Happy New Year

Hi again! I'm so excited that it's 2009 and I can't wait for all the fun things that will happen this year. Look, already two of my friends have sent me things they made:

Daniel made me a newspaper!

And so did Lisa!

Thank you so much Daniel and Lisa, I feel so special when I read these, it's like I'm famous! If you visit my website www.phaidon.com/nicholas, you can play games, color and write newspapers too- just like Lisa and Daniel did. My friends are so much fun!

So, my mum was telling me all about New Year's Resolutions today. She said at the beginning of every new year, you decide on a few things you want to better than you did last year. She said her resolutions are to learn how to make persimmon pudding and try to be nicer to our boring neighbors, the Billings. I told her I thought I was pretty terrific already, but then she got quite cross with me and told me to sit and think about it for awhile. I decided my resolutions would be to spend more time with my dog Rex (he's such a great dog!) and to try to be nicer to Cuthbert, even though he IS a huge sap. My mom says that those were a very good start and then she went off to go make dinner. I also decided to eat as much cake as I possibly could this year, but I kept that resolution secret because I bet mum won't like it very much-- so, shhh, don't tell! Did you make any resolutions this year?

Okay! Time for dinner!

Until next time,

Your buddy,

Nicholas

Happy Holidays to all my friends!

Hello everyone!

I love December because there are so many holidays to celebrate! I celebrate Christmas, but I have friends all over who celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, St. Nicholas Day, The Winter Solstice, Eid'ul-Adha, St. Lucia Day, Omisoka and lots of others!

Whatever you celebrate, have a really lovely time, and I'll see you again next year!

Your friend,
Nicholas

A Lovely Day

Hello!

I got to go to a really wonderful event on Saturday, November 15th at Forster's Book Garden in Bolton, Ontario, in Canada! It was great fun, and it was wonderful to see my friends there. Miss Laurie read to us from some of my books and we colored together and ate one of my most favorite treats- croissants! I like to travel all over to visit my friends, so if I'm ever in your town, I hope you'll stop by! Here are some pictures from our afternoon:


we all love to read!



Also, more of you sent me letters and drawings and I love them! Look, this one is from
Nell:There I am, next to the Eiffel Tower! And Vita wrote me a letter:


It sounds like Keely has a hard time keeping track of her things, just like I do! I hope your concert went well Vita and Keely!

Thank you so much everyone- I love the pictures you send me and I hope I get to see you soon!

Your friend,
Nicholas

My mittens and my friends

Hello! I'm so excited! I want to show you the great pictures my friends just sent me!

Look, this one's from Nicole:

Wonderful work!

And this one's from Geordie:



Thank you so much for making these and sending them to me! I love them and I hope you'll send me more. My friends are terrific!

Also, I almost lost my mittens yesterday, which would have been awful! I was playing with the Avenger's Gang (those are all my friends, in case you didn't know. You can read all about us in my new green book, Nicholas in Trouble) in the old abandoned lot with a broken car. We were playing cops and robbers and I put my mittens on the ground and then I forgot them when we left! I was nearly back to my house when I realized I didn't have them, so I had to go all the way back to the lot to get them, and then mum yelled at me for being late to dinner. But just imagine if I'd lost my mittens! Then she REALLY would have been mad. It's hard to keep all your stuff together when you're out playing, but I do like my mittens an awful lot so I'll try to look after them better. Well, I'll talk to you all again soon and have a lovely weekend!

Your friend,
Nicholas

Winter Morning

Hello all!

It's starting to get cold here now- I woke up this morning and the floor felt like icicles! Dad told me to stop complaining and put on some socks. It wasn't too bad once I got some breakfast and was on my way to school, though. I quite like the cold when I'm dressed properly, because the colder it gets the more likely it is that it will snow! I love it when it snows because then my gang and I can have big snowball fights, and sometimes we get off school. It hasn't snowed yet, but Mum said it would probably snow by December, which is only a few weeks away. I can't wait!

I'm working on my Christmas list to give to Santa. I think I'm going to ask for checkers and a puppy. I already have two Chutes and Ladders games, because Dad's boss sent me one in the mail. Did I tell you about that already? Well, you can read about it in the green book, Nicholas in Trouble if you'd like. Mum told me that there was a new President elected in the United States and that he told his daughters on TV that they would get a puppy! I told pop he should run for President so that I could have a puppy too. He and Mum just laughed, but maybe Santa will listen. What are you going to ask for for Christmas?

Okay! I'm off to go play, but I'll write again soon.

Your pal,
Nicholas

Halloween and Holiday Fun!

Hello! Halloween is in two days and I've been so busy with school, I almost forgot about a costume! Luckily, my Mum is lovely and she helped me make it today, so now I'm ready. She even said she would take me trick-or-treating round our neighborhood! I'm going to be a cowboy, and my costume is fantastic. I bet I'll get even more candies than Geoffrey, who's father is rich and will probably buy him a smashing scary costume that costs loads of money.


I just love all the holidays, don't you? Once Halloween is over, the next one for me is Christmas. We don't celebrate Thanksgiving here in France, but I wish that we did- maybe Mum will let me celebrate now that I have so many American friends? I could invite all my friends and we could have a giant turkey and cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie with cream! If I could celebrate everyone's holidays I would, but I don't think Mum would like to throw that many parties- she says it makes her tired, but I think they are wonderful fun.


Oh! I nearly forgot! My brand new book is almost out- Nicholas in Trouble! This one's got a green cover and you can read about all the new adventures I've been having with my friends. I love the drawings you send, so if you send me more to nicholas@phaidon.com, I'll be sure to let everyone see them here!


Happy Halloween!

Your friend,
Nicholas

Fun in England!

Hi Everyone!

I just returned from a fun trip to Oxford, England. Do you know where that is? Oxford is a city in South East England, and it is home to Oxford University, the very oldest university in the whole English-speaking world. Wow!

I went to Oxford because my friends at Blackwell’s Bookshop invited me to their store for a day of reading and fun activities. Here is a photo one of the reading sessions!

Blackwell’s is quite nice – it has been around since the late 1800s! Many people came to the event, and it was so much fun to make new friends. Here I am outside of Blackwell’s with Ean & Willem, two of my biggest fans!

I love traveling around the world for events! If your favorite bookstores or libraries are interested in having me visit, please let me know by sending an e-mail to nicholas@phaidon.com.

***

Finally, I just wanted to share something special that I received in the post this week. Fraser Wilson sent in a painting he did of me!

Isn’t it brilliant? It’s me with my suitcase – a very appropriate image for August, since everyone in France goes on holiday during this month. I like to go to the beach on my summer holidays. Where do you like to go?

Thank you, Fraser, for my lovely painting! Don’t forget to send your artworks to nicholas@phaidon.com, and I will try my best to put them up.

Cheers!

Nicholas