magical adventure. The story flowed at a steady pace, but I thought the ending felt rushed and slightly disappointing. I would have liked more time spent in the Christmas village, and more time getting to know the elves and Santa. I was also expecting a rescue mission that was more involved, but due to the brevity of the story, I guess there just wasn’t time.
The three brothers were well developed characters. Frede was a spirited little fellow with his family’s best interests in his heart. I rather liked Folke and Rhune too, though they were quite different to each other. I really liked the way that the boys were described based on the seasons. The other characters felt a bit shallow, but again, there just wasn’t enough time to get to know them very well.
I don’t think that the cover suits the story. After reading the book, I pictured Frede as the son of a poor farmer with simple, well-worn, home-made clothing, rather than the modern boy on the cover.
Overall, Frede and Santa was a sweet festive read about being brave and strong for your loved ones. While the story itself is suitable for all ages, the difficulties arising with the translation make this a story better shared between adults and children.
*I received this book as a digital copy from the author, who asked me for an honest review of this book. I did not receive any other remuneration, and the review is composed entirely of my own opinions.
December 22, 2017
In Short: A sweet and slightly scary holiday adventure. I think kids who like Harry Potter type stories will enjoy this exciting story during winter. But be warned it has editing issues.
Pros: I liked the characters and the sweet family. It was nice how they all had different personalities but were loved equally and treated fairly by the parents. Frede is a really cute character. With him being so young and going on such a brave adventure it was a great and sympathetic perspective for the story. The story is very creative and interesting. Three brothers make the reckless choice of wandering into the woods in the middle of the night to seek help from Santa because they are concerned their poor family wont survive the winter. They didn't even bring water or leave a note! Halfway through I thought it might turn into a cautionary tale about 3 boys who died in the woods. They have to carefully navigate their way to find Santa while avoiding being captured by the Elf King and without waking up the angry forest. It ends up being a very dangerous adventure that puts you on the edge of your seat. It has a happy ending and a nice Christmas for the family that is completely devoid of commercialism. There are a lot of positive messages of love and selflessness throughout the book.
Cons: My biggest issue with this book is the English translation. To be clear, most of it is understandable so you can follow what is going on. But, there are many sentences that make little to no sense. This is more distracting than anything. Because it's for kids I don't think it's good to teach them vocabulary used in the wrong context. There are also random accent marks on words. This book just needs editing. There are some holes in the story but it's for kids so I wont poke at it too much. It started off kind of slow and then it ended too quickly without getting the satisfaction of completing the adventure. I was a little confused at the ending because it was kind of a mad rush and I felt like it was skipping some important parts (like the showdown against the Elf King to get back what he took). Instead the day was saved far too easily.
Parent's Guide: Although this book is clean for all ages there are issues with word choice and grammar that would confuse young readers. It would be best to read it with your child.
I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest review.
Pros: I liked the characters and the sweet family. It was nice how they all had different personalities but were loved equally and treated fairly by the parents. Frede is a really cute character. With him being so young and going on such a brave adventure it was a great and sympathetic perspective for the story. The story is very creative and interesting. Three brothers make the reckless choice of wandering into the woods in the middle of the night to seek help from Santa because they are concerned their poor family wont survive the winter. They didn't even bring water or leave a note! Halfway through I thought it might turn into a cautionary tale about 3 boys who died in the woods. They have to carefully navigate their way to find Santa while avoiding being captured by the Elf King and without waking up the angry forest. It ends up being a very dangerous adventure that puts you on the edge of your seat. It has a happy ending and a nice Christmas for the family that is completely devoid of commercialism. There are a lot of positive messages of love and selflessness throughout the book.
Cons: My biggest issue with this book is the English translation. To be clear, most of it is understandable so you can follow what is going on. But, there are many sentences that make little to no sense. This is more distracting than anything. Because it's for kids I don't think it's good to teach them vocabulary used in the wrong context. There are also random accent marks on words. This book just needs editing. There are some holes in the story but it's for kids so I wont poke at it too much. It started off kind of slow and then it ended too quickly without getting the satisfaction of completing the adventure. I was a little confused at the ending because it was kind of a mad rush and I felt like it was skipping some important parts (like the showdown against the Elf King to get back what he took). Instead the day was saved far too easily.
Parent's Guide: Although this book is clean for all ages there are issues with word choice and grammar that would confuse young readers. It would be best to read it with your child.
I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest review.
December 11, 2017
Frede and Santa by Leen Lefebre Review
A child's journey to help his family takes him on a perilous adventure through elf infested woods ruled by the mysterious Elf King, and only Santa can help save the day. This is the story of Frede and Santa by Leen Lefebre, and here is they synopsis:
In a faraway village there lives a farmer with his wife. The summer harvest has failed and winter already arrives. So, how should they feed their three sons? The idea arises to fetch wood in the northern forest. They could dry it, sell it from door to door and earn some money to buy food.
Frede knows that his parents are doing their best, but is it enough to withstand the most barren period of the year? Together with his brothers, Rhune and Folke, he wants to visit Santa and ask him for help. But, first they must travel through that extensive forest where the evil Elf King lurks.
This was a fun read. It reminded me of an old and classic fairy tale, fraught with monstrous creatures and a child's will to save those closest to him. Frede wants nothing more than to help his family, and the story allows children to see what happens when you put others before yourself, and go above and beyond to protect the ones we love. The story of the evil Elf King and his people reminded me of a Grimm Fairy tale, while the story of Santa and his village was a heartwarming story that when blended with Frede and his adventure makes for a modern day holiday classic that parents and children alike will love to read.
Overall this was a fantastic read. It was short yet sweet and to the point. A wonderful children's book filled with adventure and a heartwarming tale of one child's hope of helping his family, this is something parents and children alike won't want to miss. If you haven't yet, pick up your copies of Frede and Santa by Leen Lefebre today!
A child's journey to help his family takes him on a perilous adventure through elf infested woods ruled by the mysterious Elf King, and only Santa can help save the day. This is the story of Frede and Santa by Leen Lefebre, and here is they synopsis:
In a faraway village there lives a farmer with his wife. The summer harvest has failed and winter already arrives. So, how should they feed their three sons? The idea arises to fetch wood in the northern forest. They could dry it, sell it from door to door and earn some money to buy food.
Frede knows that his parents are doing their best, but is it enough to withstand the most barren period of the year? Together with his brothers, Rhune and Folke, he wants to visit Santa and ask him for help. But, first they must travel through that extensive forest where the evil Elf King lurks.
This was a fun read. It reminded me of an old and classic fairy tale, fraught with monstrous creatures and a child's will to save those closest to him. Frede wants nothing more than to help his family, and the story allows children to see what happens when you put others before yourself, and go above and beyond to protect the ones we love. The story of the evil Elf King and his people reminded me of a Grimm Fairy tale, while the story of Santa and his village was a heartwarming story that when blended with Frede and his adventure makes for a modern day holiday classic that parents and children alike will love to read.
Overall this was a fantastic read. It was short yet sweet and to the point. A wonderful children's book filled with adventure and a heartwarming tale of one child's hope of helping his family, this is something parents and children alike won't want to miss. If you haven't yet, pick up your copies of Frede and Santa by Leen Lefebre today!
November 14, 2017
*Be sure to check out my blog post for this book!
*4 1/2 Roses, rounded up to 5 for Goodreads Rating System*
What a wonderful holiday story!
Starting with a simple and realistic dilemma, a farmer and his family have run into a difficult winter. With three sons to feed and a house to keep warm through the winter, they have to make up for a poor harvest. His son, Frede, especially wants to help, and with a pure heart and desire to do what he can for his loving parents, he sets off with his brothers to seek help from Santa. After all, he wants to be one of Santa's helpers one day - what better way to introduce himself?
With the giant task of making their way through the evil Elf King's dark forest to get to Santa, the boys face all their fears, and work together to accomplish their goals. The overall sweet tale and inspiring courage of Frede made the whole book amazing, and I only wish it had been longer! The writing was captivating, and made me a permanent fan of this author. I would highly recommend this book, as well as any of her others - I'm sure they are just as wonderful, and hope to get the chance to read them all in the future.
*I was given a complimentary eCopy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.
~Rose
@Desert Rose Reviews
*4 1/2 Roses, rounded up to 5 for Goodreads Rating System*
What a wonderful holiday story!
Starting with a simple and realistic dilemma, a farmer and his family have run into a difficult winter. With three sons to feed and a house to keep warm through the winter, they have to make up for a poor harvest. His son, Frede, especially wants to help, and with a pure heart and desire to do what he can for his loving parents, he sets off with his brothers to seek help from Santa. After all, he wants to be one of Santa's helpers one day - what better way to introduce himself?
With the giant task of making their way through the evil Elf King's dark forest to get to Santa, the boys face all their fears, and work together to accomplish their goals. The overall sweet tale and inspiring courage of Frede made the whole book amazing, and I only wish it had been longer! The writing was captivating, and made me a permanent fan of this author. I would highly recommend this book, as well as any of her others - I'm sure they are just as wonderful, and hope to get the chance to read them all in the future.
*I was given a complimentary eCopy of this book, from the author, to read in exchange for an honest review.
~Rose
@Desert Rose Reviews
December 9, 2017
A story about how a boy manages to help his family by asking for Santa’s help. Frede and his brothers leave in the middle of the night to the Christmas village and are faced with numerous adventures. The youngest of them all is also the bravest.
All three brothers have distinct features and are compared with children of the seasons. But freed is the one that stands out, not only because of his physical appearance (he looks like an elf, with his pointy ears), but also because of his determination. He will not allow any distractions from his mission. Moreover, he plans to be back home by morning, so his parents wouldn’t have time to worry. Sweet J
There are a couple of items that kept me from giving it 5 stars. Main one is the short length, which did not allow the story to develop. It all felt rushed and some parts could have been presented in more detail. Then we have the cover, which shows just a little boy. I would have added Santa, elves or maybe Santa’s carriage just to brighten it up a little. And maybe some drawings inside the book would have been nice. But maybe the physical copy looks different.
Since this book is about family and encourages parents to read to their children or buy books for them, I can only do the same. “Frede and Santa” is a good read for the winter season, it brings family together, and that is nice.
All three brothers have distinct features and are compared with children of the seasons. But freed is the one that stands out, not only because of his physical appearance (he looks like an elf, with his pointy ears), but also because of his determination. He will not allow any distractions from his mission. Moreover, he plans to be back home by morning, so his parents wouldn’t have time to worry. Sweet J
There are a couple of items that kept me from giving it 5 stars. Main one is the short length, which did not allow the story to develop. It all felt rushed and some parts could have been presented in more detail. Then we have the cover, which shows just a little boy. I would have added Santa, elves or maybe Santa’s carriage just to brighten it up a little. And maybe some drawings inside the book would have been nice. But maybe the physical copy looks different.
Since this book is about family and encourages parents to read to their children or buy books for them, I can only do the same. “Frede and Santa” is a good read for the winter season, it brings family together, and that is nice.
September 19, 2017
read this book with my 5 year old and 9 year old grand children both really liked the story and it setting being from England where any think one wants and needs can be purchased from super markets or online for the kids to learn about another country and this family's way of life was refreshing and the story held there interest as I read it too them , the kids did comment that there were no pictures or drawings in the book so my be something to think about for the future as visual aids do help children and I think if had not read the book with them they may well just put it down and not finished reading it
April 30, 2019
Author Leen Lefebre provided an e-copy of Frede and Santa for review.
A good short read at 36 pages. Frede is a young boy who travels to meet Santa and ask for his help. His family is struggling and losing.
A great story of familial love and support. Adventurous story of a child's faith in the magic of the season.
The only problem: the translation is a bit clunky to read.
A nice Christmas story. Enjoy!
A good short read at 36 pages. Frede is a young boy who travels to meet Santa and ask for his help. His family is struggling and losing.
A great story of familial love and support. Adventurous story of a child's faith in the magic of the season.
The only problem: the translation is a bit clunky to read.
A nice Christmas story. Enjoy!
December 25, 2017
Dit boekje won ik in de giveaway hier op Goodreads!
Leuk verhaaltje over een arme familie en een dappere zoon die er probeert ervoor te zorgen dat het de familie in de winter wat beter vergaat.
Leuk geschreven!
Leuk verhaaltje over een arme familie en een dappere zoon die er probeert ervoor te zorgen dat het de familie in de winter wat beter vergaat.
Leuk geschreven!
Did Not Finish
September 16, 2022lost interest about 50% in. I may come back to it
December 9, 2015
Dit is een kort kerstverhaal voor kinderen dat alleen als e-book te verkrijgen is via Amazon, in het Nederlands en het Engels. Leen Lefebre hoopt dat het boek ooit als papieren versie uitgegeven zal worden.
Het verhaal gaat over Frede, die met zijn ouders , broers Rhune en Folke en de huiself Nisse in een dorp hier ver vandaan wonen. Omdat de zomeroogst mislukt is en er niet genoeg te eten zal zijn voor de hele winter gaat hij samen met zijn vader in het woud houthakken om te kunnen verkopen.
Frede twijfelt er aan of de verkoop van het hout wel voldoende geld in het laatje brengt en wil de hulp inroepen van de Kerstman, maar daarvoor moet hij door het grote woud trekken. Maar dat is wel erg eng, omdat de slechte Elfenkoning daar woont. Samen met zijn broers gaat hij het toch proberen…
Zou Frede de Kerstman op tijd vinden?
Het boekje heeft slechts 49 bladzijdes, waardoor je het in een keer uitleest. Het verhaal is bedoeld voor kinderen. Er staat niet specifiek bij voor welke leeftijdscategorie, maar dat maakt niet uit. Aan jonge kinderen kan het worden voorgelezen en de oudere kinderen kunnen het zelf lezen. Ik schat dat het tot een jaar of 10 interessant gevonden wordt.
Frede is een jongen waar je je goed in kan verplaatsen, op sommige momenten ontroerd hij je echt.
Het verhaal is een leuk, alternatief kerstverhaal .
5 sterren .
Het verhaal gaat over Frede, die met zijn ouders , broers Rhune en Folke en de huiself Nisse in een dorp hier ver vandaan wonen. Omdat de zomeroogst mislukt is en er niet genoeg te eten zal zijn voor de hele winter gaat hij samen met zijn vader in het woud houthakken om te kunnen verkopen.
Frede twijfelt er aan of de verkoop van het hout wel voldoende geld in het laatje brengt en wil de hulp inroepen van de Kerstman, maar daarvoor moet hij door het grote woud trekken. Maar dat is wel erg eng, omdat de slechte Elfenkoning daar woont. Samen met zijn broers gaat hij het toch proberen…
Zou Frede de Kerstman op tijd vinden?
Het boekje heeft slechts 49 bladzijdes, waardoor je het in een keer uitleest. Het verhaal is bedoeld voor kinderen. Er staat niet specifiek bij voor welke leeftijdscategorie, maar dat maakt niet uit. Aan jonge kinderen kan het worden voorgelezen en de oudere kinderen kunnen het zelf lezen. Ik schat dat het tot een jaar of 10 interessant gevonden wordt.
Frede is een jongen waar je je goed in kan verplaatsen, op sommige momenten ontroerd hij je echt.
Het verhaal is een leuk, alternatief kerstverhaal .
5 sterren .
January 21, 2015
Frede en de Kerstman is een ebook. Ik heb het gekregen op kerstavond en begon met lezen de dag erna.
De auteur brengt een alternatief kerstverhaal en weet een gezellige sfeer neer te zetten. Bij momenten weet Frede (het hoofdpersonage) je te ontroeren, en het andere moment wordt je hart verwarmd.
Ik raad dit boek aan, ook al ligt de kerstperiode reeds achter ons.
De auteur brengt een alternatief kerstverhaal en weet een gezellige sfeer neer te zetten. Bij momenten weet Frede (het hoofdpersonage) je te ontroeren, en het andere moment wordt je hart verwarmd.
Ik raad dit boek aan, ook al ligt de kerstperiode reeds achter ons.
December 16, 2014
Frede and Santa was my first short story and I loved it! Really enjoyed the storyline about little Frede and his family. It's very well written and even heart touching in this time of year.
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