Wishin' And Hopin' By Wally Lamb

I first read about Wishin' and Hopin' on The Lost Entwife. I never read holiday stories during the holidays so I thought this would be a great time to try one.
Wishin' and Hopin' is a collection of stories about Felix Funicello (a cousin of Annette) in the 60's. The stories follow Felix, a fifth grader, as the year winds down. I loved the people in Felix's life. Felix's classmates were a hoot especially Zhenya, a student who joins the class in the middle of the story. Felix's parents run a lunch counter and they are great parents-funny too.
Wishin' and Hopin' did remind me of A Christmas Story. It was full of cute stories and a great holiday read. Those who shared their thoughts on Wishin' and Hopin': The Brain Lair, Peeking Between The Pages,  Musing of a Bookish Kitty, and The Winey Mommy.