Nutcracker - (Claus Universe) by Tony Bertauski

About the Book

NOT ALL TOYS STAY ON THE SHELF.

Book Synopsis

NOT ALL TOYS STAY ON THE SHELF.

Marie and her little brother Fritz weren't expecting much this Christmas. Not in a half-abandoned building with their oddball aunt, clueless uncle, and zero holiday spirit. Then Fritz finds a nutcracker hidden behind a shelf.

Not the cute, wooden kind you stick on the mantel. This one has bright green eyes. It moves when no one's looking. And it's apparently chatty. At least, according to Fritz. Marie doesn't buy it. Until the lights flicker. The rooms start shifting. And whispers bleed through the walls.

That's when things get weird. Really weird.

The siblings are pulled into Candyland, a hidden realm where sweets walk, time bends, and corridors stretch into infinity. At the center of it all is Godfather, a mysterious figure who seems to know more about them than he should. But behind the sugar-coated sparkle, something darker lurks. Something that wants the nutcracker. And the nutcracker? He may not just be a toy.

He's the key to everything.

Nutcracker: Journey to Candyland is a reimagining of the holiday classic, equal parts whimsical and unsettling. It's a story about grief, imagination, and finding courage in the cracks where joy once lived.

Perfect for fans of The Polar Express, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and fairy tales with sharp edges, it reminds us of one thing:

Even broken toys can still protect what matters.