SOLVED. Childrens book set in the UK at Christmas time, boy witch called Rufus, lives in the chimney of a house where the girl is knitting him a scarf, they travel to the north pole to get a glass polar bear for her mother for Christmas [s]

[Bridget]

SPOILERS AHEAD

I read a book about 20 years ago about a girl who has a witch family living in her chimney. The boy is called Rufus and for some reason they have to travel to the North Pole. The girl's mother collects glass polar bear ornaments and I remember they broke the one she bought so she got a new one at the North Pole. She gave Rufus the scarf and it was incomplete and had a knitting needle in the end still but he was thrilled with it.

The illustrations in the book were like shadow figures.

I have tried google looking for this book but I cannot find it anywhere.
I assume it was written and published in the early 1980's.

[Becca]

I think it has to be Chimney Witch Christmas by Victoria Whitehead. There's not a description for it, but it's part of a series - the first book is The Chimney Witches, and the description for that one reads:

"When eight-year-old Ellen meets the witches living in the chimney of her house, she experiences the most exciting Halloween of her life."

[Becca]

I've just found a description for Chimney Witch Christmas and added it to the Goodreads page:

"Ellen's little brother, Toby, is spirited away by goblins to the icy clutches of Queen Zola in the Land of Polar Control. Ellen must rescue him with the help of Rufus, the witch boy in her chimney - or Christmas will be ruined."

So this confirms that the boy witch is called Rufus, like you remember!

[Bridget]

Becca wrote: "I've just found a description for Chimney Witch Christmas and added it to the Goodreads page:

"Ellen's little brother, Toby, is spirited away by goblins to the icy clutches of Queen Zola in the La..."

You are honestly the best part of 2020 for me! Thank you so much (I am still slightly alarmed I am terrible at Google and research if I had so much of the information).

I have just ordered a copy off ebay so I am thrilled.

Thanks so much Becca :)

[Bridget]

SOLVED - Chimney Witch Christmas by Victoria Whitehead

[Becca]

Ellen wrote: "You are honestly the best part of 2020 for me! Thank you so much (I am still slightly alarmed I am terrible at Google and research if I had so much of the information).

I have just ordered a copy off ebay so I am thrilled.

Thanks so much Becca :)"

Glad I could help! And don't worry, it wasn't the easiest to find - I eventually got it by using the WorldCat Fiction Finder and searching with the keywords "christmas" "witch" "chimney". Very lucky that those are the words of the title, because there wasn't a description on WorldCat either!