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Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

The holidays are cancelled, and so are in-person classes in most of the country. It’s going to be a long winter, with many parents also working from home. So how can you keep children from misbehaving?

It used to be enough to tell them St. Nick was watching, so unless they wanted a stocking full of coal, they better shape up. That threat won’t cut it this year, when they know damn well Santa Claus’s gift-giving is likely to be curbed by your governor’s COVID restrictions.

Thankfully, our European brothers and sisters have you covered. They’ve had many more centuries of experience when it comes to keeping kids in line. Especially around Christmas. Here are seven terrifying characters drawn from European folklore that will have your children thinking twice about misbehaving this December.

Image by Ray Miller from Pixabay

National Train Day is the second Saturday every May. This year, the holiday—a 2008 creation of Amtrak—falls on Saturday, May 11th. Celebrations are planned at railroads and train museums across the US, including discounted Amtrak fares as low as $1 in some areas.

Here at Quirk Books, we're celebrating the day with an infographic featuring National Train Day's unofficial patron saint and star of Hope Never Dies: An Obama Biden Mystery, Amtrak Joe (better known as former vice president Joe Biden).

In Quirk Books’ mystery novel Hope Never Dies, Joe Biden dons his trademark aviator shades to investigate the suspicious death of his favorite Amtrak conductor. With help from President Obama, Biden turns Delaware upside-down in his search for justice.

Forget what you think you know about Uncle Joe—this Joe Biden has no time for malarkey. In fact, as he’s hanging on by his fingertips outside of a speeding train, you might be reminded of another famous J.B.: James Bond.

A wild comparison…or is it? Here’s how the real Joe Biden stacks up against James Bond.