As well as being a number one best-selling writer for adults, Matt Haig has won the Blue Peter Book Award, The Smarties Book Prize and been shortlisted three times for the Carnegie Medal for his stories for children and young adults. The idea for the A Boy Called Christmas series came when his son asked what Father Christmas was like as a boy.
If magic has a beginning, can it also have an end? When Amelia wants a wish to come true she knows just the man to ask - Father Christmas. But the magic she wants to believe in is starting to fade, and Father Christmas has more than impossible wishes to worry about. Upset elves, reindeers dropping out of the sky, angry trolls and the chance that Christmas might be cancelled.
If you could sum up The Girl Who Saved Christmas in three words, what would they be?
How it builds on the world previously created by Matt Haig. Also, how Amelia overcomes a personal tragedy to help save Christmas.
What about Carey Mulligan’s performance did you like?
It was just lovely. I 'm a 47 year old man and it whisked me back to childhood school days being read to by a favourite teacher!
A great sequel to A Boy Called Christmas. It had a touch of Charles Kingsley's Water Babies to it. I wish someone would option these books and make a film of them. Done right they would become a Christmas TV staple.
I couldn't help myself I had to read this one too, it is just as good as the first, incredibly Dickensian, not everything goes smoothly for Amelia, but the situation improves greatly. Carey Mulligan, is a natural born storyteller. I'm sorry that I'm finished, I enjoyed both this book and it's predecessor so much, I'm going to have to start again soon.
One for the grown ups too!
My 7 year was engaged the whole way through. She couldn't wait for the next listening session!
What did you like most about The Girl Who Saved Christmas?
Have you listened to any of Carey Mulligan’s other performances? How does this one compare?
Yes and it completes very favourably.
Another wonderful Christmas story, follows on from a boy called Christmas. With lovely soothing narration.
I have read a couple of books by Matt Haig and eagerly awaited this publication. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. I hoped to play the book to a six year old girl, and listened to it myself first. In fairness, I have not played it to her, nor will I.
Quite early on in the book we are faced with the death of a young girls mother, and Matt does an excellent job in taking us through this grief... But is that even an idea that I want to install in a six year old head? Not at Christmas, anyway. An amusing story follows with Father Christmas having a few troubles with elves and trolls and the like. There are a few clever references, interesting characters and funny anecdotes. The story switches between 2 or 3 sub stories in the way many recent popular adult novels do, but is this easy for a child to follow? I had lost some interest by the time I reached the conclusion.
There are better books for children at Christmas and better adults books but this author. On this occasion I don't think the two mixed too well.
Best book ever!!! AMAZING FANTASTIC best book loved it it was very funny!You should read this!!
Loved it, nice christmassy story. Really well read and followed on nicely from the previous book.