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.
Ancient Egypt. When Sophie moves to Egypt, she is surprised to find a dog in her bedroom, but this is a talking dog who gives her a quest to find and return four lost amulets to the tomb of King Nebra. It is full of action and humour and will appeal to all KS1 children. The illustrations are excellent, with some great ‘lift-the-flap’ elements.
intrigue and tomb robbery, in which two children are able to foil the robbers and bring them to justice. It highlights the importance of reading the hieroglyphs and also the respect that was given to the dead, by the Egyptians.
British Museum and looks at the various forms of mummification found around the world. Egypt is only one of those places, but the chapter in this book looks at the methods used and at some famous examples such as Tutankhamun and Ramses II. The book makes for a fascinating read.
“King Tutankhamun tells all” by Chris Naunton and Guilherme Karsten is written by one of our most well-known and knowledgeable Egyptologists. The illustrations are cartoon style and full of colour and is written in the form of a memoir by the dead Pharaoh. There is a great deal of humour in the way that it is written, but it is still full of information about the king and also Ancient Egypt itself.
British Museum and is a fascinating look at the various processes that a mummy underwent; asking many of the questions that young people want to know.. The illustrations are bright clear and have elements of humour, which really adds to the enjoyment. The cover is gold, which will add to the attraction for the intended audience.
“Egyptology” by Dugald Steer is the first in a series of truly sumptuous books, full of illustrations, lift the flaps, added artifacts and information about a range of topics. this book has a gold cover and really gives the reader a sense of the grandeur that was found in Egyptian tombs. Whilst this is not a new title, it is one that should be the basis of anyone’s collection about Egypt.
“Egyptian diary: The Journal of Nakht” by Richard Platt and David Parkins is the story of a young boy living in Memphis with his family and how he helps foil a gang of tomb robbers and eventually get to meet the Pharaoh Hatshepsut, only to discover that they are a woman (one of very few female pharaohs). this is a large size book with some fabulous illustrations. Since its publication in 2005 it has become a staple of all school libraries.
“Marcy and the Riddle of the Sphinx” by Joe Todd Stanton is the second tale in the “Brownstone’s Mythical collection” series and follows the adventures of Marcy, the daughter of the original hero Arthur, as she attempts to save her father from the clutches of the Great Sphinx. Children will love the graphic novel format and the fast pace of the action.
audiences. It is based on the fact that a young boy was involved in finding the stairs which led to the tomb discovery. it is full of action, villains and of course introduces the audience to Howard Carter and his patron Lord Caernarvon.
time, as I kept discovering more and more books which feature these majestic creatures. The realization that this is the Chinese “Year of the Tiger” spurred me on to actually put together this group of books. One of the main problems is that I keep finding even more, really exciting sounding books that I have now got on my ‘to be read’ list. I have added these to the end of the blog post, so that you can all have a go at reading some of them.
“Mr Tiger goes Wild” by Peter Brown
“Cinnamon” by Neil Gaiman and Divya Srinivasan
“Mr Tiger, Betsy and the Blue Moon” by Sally Gardner
“The Time traveller and the Tiger” by Tania Unsworth
“The Dancing Tiger” by Malachy Doyle
“The magic Bed” by John Burningham
“Love is…” by Sarah Maycock
“Tiger in trouble” by Jess Butterworth
“There’s a Tiger in the garden” by Lizzy Stewart
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
been asked to look at this collection by the supplier Books2door and as it is a group of stories about Christmas (my favourite time of the year, despite the weather), I agreed. The publisher is also one that I am very fond of; Little Tiger was founded in 1987 and ran as an independent publisher until 2019, when it was bought by Penguin Random House, but it still maintains its ethos and individualism. There are ten picture books in this collection and they are a mix of traditional stories and modern tales. Interestingly there are only two titles that actually have human characters, with the other eight featuring a wide, but familiar range of animals.
Caroline Pedler is the story of two small mice, named Bubble and Squeak, who are visiting their Granny for Christmas. But how will Father Christmas know where to deliver any presents and even more worrying, how will he get in the house? Granny doesn’t have a chimney, but she comes up with an exciting alternative that they can all enjoy.
“Waiting for Santa” by Steve Metzger and Alison Edgson shows us the power of believing and of friendship. Little bear is convinced that Santa will bring presents at Christmas, but badger is very sceptical as they have never had presents before. Despite this the friends all decorate a tree, with a star on top and snuggle up to wait for Santa, but will they get the surprise they wanted? Well it is Christmas and dreams can come true.
Macnaughton has been a firm Christmas favourite since it was published over a decade ago. When little hedgehog is woken from his winter sleep he is too cold to go back to sleep, but then out of the sky falls a parcel and it is addressed to him! Inside is a red woolly hat, but as it doesn’t fit, he decides to give it to his friend. The hat is passed to several animals before it finally finds its true home and everyone can snuggle down and keep warm.
“The Night before Christmas” by Clement C Moore and Mark Marshall. This is a re-telling of the now classic story of Christmas eve and is probably how most young children have learnt the names of Santa’s reindeer. As always, this story leaves a nice warm glow.
Edgson tells the story of young rabbit, who has spent the morning building a very special snowman. When he is asked to pick some berries for tea, he sets off and enjoys it so much, he doesn’t see the now start to fall and the visibility disappear. Magically he is rescued by the snowman and gets home safely.
“A Christmas Wish” by Julia Hubery and Sophy Williams is the story of Gemma and her little brother Ty. When Ty accidentally breaks her favourite tree decoration, Gemma is very upset and angry. But then she remembers all the nice things about her brother and when she finds that he has left some glue and a note saying ‘I’m sorry’ outside her door, she realises that the ornament can be mended and she wants to make up with her brother.
Yerrill is about the wonder and joy of experiencing your first Christmas celebration. Little Mouse has never had a Christmas, so he asks his large family what it means to them. Parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins and other relatives all share their favourite things. This can vary from making snowmen, sledging, and snowball fights, to Christmas dinner, presents and keeping warm around a fire. All of the things that we imagine a magical Christmas to be, but mainly it is about sharing with family and friends.
“Big Bear, Little Bear” by David Bedford and Jane Chapman is the delightful story of a polar bear and her cub. The latter wants to grow up as big and strong as his mother and to be able to do all the things she does, but she explains that when he is big, she won’t be able to give him a ride on her shoulders. So he decides that growing up is a long term aim, as he loves sharing adventures with his mother.
Chapman tells the story of a young rabbit called Moz, who is being squashed by his siblings in the burrow. He decides to go outside and meets his friend Albatross, who offers to take him for a flight. Unfortunately Moz falls off and ends up in the snow and then inside a huge ice hall. At first it is exciting, but then he gets scared and misses his family, so he manages to escape from the ice. Luckily Albatross finds him and he is soon back in the warmth of the burrow and the cuddles of the family.
“When will it Snow?” by Kathryn White and Alison Edgson features another young bear who is longing to see snow. However his mother tells him that bears hibernate when the snow arrives, so he will not be able to seethe winter. So little bear asks his friends, mole and squirrel, what snow is like and they explain about the way it falls, goes slushy and how you can make snow angels. They also confirm that they will be out playing in the winter weather and bear is worried that they will forget about his during the winter and that he will lose his friends. But as we all know, true friends do not forget about you over a short period of time and all is well in the end.
