The Christmas Carrolls by Mel Taylor-Bessent

Wish it could be Christmas every day? Well, for nine-year-old Holly Carroll and her family, it is! Living her merriest life in a house with year-round fairy lights and Christmas trees, a carol-singing toilet and a diva monkey who thinks he's a reindeer, home-schooled Holly tries to spread cheer wherever she goes.

But when she goes to a new school with a singing Santa backpack and first day Christmas cards (during a heatwave in September!), she realizes not everyone shares her enthusiasm for spreading cheer. In fact, when the neighbors try to remove the Carrolls from the street and Holly discovers a group of children that may not get a Christmas at all, her snow globe world begins to crack. Is the world's most Christmassy girl about to lose her Christmas spirit?

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This is a fantastic read for Christmas! (Or September, as that's when it's actually set.)

The story is great and has a good message - that Christmas is a feeling, not presents and chocolate, and it's the feeling we should try and keep all year. Holly is amazing; I love how strong she is in her own beliefs and how she doesn't back down - but she does take advice and modify her behavious, which is the best of both worlds. She's brilliant.

My proof copy had only rough illustrations, but I can tell that they're going to be amazing, and there's plenty of them spread through the book. They have a lovely Christmasy feel and they really add to the story.

This is a fantastic read; I think it'll do really well this year, and I can't wait to read more of it next year!

(PS, also really happy at the neighbours storyline!)