Phoebe Clappsaddle Has a Tumbleweed Christmas — Melanie Chrismer

Sheriff Phoebe Clappsaddle is back--just in time for the Christmas holidays. Mail doesn't come every day in the territory south of Big Spring, west of Marathon, north of Terlingua, and east of El Paso, so Phoebe is delighted to receive a parcel. But a mule-mail mix-up leads to another adventure for the high-spirited young sheriff. Those ornery brothers Eustace, Clifford, and Elmo, collectively known as the Tumbleweed Gang, also return to help Phoebe solve the mystery and celebrate a frontier Christmas, Texas style.

This is Melanie Chrismer and Virginia Marsh Roeder's third adventure featuring Phoebe Clappsaddle, the Southwestern belle with sweet Southern manners and tough Western skills. School Library Journal said of their first book, Phoebe Clappsaddle and the Tumbleweed Gang, "this old-fashioned Western is told in the format of a tall tale, making for a great read-aloud . . . the full-page illustrations bring the Old West alive for a generation of kids used to high tech and futuristic gadgets." They also praised the second story, Phoebe Clappsaddle for Sheriff, saying "this lively tribute to female empowerment should have regional appeal and will supplement tall-tale collections."