The Happy Hollisters at Snowflake Camp, volume 6 in the series, has long been a favorite with dog lovers, winter sports enthusiasts, Thanksgiving travelers, and Canadian readers. Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at this book, learn how the story evolved under author Andrew Svenson (aka Jerry West), and discover some fun ways to incorporate the book into your homeschool curriculum or after-school activities.
Andrew Svenson originally planned for the Hollisters’ Thanksgiving adventure to take place on a turkey ranch, according to an early synopsis. The Hollister children learn about the care and feeding of turkeys on a visit to a turkey farm, but a mystery soon hatches when some of the baby turkeys are stolen.
Another variation suggested that the Hollisters take a trip to a winter resort called Snow Camp. This was changed to Snowflake Camp with the timing of the Thanksgiving story and became The Happy Hollisters at Snowflake Camp.
Svenson’s own children grew up in northern New Jersey and enjoyed many outdoor winter activities, from ice skating to building snowmen, that probably inspired scenes in this book. Even when there was no snow on the ground, his creative children found ways to amuse themselves. The Svenson family still chuckles about mischievous young Eric Svenson (aka Ricky Hollister) traipsing through a pile of spilled flour on his mother’s kitchen floor. He then tracked “flour snow” onto the living room carpet—much like the scene in chapter two, when Ricky tries out his new snowshoes from Mr. Hollister’s Trading Post Store!
Once Svenson began outlining the chapters for the story in earnest, he kept the Thanksgiving element, but moved much of the action north to the Hollister grandparents’ home in Canada. The mystery would take place around a Trappers’ Carnival, which would include dogsled racing, ski jumping, and snowshoe races. A Kodak camera advertisement that was found in Svenson’s files may have been sent to illustrator Helen S. Hamilton for reference; the pose of the pictured skiers is similar to her illustration of Norwegian ski-jumping champion Ruthie Jansen (see chapter 16).
This book has been a fan favorite for many years, but that doesn’t mean it made everyone happy. In 1961, this letter was written to Jerry West by a disappointed reader in Canada:
“Dear Sir:
I have been sending your Happy Hollister books to my nephew who lives in N.J. He seems to have enjoyed them very much.
I have one book here now, The Happy Hollisters at Snowflake Camp, that worries me as I know how children are influenced by things they read when young.
You definitely state that Thanksgiving is not observed in Canada and yet Thanksgiving was one of the things I first approved of when I came here 30 years ago.
Thanksgiving is celebrated here in churches and at home. The home celebration is much like yours with turkey, etc. Ours is not to remember Pilgrims, but to be thankful for the harvest. Canadian Thanksgiving is earlier than yours.
I suppose, when I send the book to my nephew, I must write to tell him that the author didn’t know about Canadian customs. It will spoil the book, and also others, for him because he then may not trust the author in other situations either.
However, your books are good, clean books about a happy family and that is very good for any child.
Only, please, when you write about the places where you haven’t been, do a little research!
Yours truly,
Mrs. A. Ristimaki”
Mrs. Ristimaki’s admonishment may have been a bit surprising to the author. He actually had done a fair amount of research into locations and local customs before writing most of his books before Snowflake Camp (a visit to Cape Cod for The Happy Hollisters at Sea Gull Beach, for example, or a trip to the Pueblo of San Ildefonso in New Mexico for The Happy Hollisters and the Indian Treasure and The Happy Hollisters at Mystery Mountain). Perhaps Mrs. Ristimaki’s plea for more thorough research helped him secure a larger travel budget from the Stratemeyer Syndicate for his subsequent books! At any rate, Svenson responded to her concerns and proposed a change to the original manuscript which took effect in 1962.
Collectors’ Corner:
How Old is Your Vintage Copy?
How old is your vintage copy, really? The copyright date in the original red hardcovers will say 1954, but your vintage copy may have been printed and bound at a later date. The copyright date is changed only when significant changes are made to the book; for example, the copyright date for Snowflake Camp was changed to 2011 to account for the format change as part of our Reissue Project.
In addition to the Canadian Thanksgiving change detailed above, there are several other clues you can look for in the vintage hardcovers to pinpoint more accurately when your book was printed. These changes would not have necessitated a new copyright date, but it can be fun to see which version you have in your collection!
Despite careful proofreading, typographical errors occasionally made their way into printed books. With today’s digital processes, a simple typo can be corrected very easily with a few keystrokes and an uploaded file. Back in the 1950s and 1960s, however, printing plates had to be reset with the type changes, making the process more complicated.
This excerpt from a June 1964 document shows corrections that were requested for several volumes in The Happy Hollisters series, including Snowflake Camp. Although we don’t know exactly when these changes were made, if your copy of the vintage hardcover includes the correction of “unbrella” to “umbrella” on page 91, you know that your copy was printed sometime after 1964.
Another error wasn’t noticed until much later. When Snowflake Camp was translated into German in 1967, the translator pointed out that Miss Nelson was described as “short” on page 25 and “tall” on page 174. Svenson advised the production team that Miss Nelson was, in fact, supposed to be tall.
Take a look at your old copies and let us know which versions you have!
Fun Activities Inspired by The Happy Hollisters at Snowflake Camp
Homemade Marshmallows
Combine science and math for a deliciously gooey kitchen project! Toasting store-bought marshmallows is fun, but have you ever made your own marshmallows from scratch? They’re easy and delicious, but adult supervision is recommended!
Celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving
This year, Canadian Thanksgiving falls on Monday, October 13. Research Canadian customs and plan a harvest feast for your family. There’s nothing wrong with celebrating Thanksgiving twice—October 13 and November 27!
Pet Club
Start a pet club with your friends. Have everyone select a pet to research and then teach the group what you’ve learned. Collect pet food and supplies to donate to your local shelter.
Thanksgiving Concert
Learn some traditional hymns and songs of thanksgiving, like “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come” “For the Summer’s Glowing Pageant” and “We Plow the Fields and Scatter.” Put on a little concert for your family or ask if you can perform at an assisted-living facility in your community.
Four Ways to Enjoy The Happy Hollisters at Snowflake Camp
In addition to the vintage hardcovers which you can still find in used bookstores and thrift shops, The Happy Hollisters at Snowflake Camp has been reissued by the author’s family and is available in a special-edition hardcover (with additional bonus material similar to what you’ve read here); paperback; e-book; and an unabridged audiobook narrated by Sarah Breidenbach. Take your pick!
We hope you have enjoyed this closer look at The Happy Hollisters at Snowflake Camp by Jerry West. Please send us an email at support@thehappyhollisters.com if you have any questions or would like further information!