CHILDREN’S BOOK OF THE WEEK

THE MIRACLE ON EBENEZER STREET

by Catherine Doyle,

Puffin, £12.99 (ebook £8.99)

THE Miracle On Ebenezer Street is a fantastical retelling of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. After the death of George’s mum on Christmas Day three years ago, his father has banned all festivities.

George wants to see his dad smile again – and to spend time with his mother’s family, who his father has forbidden him from seeing. When he finds a snow globe in a pop-up Christmas shop, he sets off a chain of magical adventures that show him, his father and his nan, Christmases past, present and future.

Despite the sadness of George’s situation, this is an engaging, laugh-out-loud book with brilliantly rendered characters – including a purple reindeer and a plucky miracle-working elf.

Doyle brings together imagination and all things Christmas, creating a real delight for readers of all ages.