Farshore

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Getting reading for Christmas

What an absolutely stunning collection of stories to add to your Christmas shelves.  I hope that there is something for everyone to enjoy and many will become firm favourites for future years.

Middle grade reads

Farshore, 9780008666583

“The Christmas Carrolls, The Christmas Club” by Mel Taylor-Bessant and Selom Sunu is the final part of the trilogy featuring the Christmas Carrolls, a family so fixated by the festive season that they try and include it in their lives for the whole of the year.  Having won a competition in the previous book, they find themselves in New York, to take part in the Christmas parade; but then they receive a mysterious invitation to try and join the “Christmas Club”, something that they thought was just a fairy tale.  A totally fantastic and exciting story that sees the family facing some of  their greatest challenges yet.  It is a totally fabulous series to get you into the Christmas spirit.

Orion, 9781510112933

“Step Father Christmas” by L D Lapinski is about siblings Harper and Will, and what happens when their mother invites her new boyfriend to stay for Christmas.  His name is Nick and he has grey hair and beard, which leaves Harper wondering whether he could actually be Father Christmas.  This is a brilliant story for getting you in the festive mood and it has been written in 25 chapters, so you can use it as an Advent calendar to be read every day.

Simon & Schuster, 9781398515840

“Adventures of a Christmas Elf” by Ben Miller, illustrated by Chris Naylor and Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini is the third in the series featuring Holly Claus and Tog, the Elf. After the excitement of book two, things seem to have settled down at the Workshop.  But when Santa starts feeling tired and decides to take a short holiday, problems start to happen and the two young heroes step up to the challenge and save Christmas, yet again.  It is a tale of redemption (for some) and also how important family can be.

HarperCollins, 9780008475536

“Juniper’s Christmas” by Eoin Colfer and Chaaya Prabhat is set in a world where Father Christmas has not been seen for ten years and children are forgetting about him.  Some do remember the stories told by parents and long for Santa to reappear.  Juniper lives with her mother, near one of the London parks, where her father had worked, but when her mother disappears she ask for help from one of the homeless people who find shelter in the wood.  But then she discovers his secret, he is Father Christmas.  This is a story about helping each other, friendship and evil people who are only interested in themselves. what a fantastic story and so very relevant in the world we inhabit at the moment.

Penguin, 9780241595879

“A Christmasaurus carol” by Tom Fletcher and Shane DeVries.  this series featuring the hero William and the last Christmasaurus is fast becoming one of my treats for the Christmas season.  There is a mix of fun and also some serious  subjects.  In this story, the spirit of Ebenezer Scrooge is transported to our time and is determined to get rid of Christmas (as you can guess it is the character, BEFORE the three spirits of Christmas visited him).  The question is whether William and his friends can save the day and send Scrooge back into the book “A Christmas Carol”, so that he can change his ways.

Scholastic, 9780702330827

“The Great reindeer Rescue” by Stephen Mangan and Anita Mangan is one of those totally silly yet lovable stories, where really quirky things happen.  In this case, Dave, the newest reindeer is startled by Rudolph farting (!!) and accidentally un-clips part of the harness, so Rudolph continues his journey whilst the others are left behind with the sleigh, and then due to a malfunction, Santa and the others are sent to different parts of the globe.  At this point, a young girl called Holly enters the scene and  endeavors to find the missing sleigh and contents, with a bit of ‘help’ from Dave.  A really great bit of fun for the holiday season.

Macmillan, 9781035028177

“The Nutcracker and the Mouse King’s  Christmas Shenanigans” by Alex T Smith.  Well the author has done it again.  Another of his Christmas stories which are meant to be read over the Advent season.  This is his interpretation of the famous ballet, “The Nutcracker” and features many of the same characters, but with a modern twist.  It is absolutely fabulous and a future classic.

Macmillan, 9781035014217

“The Ice Children” by M G Leonard is a truly magical story, with echoes of the “Snow Queen” and even “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe“.  When her young brother is found frozen in the local park, and then each day more children become victims, Bianca faces some incredible dangers to try and release them from their frozen prisons. It is a wonderful tale about imagination, family love and needing balance in our world.

Usborne, 9781803704357

“The Snow Girl” by  Sophie Anderson is about a young girl Tasha, who builds a snow girl with her grandfather.  When the sculpture comes to life in the image of a girl called Alyana, it looks as if Tasha has achieved her wish of a best friend.  But what will happen if spring does not arrive, and is Alyana to blame for this change in the seasons?  A wonderful story of friendship, but also a cautionary tale about the way that we interact with nature, and the impact it can have on all our lives.

Pushkin, 9781782694205

“The Secret of Helmersbruk Manor” by Eva Frantz and Elin Sandstrom (translated by Annie Prime) is a wonderful surprise of a book.  It is a translation from a Finnish book, but inspired by the stories of ghosts at Hampton Court Palace.  When Flora and her mother move to Helmersbruk for Christmas, they don’t know that there are hidden secrets and mysteries to be solved.  This is a creepy and yet inspiring story for the Christmas season

David Fickling, 9781788452694

“Adventuremice: mice on the ice” by Sarah McIntyre and Philip Reeve is the third in the series featuring the delightful and very adventurous mice.  This time they face frozen seas and lots of danger, but as always, they work as a team and win the day.

Macmillan, 9781529070415

“Winnie the Pooh at the Palace” by Jeanne Willis and Mark Burgess is a beautifully illustrated story of Pooh and Piglet going on a visit to the Palace with Christopher Robin.  They have lots of fun in the snow and then find the king’s gold crown in a snow drift. They are then invited in for tea and honey, as a thank you.  A delightfully whimsical story with a much loved bear, and friends.

Penguin, 9780241652541

“A very curious Christmas” by Maddie Moate is one of those brilliant pot-potpourris, full of fascinating facts about Christmas.  We all know that children ask the most bizarre questions about the festive season, so this book attempts to answer as many of them as possible.  It is full of fun and facts and would make a brilliant present

Picture Books

Macmillan, 9781761180675

“Pink Santa” by Tanya Hennessy and Ben Whitehouse is a super funny tale of what happens when Rudolph accidentally turns Santa’s coat PINK.  Everyone is getting very worried, but Santa is not fazed by events and even paints his sleigh and all the decorations, to match.  It has a lovely message about how good things can happen by accident

Walker books, 9781529507126

“Bunnies in a Sleigh” by Philip Ardagh and Ben Mantle is a new adventure for this set of fun loving bunnies.  When the elves eat too many sweets on Christmas Eve, the bunnies have to help Santa deliver all of the presents and they do so; even if there are some hilarious escapades on the way.  A great rhyming story by a delightfully funny author.

Tiny Owl, 9781910328934

“Christmas Cobweb” by Pippa Goodhart and Ema Maliauka is a delightful story about not forgetting that the joy of Christmas can be found in many things.  When old bear decides to have a party for her friends, she spends time cleaning the house and making everything look lovely, but the pesky spiders keep spinning their webs and creating a mess.  So bear is horrified to see webs hanging all over her tree, but then her friends point out how magical it looks and she learns to appreciate the beauty of a cobweb.

Penguin, 9780241489048

“The robin who stole Christmas” by Rachel Morrisroe and Richard Merritt brings a very different Robin to our attention; this is one that has close links to Ebenezer Scrooge and the Grumpus.  To spoil Christmas for everyone, Rotten Robin decides to steal all of the presents as well as  FATHER CHRISTMAS himself.  How all the other robins save the day makes for a great fun story, with a lovely underlying message about kindness and sharing.

Little Tiger, 9781801045025

“Santarella” by Suzy Senior and Lucy Semple brings a delightful twist to the story of Cinderella.  When her sisters are out at the ball, Cinderella is surprised by Santa falling down the chimney.  Unfortunately he hurts his back and is going to have problems carrying sacks of gifts, so our adventurous heroine volunteers to help him deliver all of the gifts.  When she is finally delivered to the palace, she decides that life has more to offer than being a princess and goes of on multiple adventures.

HarperCollins, 9780008497606

“The Winter Wish” by Helen Mortimer and Rachel Dean is the story of William, who lives in a small bookshop with his parents.  Like many shops they are struggling to make end meet, so can a bit of Christmas magic turn things around and save the shop?  A gorgeous tale about the importance of reading and books.

HarperCollins, 9780007197149

“Merry Christmas Blue Kangaroo” by Emma Chichester Clark  was first published in 2004 and has been re-printed to celebrate 25 years of this favourite toy.  It tells the story of preparing for the big day, from decorations to presents.  When Blue Kangaroo magically comes alive, he sneaks downstairs to meet Father Christmas and asks if he can help find a present for Kangaroo’s owner.  A delightful tale that has stood the test of time.

HarperCollins, 9780008413323

“The Three Little Monkeys at Christmas” by Quentin Blake and Emma Chichester Clark  is full of anarchy and humour, as the three mischievous monkeys find ways to amuse themselves, on a visit to Hilda’s uncle, for Christmas.  However, perhaps they can redeem themselves, when a burglar tries to steal a priceless golden teapot.

HarperCollins, 9780008552954

“The Burpee Bears, a Christmas Adventure” by Joe Wicks tells how the bears save their Christmas, when the weather gets so bad that they think grandma bear will not be able to reach them for Christmas.  So they all decide to load of their sledge and go to visit her instead.  things are proving difficult until Santa Bear appears on the scene and helps them get sorted. this is a charming story about the joy of family at Christmas.

HarperCollins, 9780008626013

“How the Grinch lost Christmas” by Dr Seuss tells of what happens when the Grinch comes second in a Christmas tree competition, which makes him lose his Christmas spirit.  However, the winner, a small girl called Cindy-Lou shows him that sharing is what is important and that he is part of the community of Who-ville.

Scholastic, 9780702312281

“Santa’s Marvellous Mechanical Workshop” by Vashti Hardy and Katie Cottle is about moving house near to the Christmas holiday and how to keep the festive spirit.  Lily has been unpacking all of her books and useful tools into her new room, when she finds an unknown wrapped parcel.  It is an empty book that magically takes her to Santa’s workshop, so that she can help to re-purpose some broken toys.  When she wakes up she can’t find the book or the elfbot who she had met in the workshop, however she soon sorts that out.  A delightful story that will please those who are into STEM and recycling.

Nosy Crow, 9781788006903

“A House for Christmas Mouse” by Rebecca Harry is a warm and cuddly story of a young mouse who arrives in the forest, on Christmas Eve, looking for a new home.  He meets a variety of animals on his travels and is able to help them with a variety of tasks, but then he has to go and find this home.  When he eventually finds somewhere, it is cold and empty and frankly not very inviting.  When he tries to ask for help, the other animals don’t seem to hear him, but when he get back to the new home, it has been magically transformed by his new friends. This leaves a warm glow, thinking about the true meaning of Christmas.

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The Bedtime Boat by Sital Gorasia Chapman and Anastasia Suvorova

Children and bedtime are an issue that most parents will have had to deal with at some time or another.  But this is also an issue for adults, who in this fast paced world of ours, find it very difficult to find that calm feeling that will allow them to sleep.  Over the last few years and particularly since the pandemic, we have all become more aware of our well being and mental health.  The importance of a good night’s sleep is well known, but giving yourself the sense of calm that is needed to sleep, that is not so easy.  thankfully there is advice out there to help us and our young people to relax and sleep.

In this delightfully engaging story we get to meet the young Chandan and his mother as they go through their nightly ritual to bring calmness and relaxation to the end of the day.  It has been a hectic day with lots of adventures, including a visit to a fun fair; but now is the time for those comforting activities such as a bath, brushing teeth and snuggling down with favourite toys and blankets.  However, even for a small child it is not always easy to relax from the excitement of the day.  The brain has a habit of repeating the events of the day and questioning what has happened.  Thankfully Chandan’s mother has a method of helping him calm down and this is a technique which uses the concept of a boat (placed on the tummy) in order to calm and soothe breathing.  But Chandan is a child with a lot of imagination and he envisages a range of sea based problems that need dealing with; from pirates, whales,  and sharks all of these fears have to be dealt with.  His mother uses the constant repetition of  “Watch the boat, Chandan, it floats on the ocean.  It rises and falls with your breath’s gentle motion.”  This helps bring a symmetry  to the flow of the story and also a gentle rhythm  which becomes really obvious and calming if you read the story out loud.

The illustrations really bring this story alive with the vivid, yet quite mellow, colour palette.  The layout on the pages varies a great deal and even  the phrase “watch the boat” is  used in a multitude of ways, so that there is no chance of boredom.  We have images  in vertical and horizontal alignment as well as those taking the whole page, or even a double page spread.  There is always something to discover and this should work beautifully as a bedtime story, or a calming afternoon read for foundation age children.  the love of the parent and child comes through both the text and the images and makes the book feel like a warm and cuddly blanket.

The back of the book gives instructions on how to make a paper boat and though it seems quite easy, you do have to keep in mind which is the back and which is the front!  Yes, I have made a first attempt and will give it another go, to see if I can improve!!  I think I might read the story whilst listening to Enya singing “Sail away”

Sital Gorasia Chapman, author

Sital left a career in banking, trained as a yoga instructor, and then started writing. She studied Writing for Children at the City Lit, and her picture book submission was commended at the FAB awards in 2019. Sital was commissioned to write a poem for the CBeebies children’s television series Colours. She writes fiction, non-fiction and poetry for children and lives in London with her husband and three young daughters.

Website: https://sitalgorasiachapman.com/

Anastasia Suvorova, illustrator

Hello! My name is Anastasia Suvorova. I am a freelance illustrator based in Limassol, Cyprus.
I specialize in artwork for picture books, covers, advertisements, animations and game projects. I aim to create poetic, philosophical, deeply felt and permeated by a sense of magic illustrations. I love creating new and beautiful worlds through my projects, especially in stories about nature, dreams, travel, attention and kindness.
Represented internationally by Illozoo | the visual communication agency.
anastasia@chaosego.com
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Picture Book Update

Parents, librarians and teachers are always on the lookout for new picture books to read to their young readers.  Whilst most children have favourites that they have to have read almost every day, it is important that they are introduced to a wide range of the fabulous works which are out there.  Teachers in particular are looking for books that have themes that they can integrate into their curriculum work, as well as being a fun and lively story.  I hope that some of these books will meet the needs of many of you reading this.  Give them a go, I am sure you won’t be disappointed.

Two Hoots, 9781509889839

“Three Little Vikings” by Bethan Woollvin  tells the story of three children who struggle to get the adults to believe that they have heard something big and dangerous outside; the chief is particularly irritating as he repeats that he is a grown up and he knows best.  You can see that many children would find that message very frustrating.   The story uses Viking mythology to brilliant effect, as the children try and save their village from a destructive troll and eventually the adults have to believe them.

Uclan, 9781912979608

“The Bear and her Book” by Frances Tosdevin and Sophia O’Connor.   This is a truly magical story of adventure and also about the joys that books can bring to our lives.  When bear decides to see the world, she takes her copy of “Bear’s Big Book of being Wise” and finds it very useful in many of the situations that she finds herself in.  It is a fabulous addition to my collection of books about books and libraries and I really recommend it.

Big Picture Press, 9781787418769

“Ratty’s Big Adventure” by Lara Hawthorne is a lovely story of a small vegetarian rat called Ratty, who decides he wants to explore beyond the mountain crater that he lives in.  He meets a wide range of animals and faces many dangers and challenges.  However he decides that home and friends are what he really wants in life.  This is full of information about the wild life of Papua New Guinea, but above all, it is a tale of adventure and finding your place in the world.

Pikku Publishing, 9781999639891

“The Happy Hedgerow” by Elena Mannion and Erin Brown tells the story of Old Oak and the changes that he sees, when the hedgerow is grubbed up to make larger fields.  It is a story about the seasons and also about the changes that we see in the countryside.  Happily this story has a happy ending, as the humans realize the importance of the hedges and re-plant them.  This will work well as part of  environmental studies in KS1.

Chronicle Kids, 9781452173191

“Inside Cat” by Brendan Wenzel  is the story of one of those cats who lives indoors and only sees the world through the prism of the windows that enclose him.  However, he discovers that seeing something from the inside is not the same experience as being out there. This book makes us more aware of our senses and how we can explore our world, even if we are limited in some ways.  It increases our understanding of the world around us and how we perhaps need to challenge the limits and perhaps go outside our comfort zone.  The quirky illustrations and the limited text make the whole story relatable to the small child.  This is aimed at very young children and would be brilliant for encouraging Early Years children to try new experiences.

Andersen Press, 9781783448944

“Scissorella” by Clare Helen Walsh and Laura Barrett.   This is a truly magical re-telling of ‘Cinderella’, but with the twist being that the main character is an amazing paper artist. The art is inspired by the creative work of Lottie Reiniger, a German born artist who had a great influence on the development of film animation.  The story has an art deco setting, with the costumes harking back to the 1920s; in fact, it reminds me in many ways, of the marvellous version ’Ella’s Big Chance’ by Shirley Hughes. However, we have the added beauty of the paper cutting, which gives a very lace like feel to many of the images. This is a truly beautiful book, which shows a determined female character, who is determined to succeed in life and is a wonderful addition to the Cinderella canon of books.

Pushkin Children’s, 9781782693154

“Shoo!” by Susie Bower and Francesca Gambatesa is the very funny story of what happens when a Zoo moves next door, to someone who doesn’t like animals.  It is full of mayhem and laughter and is a great read for younger readers.  It also reminds us that we all need friends and that our perceptions should be open to change. This will make a great book for story time, both in the school and in the library.

Templar Books, 9781787419179

“The Little wooden robot and the log princess” by Tom Gauld is a very modern interpretation of a fairy tale.  The king and queen have no children and ask a witch and an inventor to create a child for them.  The log princess, worked by magic, but turned back into a log every night.  Whereas the Robot Prince was worked by mechanics and housed a family of beetles in his working.  When the princess goes missing, it is up to her brother to go searching, but he faces many challenges before finding his sibling.  Luckily, as with the best fairy tales we have a happy ending.

Farshore, 9780755502851

“Splash” by Claire Cashmore and Sharon Davey is written by the Paralympian athlete Claire Cashmore and is a version of how she overcame her fear of water, in order to become a gold medal swimmer.  It is a story of determination and overcoming many challenges.  Hopefully it will help many young people to focus on overcoming their own challenges, what ever they may be.

 

 

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Christmas Glitters

This is turning out to be a bumper year for titles about Christmas and the winter season. Not only have we got a collection of additions to already popular titles, but we also have a huge range of new characters to bring us Christmas Cheer.

Picture Books

“Little Santa” by Jon Agee  is a delightful take on how Santa became the focus of Christmas that he has become.  It is about doing what is right for you, rather than just following everyone else; a great addition to the Christmas collection.

Little Bear and the Silver Star by Jane Hissey is a look at her famous collection of toys as they start to decorate the tree for Christmas.  When the star for the top cannot be found, Little Bear gets worried.  A midnight visit to the attic eventually finds the hidden glittery star, but then he loses it in the snow outside.  However, with a bit of Christmas magic, the tree eventually has its crowning glory!

The Christmas Pine by Julia Donaldson and Victoria Sandoy  is a magical look at what happens to a small Norwegian pine tree as it grows into a tall and strong tree.  It is brought to another country and city (London), where it is the centre of celebrations and helps people remember the true meaning of the festivities.  This is the story of the Trafalgar Square tree that is gifted by the Norwegian people, in thanks for the help they received in WW2.

“The Mice before Christmas” by Anne L Watson and Wendy Edelson is based on the classic story by Clement Clark Moore, however this is about how the mice prepare and spend Christmas.  It is a bright and vibrant story of family and friendship and the joy of the festive season.  There are echoes of the Brambly Hedge stories and you can see this especially in the highly detailed and energetic illustrations.  This is definitely one that should be a classic read.

“Santa’s Stolen Sleigh” (Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam by Tracey Corderoy and Steven Lenton  sees our two heroes, Shifty McGifty and Slippery Sam back in action.  When Santa’s elves become ill, a polar bear called Flo offers to help with toy making, but then she steals Santa’s sleigh, so she can have a ride.  Luckily things turnout well in the end and Flo is very remorseful.

“Grace and the Christmas Angel” by Lucinda Riley, Harry Whittaker and Jane Ray is a beautiful and timeless story of Christmas, family and the sense of community that is found in fishing villages around the world.  When Grace’s father does not get home for her Christmas concert she worries about his boat, out in a tempestuous sea.  Luckily she has a guardian angel, called Hope, who answers the call and guides the vessels back to port. The illustrations are yet another triumph form the magical Jane Ray and they really add to the joy in te book.

“The Twelve Green Days of Christmas” by Barry Timms and Sian Roberts is another version of the 12 Days of Christmas, however this time it has Santa as the main character and looks at what he sees when he is flying with his reindeer.  The theme is about caring for our planet and being more green about the way we behave.  It is a great and humorous story but with a strong eco message.

“Croc O’Clock” by Huw Lewis Jones and Ben Sanders  is a decidedly modern take on the concept of the 12 days of Christmas, but mixed with the Very Hungry Caterpillar.  Feeding time at the zoo is exciting as Croc gets increasingly larger meals, until he finally is ready to burst, but of course he doesn’t and his keepers put him on  vegetarian diet for a while.

“The Toys’ Christmas” by Claire Clement and Genevieve Godbout is about a young boy called Noah and his toy elephant called FanFan.  when the latter can’t be found on Christmas Eve, Noah is worried and finding it hard to go to sleep.  But FanFan is on his annual secret mission, together with lots of other toys; they meet up with Santa and let him know what their child would like for Christmas.  This means that everyone gets a present that they wanted and of course on Christmas morning Noah finds his faithful friend is safely home. 

 

Middle Grade Stories

“The Christmas Pig” by J K Rowling and Jim Field.  This is a delightful Christmas story from one of the world’s best known children’s authors.  When Jack’s favourite toy Dur Pig (DP) is thrown out of a car window, he is distraught and even a replacement pig does not help.  This is a totally magical story of lost toys and the love that a child has for a favourite toy.  It is also a story about families, as Jack’s dad has gone and his mum is just beginning a new relationship; however, the daughter of the new friend is not happy and she is the one who threw DP out of the car.  The twin elements of the story are all about accepting change and understanding that there can be new loves, even though you never forget the old.

“Diary of a Christmas Elf” by Ben Miller  tells the story of a young Elf called Tog, who really wants to become one of the toy-makers for Father Christmas.  When things start going wrong and toys are being stolen, can Tog do anything to help solve the mystery, with the help of Santa’s daughter Holly?  This is a great read for the 7-9 age group and will definitely bring on the Christmas spirit.

Clara Claus saves Christmas by Bonnie Bridgman and Louise Forshaw .  When Santa is taken ill just before Christmas, it is up to his children, but especially his daughter Clara, to try and save the day, by making sure all the presents are delivered.  This is a delightful and very funny story for the young confident reader

“How Winston came home for Christmas” by Alex T Smith is the gorgeous follow up to the star |Christmas book from last year.  Once again we have the story told in 24 chapters, so that you can read one for every day of Advent.  This time, Winston is on the hunt for a missing mouse and has lots of adventures on the way.  The book is full of recipes, craft ideas and that magical something that we all want from a Christmas story.  A totally glorious read.

The Christmas Carrolls by Mel Taylor-Bessent and Selom Sunu  shows us a family who take their love of Christmas to the extreme.  They celebrate it throughout the year and can’t understand those who just celebrate in December.   When they move house and Holly starts at a new school, they find they are definitely meeting a lot of “Bah Humbug” feelings, so can they change people’s minds?  A brilliant look at what ‘being different’ can mean and how we can stay true to ourselves, whilst understanding the different views of others.

“The Christmasaurus and the Naughty List” by Tom Fletcher and Shane Devries  is the third adventure featuring this totally unique dinosaur and his friends.  When Santa does his annual weigh-in of the Naughty and Nice lists, he discovers that there are far too many children on the naughty list.  If not enough children receive presents then Christmas cannot take place, and that would be a disaster!  The Christmasaurus decides to intervene and get children moved from naughty to nice.

“The Santa List” by Kieran Crowley is another story about the naughty list.  |this time, the siblings, Aisling and Joe have been playing tricks on their new babysitter and she has sent a letter to Santa, putting them on the naughty list.  Can the children redeem themselves and get on the nice list; that is, if they can recover the list, which they have managed to lose!  A brilliant read for the festive season.

“A Mouse called Miika” by Matt Haig and Chris Mould is the latest story set in the world that Matt Haig created around “A Boy called Christmas”.  This time the hero is the small mouse, Miika,  who faces moral dilemmas when he wants to be friends with the only other mouse at the North Pole, but they are not as honest as he is, so eventually decisions have to be made.  With the release of the film version of “A Boy called Christmas“, this new story set in the same world is bound to be a hit.

“The Night train” by Matilda Woods and Penny Neville-Lee.  This is a magical story that follows a group of characters as they board the night train, which will take them to a place where their dreams can come true.  However, they have to reach their destination by midnight, otherwise they will not dream;  unfortunately on this night there is an obstruction on the track and everyone has to work together to make things right.  It is a great story for younger readers, with lots of bright and atmospheric illustrations that bring the story alive.

“Winter Story” by Jill Barklem invites us to join the mice of Brambly Hedge as they celebrate the coming of snow and the excitement of preparing for a ‘Snow Ball’.  The preparations are magical; from carving out a huge ballroom in the snow, to everyone baking and cooking a huge feast for everyone to share.  this gives a warm and cosy feel to the reader.

“Wishyouwas” by Alexandra Page.   It is the lead up to Christmas 1952 and Penny Black has been sent to stay with her Uncle Frank, who runs a small post office in central London.  Penny’s mother is a pilot for the Royal Mail and flies post to Europe and back; but Penny is hoping that she will be back home in time to celebrate Christmas.  What Penny does not expect, is to discover what she initially thinks is a rat, but turns out to be something very special indeed.  This small creature speaks English and says his name is ‘Wishyouwas’; he is a ‘Sorter’ and this group of creatures have made it their purpose to try and retrieve lost post and make sure it finds its rightful recipient.  However, the Sorters are under threat from the Royal Mail Rat Catcher and Penny finds herself trying to save them and prove how useful they would be to the service.  This is a wonderful story about friendship, family and also being open to new ideas and accepting others who are very different.  Alexandra Page has created a new Christmas classic and I know it will be a firm favourite for children and adults alike.

“A Night at the Frost fair” by Emma Carroll and Sam Usher  is a wonderfully evocative time slip adventure in which the young Maya finds herself transported back to the Frost Fair of 1788, where she meets a young boy called Eddie.  She thinks he is being kidnapped, but finds that he has run away from home, because he is being treated as an invalid and not allowed any freedom.  How Maya helps him and also makes changes to lives in the present day, makes for a perfect Christmas tale.

“The very Merry Murder Club”, edited by Robin Stevens and Serena Patel is a collection of murder and mystery stories, written by some of our most talented writers for Middle Grade readers.   The stories range from dead bodies to stolen treasures and each of them gives the reader opportunities to use their “little grey cells”.  This has kept me happily engrossed over several days waiting to collect someone in my car.