The Girl Who Saved Christmas

Christmas #2

by Matt Haig, Chris Mould (Illustrator)

JOURNEY TO THE EDGE OF MAGIC

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.

But Amelia isn't just any ordinary girl. And - as Father Christmas is going to find out - if Christmas is going to be saved, he might not be able to do it alone . . .

Genres: Christmas, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Audiobook, Holiday

336 pages, Hardcover

First published November 3, 2016

About the author

Matt Haig was born in Sheffield, England. He writes books for both adults and children, often blending the worlds of domestic reality and outright fantasy, with a quirky twist.

Reviews

[Regina · Rating 4 out of 5]

If Matt Haig wrote it, I’m reading it.

If Carey Mulligan narrated it, I’m listening to it.

So a holiday tale written by Haig and narrated by Mulligan?! You better believe I smiled when my library hold came in for The Girl Who Saved Christmas. But that smile quickly faded.

If it’s a story where a small child sits at her dying parent’s bedside wishing for a Christmas miracle, I’m never going to be up for that after certain events in my family. As soon as young Amelia hoped Santa would save her mother from terminal illness, I wanted to chuck my headphones across the room.

But Haig. And Mulligan. Thus I pushed on to finish the book, and I’m glad I did. It’s a very charming middle-grade story about how when Amelia loses her hope, Santa loses his power. It’s Victorian-era England, and the likes of Charles Dickens and Queen Victoria herself make cheeky appearances that helped to bring my smile back. There are elves and trolls and famous reindeer and even a clever cat. Who could resist all that?

Whenever I listen to a middle-grade audiobook like this, I always try to put myself in the shoes of a parent with kids in the back of a minivan just trying to stay sane during a long roadtrip to Grandma’s house. The story is so engaging and the narration is done with such spirited voicing for each of the characters that the entire production won me over.

If you’re loading up the ol’ family truckster this weekend and staring down several hours of “don’t make me turn this car around” moments, be sure to download this before you go. It might just be the audiobook that saved Christmas for you.

Blog: https://www.confettibookshelf.com/

[Paromjit · Rating 5 out of 5]

A captivating and spellbinding historical novel for children set in the Victorian era featuring an appearance by Queen Victoria herself. A young chimney sweep, Amelia writes to Father Christmas asking primarily for help for her seriously ill mother. She is full of hope that her wishes will come true, but she is the only one. However, in Elfhelm, trouble is brewing with unhappy elves and trolls wrecking the North Pole with the intention of getting Christmas cancelled. Father Christmas is tested to the limit in his efforts to get matters under control. Amelia's world collapses when her mother dies and she finds herself at the worst workhouse in London. It is run by the nightmarish Mr Creeper who makes Amelia give up her cat, her beloved Mr Soot to Charles Dickens. A griefstricken Amelia facing misery and cruelty understandably loses her way and her hope for a while. Father Christmas needs her hope to ignite the magic so that Christmas can take place, and comes to find her as her spirits revive in time to save Chrismas for the world. This magical tale by Matt Haig makes for perfect material to read to children in the festive season. It is beautifully illustrated by Chris Mould throughout. Many thanks to Jamie Norman at Canongate for an ARC.

[Cheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Slightly less than one year ago, I read Matt Haig’s “A Boy Called Christmas” and fell in love with the story he had created. This year I’d hoped to finally get a copy of his “The Girl Who Saved Christmas” to read, I’d been so enchanted by his first Christmas novel.

”Do you know how magic works?
“The kind of magic that gets reindeer to fly in the sky? The kind that helps Father Christmas travel around the world in a single night? The kind that can stop time and make dreams come true?
“Hope.
“That’s how.
“Without hope, there would be no magic.
“It isn’t Father Christmas or Blitzen or any of the other reindeer that make magic happen on the night before Christmas.
“It’s every child who wants and wishes for it to happen. It no one wished for magic to happen, there would be no magic. And because we know Father Christmas comes every year, we know now that magic—at least some kind of magic—is real.”

But, this wasn’t always so, and there were years where no stockings were hung, before hope was in the air, or in the hearts and minds of children.

Victorian England features heavily in this story, you’ll see Queen Victoria in these pages, as well as Charles Dickens, a cat named Captain Soot, and a girl named Amelia Wishart, who was the one who saved Christmas, but almost stopped believing in the dream of magic.

She was the first child to believe, to hope for that magic of that first Christmas, and it was her hope that made that first Christmas possible.

Sadly, she’s fallen on hard times – the kind of hard times that only could happen in earlier times, a time like the Victorian era, the era that Dickens wrote about in her favourite book of his, Oliver Twist.

I loved this, from the flying pixies, the truth fairy, elves and the trolls, to the occasional nod to Dickens, the occasional use of Victorian era words rarely used, such as ‘skilamalink.’ I even loved the font that was used for this, and – of course – the marvelous illustrations, courtesy of Chris Mould, which are delightful.

I loved that this book is truly meant to be read to children, but has enough charm for adults reading this to remember the wonder of the holiday season as though they are seeing it once again through their own eyes as a child.

Hope is such an important thing to have, especially for children, to hold onto. I loved this message most of all, for without hope, there is no faith in anything – religious or otherwise – it is the belief in what could be. It is necessary in order to achieve anything, and everything, in life.

[Carolyn Marie Castagna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is such a delight!! 💕🎄🎅🏻🌟

Being set partly in Victorian London, I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that this book felt like it was meant for classics lovers!
There is a wonderful "cameo" from a very popular Victorian author (who's name rhymes with Sharles Pickens 😉📖💕), and another from a person who just happens to live in Buckingham Palace (who's name rhymes with Nictoria 😉)!
Matt Haig is so very clever with reinventing a story for Father Christmas and holiday traditions as a whole! This book made me laugh out loud and had me not wanting to put it down!!
Like I said with the first book in the series, "This book is as sweet as a Christmas sugar cookie!!"
I can't wait to make these books a holiday reading tradition!! 💕🎄🎅🏻

[Basically Britt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful! <3

[Anja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich liiiiiiiebe einfach diese Reihe von Matt Haig. Diesmal begleiten wir Nicolas, den Weihnachtsmann, auf der Suche nach seiner ersten Hoffnungsträgerin Amelia, denn Dank ihr, gibt es den Weihnachtszauber überhaupt, weil sie trotz ihrer ärmlichen Verhältnisse, ganz fest an ihn glaubt....oder geglaubt hat, denn irgendwas ist passiert, denn das Glücks und Hoffnungsbarometer ist ziemlich gesunken. Eine fantastische, dramatische und lustige Reise beginnt und ich hab sie wieder in vollen Zügen genossen. Jetzt brauche ich dringend Kinder, denen ich diese tolle Geschichte vorlesen kann. 😂😂😂😂 Perfektes Buch für Kids ab 6Jahren und älter.😉

[Marnie (Enchanted Bibliophile) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Life is like a chimney - you sometimes have to get through the dark before you see the light.”




Didn’t enjoy this one as much as I did A Boy Called Christmas.
It was still fun and cute and Christmassy. But some part where drawn out and a bit uneventful.
I did however love that Matt gave the great mister Dickens such an important part to play in this story. Who better to believe in the magic that Father Christmas requires?

These are fun stories and I will most definitely read them all, repeatedly every Christmas.
I adore the Illustrations.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can Amelia feel the magic of that first Christmas? One year later her life could not be worse. Where is Father Christmas? It is a dire situation. Her hope could power the sleigh to go around the world, but how can Amelia have hope now? Filled with crazy references to elf time, reindeer, drimwickery, and troll treachery; this is the story you need to hear after reading A Boy Called Christmas. I really loved the part famous historical figures like Queen Victoria and Charles Dickens play in this second story. And I especially love Captain Soot!

[Bam cooks the books ;-) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5 stars rounded up. The second installment in Matt Haig's Christmas trilogy is a treat for kids of all ages! Nikolas (Father Christmas) is having trouble getting Christmas off the ground, literally! First there is a troll attack that nearly destroys Elfhelm and cancels Christmas for that year. Then he finds there is not enough hope in the world to help him work his magic!

His most staunch believer, nine-year-old Amelia Wishart who lives in London, is losing hope. Her mother has died and she has been taken into a workhouse which is run by the mean Mr Jeremiah Creeper, who believes 'a child needs to know manners and discipline.' Father Christmas, on the other hand, believes there are three ingredients of life: happiness, laughter and play. Can Nikolas save her from the evil clutches of the system?

There are many fun scenes in the story. When Amelia is taken into the workhouse, her cat Soot is cared for by none other than Charles Dickens! Guess what inspires him to write his Christmas story. And Father Christmas has a slight accident when he first gets his sleigh off the ground and lands in Queen Victoria's bedroom!

The book is filled with fun, adventures, some evil characters and trolls, but plenty of joy and happy messages and is sure to delight any middle-school-aged child. Now on to book three: Father Christmas and Me!

Can't wait for the Christmas when I can read these with my grandson! At 2-1/2, he already appreciates the cool illustrations by Chris Mould, whose artwork also graces each cover in the trilogy.

[exploraDora · Rating 3 out of 5]

***3 stars***

Another story that's perfect for reading to children around Christmas time 🎄🎅🤶❤️

The Girl who saved Christmas is a beautifully written and altogether a heartwarming tale, so don't be put off by my rating. I cannot say anything bad about this book, I just didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would.

[Joanne Harris]

Sweet and wise, like its predecessor, A BOY CALLED CHRISTMAS. Made to be read aloud - preferably to a child on Christmas Eve - but failing that, to someone you love, on a dark night, with wine.

[Maria Roxana · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Nimic nu doare mai tare decât amintirea fericirii pe care n-ai s-o mai ai niciodată.”

[Maria Ionela Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

':*"" Magia poate fi găsită oriunde, dacă știi cum să te uiți după ea."⛄❄️🧑‍🎄🧝

[Tonkica · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

„Badnjak je, a djevojčica Amelia Wishart zarobljena je u ubožnici gospodina Jezovitog te Božića možda neće ni biti. Magija je sve slabija. Da bi se Božić ove godine dogodio, Amelia mora biti pronađena. Uz pomoć vilenjaka, osam sobova, engleske kraljice i gospodina Charlesa Dickensa, potraga za Amelijom – i tajnom Božića – može početi.“ – ovo je otprilike tekst s poleđine knjige i dovoljno dobro kazuje sve što ćete pronaći, ali onako ugrubo. Ova knjiga je sve samo ne nešto takvo. Topla je, lijepa, prekrasno ilustrirana, pozitivna i što je najbitnije za bilo koje vrijeme, daje nadu!

Cijeli osvrt pronađite ovdje: https://knjige-u-svom-filmu.webador.c...

[Dana-Adriana B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cateodata, poate chiar mai des decat credem, sa crezi in magie si in bine ajuta. Povestea este continuarea cartii "Un băiat numit Crăciun ", iar aici o intalnim pe Amelia, o fetita extrem de trista si singura. Dar, stai, nu e singura. Amelia ii are aproape pe Capitanul Funingine, pe Charles Dickens, pe Mary si pe......Mos Craciun!!! Mai intalnim spiridusi rautaciosi, troli tampi si elfi simpatici.
Another magical story from mister Haig!

[Ancuța✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it !🎄❄☃️🥰

[Dorin Lazăr · Rating 4 out of 5]

O carte superbă, o poveste care te atinge. Povestea unei orfane care salvează Crăciunul, cu un pisoi care se refugiază acasă la Charles Dickens, mi se pare chiar faină - o poveste excelentă pentru copii, cred eu.

Povestea pe scurt: Amelia e o fetiță obligată să muncească ca coșar pentru a câștiga niște bani. E epoca victoriană - epoca în care nu e neașteptat că mama Ameliei moare de ceva neclar, și Moș Crăciun e singurul care poate să îi dea un minimum de speranță. Problema lui Moș Crăciun? Elfhelm e atacat de trolli și vreme de un an nu mai poate să ajungă - că are nevoie și de magie și copiii și-au cam pierdut speranța (care e motorul magiei).

Nu zic mai departe ce se întâmplă, cum apar și Dickens dar și Regina Victoria în poveste. Dar merită citită - e genul pe care o absorbi într-o după-amiază, și ediția scoasă la Nemi e superbă.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute, festive and christmasy <3

I needed a story like that to cheer me up and bring back my faith in magic! Thank you, Matt Haig!

[Simona Stoica · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Vezi tu, ai fost primul copil pe care l-am vizitat vreodată. Pentru că tu ai avut cea mai multă speranță. Ai crezut în orice posibilitate. Și asta e foarte rar, chiar și la un copil. Iar acum crezi din nou. Vezi tu, uneori, dacă un singur copil crede în magie – și crede cu destulă tărie – e de ajuns ca să restabilească ordinea în univers.”

[Senf Dazu · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.4/5 - ach herrlich. Auch wenn diese Geschichte düsterer und trauriger als Band 1 begann. Eine tolle und rührend Weihnachtsgeschichte für Jung & Alt. Meine UK Version gibt es mit Band 1 zusammen als Schuber. Absolute Empfehlung.
Tipp/Randnotiz: Carey Mulligan, die britische Erzählstimme war leider der totale Flop - und der Grund - warum ich die Geschichte letztes Jahr abgebrochen habe.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly charming! Of course, you know me: any book that includes Charles Dickens as a character rises high in my esteem at once! And especially books about Christmas! About hope! And magic! And eating gingerbread!

I read the first book several years ago, I liked it a lot, but it was a bound manuscript and didn't have the art, and now I need to get a finished copy of that to read to the kids next year! They all loved this, and the art is darling!

[Lost In My Own World Of Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Que livro maravilhoso. Sem dúvida que este livro e o Um rapaz chamado Natal passaram a ser os meus livros preferidos de Natal de sempre.

[Marija Milošević · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 zbog toga sto su se smejali tesnim pantalonama.

[Ana | The Phoenix Flight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Depois da história de como Nicolau passou de criança pobre e mal tratada a Pai Natal, vem a história de Amélia, a menina que fez com que existisse Natal.

Sim, porque o Pai Natal já existia, já havia elfos e brinquedos, mas para que as renas e o trenó possam voar, ou para que o tempo pare de forma a conseguir distribuir todas as prendas numa só noite, é preciso haver magia. E de onde vem a magia? De todas as pessoas que acreditam, de toda a esperança condensada. Mas o que acontece quando não há esperança? Bem...o Pai Natal fica impedido de distribuir as prendas. Portanto, é preciso devolver a esperança à primeira menina que acreditou que o futuro podia ser risonho e que um dia talvez alguém conseguisse dar um miminho a todas as crianças do mundo, mesmo sendo algo que nunca tinha acontecido até aí!

Gostei muito mais deste segundo volume! Se no primeiro temos algumas semelhanças com as histórias de Roald Dahl, este volume lembra Charles Dickens, o que é curioso, já que Matt Haig faz dele uma personagem do livro ;)

Estou muito curiosa com o terceiro livro sobre o Natal, mas esse ficará para 2021!

[Claudia - BookButterflies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Teil 2 von Matt Haigs "Weihnachtsreihe" hat mir sogar noch einen kleinen Ticken besser gefallen als der erste, welchen ich schon toll fand.
Es spielt ein Jahr nach der ersten Geschichte und wir lernen Amelie kennen, das erste Kind welches vom Weihnachtsmann beschekt wurde. Sie lebt in London und hofft inständig, dass sich ihr doch sehr trauriges Leben ändert. Doch im Reich des Weihnachtsmannes sieht es auch nicht besser aus: Der Weihnachtsmann muss sich mit Trollaufständen und schwindendem Zauber herumschlagen.
Grundsätzlich geht es in der Geschichte darum wie Weihnachten gerettet werden kann, doch es steckt so viel mehr darin und es sind wieder so tolle Aussagen enthalten- Der Zauber von Weihnachten springt einem förmlich entgegen. Es geht ans Herz und gleichzeitig ist es wahnsinnig witzig, wenn wir zum Beispiel Charles Dickens oder Queen Victoria kennenlernen.
Eine tolle Weihnachtsgeschichte für jung und alt!

[Austra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ir Ziemassvētku vakars. Viss ir slikti. Amēlija - meitene, kuras cerību pilnā sirds paveica brīnumus iepriekšējos Ziemassvētkos, ir ieslodzīta darba namā. Un nav īpaši cerīgā noskaņojumā. Elfu ciemā ir iebrukuši troļļi un nopostījuši teju visas mājas. Maģijas ir atlicis pavisam maz. Kā izglābt Ziemassvētkus? Teiksim tā - Ziemassvētku vecītim nāksies krietni pasvīst.

Kā jau bieži ar turpinājumiem - autors izšauj pulveri pirmajā grāmatā un pēc tam turpina vārīt vājākus un vājākus uzlējumus. Šī grāmata nav slikta. Tā ir pavisam jauka, ātri lasās, arī tai ir brīnišķīgas ilustrācijas. Un droši vien, ja šo lasītu pirmo, viss liktos super, bet es zinu, uz ko Heigs ir spējīgs, kad viņam ir kārtīga iedvesma. Šeit pietrūka gan tā “wow” faktora, kas bija pirmajai grāmatai, gan emocionālā skaudruma (jā, jā, zinu, bērnu grāmata, bet pirmajā taču bija!). Jā, un joki arī vairs ne tik smieklīgi. Oh well. Viss labais reiz beidzas.

[Sandra Deaconu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Într-un oarecare fel, ușoara mea dezamăgire legată de carte vine din faptul că mi s-a părut prea realistă. Sărăcia, abuzul celor cu bani și putere, inevitabila moarte, credința tot mai slabă a oamenilor în bunătate și apreciere a lucrurilor simple, trădarea prietenilor și dificultatea crescândă a oamenilor de a-și păstra speranța i-au dat poveștii o notă mult prea tragică față de așteptam eu. Voiam să mă facă să mă simt iar copil, dar nu un copil orfan, înfometat și bătut. Însă asta nu o face mai puțin frumoasă. Dacă sunteți genul care vede partea plină a paharului, atunci o veți îndrăgi și mai mult decât mine. Abia aștept să citesc și ultimul volum al seriei și să văd cum se descurcă Moș Crăciun în căsnicie. Recenzia aici: https://bit.ly/3s2nEOu.

,,Oare știi cum funcționează magia? Acea magie care îi face pe reni să zboare pe cer? Cea care-l ajută pe Moș Crăciun să călătorească prin toată lumea într-o singură noapte? Cea care poate opri timpul în loc și îți poate îndeplini toate visele?
Cu speranță.
Fără speranță, n-ar exista magie.
Nu Moș Crăciun, Blitzen sau vreunul dintre ceilalți reni fac magia posibilă în noaptea de Ajun.
Ci orice copil care vrea și își dorește ca ea să se petreacă. Dacă nimeni nu și-ar mai dori-o, n-ar mai fi nicio magie.''

[Jovi Ene · Rating 5 out of 5]

În a doua carte a lui Matt Haig despre Crăciun, magia sărbătorilor pare a se fi pierdut, de vreme că satul elfilor și al Moșului a fost călcat de troli, sania distrusă, la fel cum distrus este și Atelierul de Jucării. Între timp, fetița care a readus speranța magiei, Amelia, este prinsă de un om rău și aruncată într-un insalubru și cenușiu azil pentru săraci din Londra.
Așadar, povestea de aici este despre redescoperirea magiei, despre felul în care Moșul va ajunge din nou în inimile copiilor după un an de absență, despre prietenie, frumusețe și încrederea în oameni și în spiritele Crăciunului.
Matt Haig scrie cele mai frumoase cărți de Crăciun, așa am scris și anul trecut când am citit ”Un băiat numit Crăciun”, iar cartea de față este una pentru copiii de orice vârstă, este pur și simplu fermecată.

[Ioana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tare mult mi-a plăcut și această carte, care în ciuda subiectului mai dur abundă în magie și speranță. Este incredibil cum Haig reușește prin deznădejde și tristețe să transmită atât de multă emoție și bunătate. Atât cititorii mici, cât și cei mari, pot învăța din exemplul Ameliei, acest roman fiind ca o lecție de viață în ceea ce privește tăria de caracter, empatia, curajul și cum anumite împrejurări potrivnice pot fi transformate în șanse.

„Magia poate fi găsită oriunde, dacă știi cum să te uiți după ea.„

https://ciobanuldeazi.home.blog/2021/...

[Liviu Szoke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Una dintre dorințele mele pentru anul viitor: „Dragă Moș Crăciun, aș vrea, dacă se poate, să-i dai inspirație lui Matt Haig să scrie câte o carte pentru copii în fiecare an. De preferat, să aibă legătură cu Crăciunul. Și n-ar fi rău dacă ar scrie și câte una SF în genul lui „Umanii”. Mulțumesc!”
Mai multe, pe FanSF: https://wp.me/pz4D9-2Ho.