This was a cute story with a lovely little twist on the story of Santa and was a perfect little middle grade to read at Christmas. The main character, Blanche Claus, was adorable and the friendships she made on her journey were lovely. However this was only a 3 star for me as it felt like there was something missing from the story and while I cannot put my finger on what more I wanted from this book, that feeling stayed with me when I finished the book.

I am the BIGGEST Christmas lover and this book gave all the wonderfully festive feels I was looking for! Definitely one of the best middle grade Christmas books I have ever read.

really don’t know where to start with this one except Wow!

It is full of humour thanks to Carol and all the other Carols as well as Eggnog and his naked avalanche creating, but it just encapsulates Christmas. Not only that, it celebrates just how blimmin brilliant girls and women are and how in fact, without us there would be no Christmas. It’s a story of believing, not just in yourself but in others.

I love the power of the friendships, not just between Blanche and Rinki but Carol and Captor, Eggnog and the Carols.

Whilst essentially the book is lighthearted and funny, there is a sinister side to it with Mr Krampus and his cane of eyes. He is Mr Bah Humbug personified. He does everything in his power to undermine Blanche and Rinki as he can not stand the idea of girls being achievers, he outs Blanche to the carter boys to get back at her but in true girl power style, it doesn’t hold her back.

I love how this story challenges our very perception of Christmas, how and who started it and why. It really is a wonderful book.

A definite 5* from me.

Thank you for the earc of this book. I read this before Christmas and thought I had submitted my review - apoogies!!! This book is stunning, read it now!

This book was something special! I read this in one sitting, and I just couldn't put it down! What an amazing Christmas read, this was just *chefs kiss*. Originally, read as an arc, thankfully received from NetGalley, but this is a beautiful physical addition to my collection! I want anyone to read this and tell me the artwork isn't gorgeous.

I loved this book! Tinsel is without a doubt the best take on the ‘Santa’ story ever! Sibeal has created a feisty, feminist take on the traditional story and one I will certainly be promoting as a must read in school. She has taken the classic elements of Christmas and twisted them into this heroic, inspiring tale. Blanche and Rinki are such incredible, strong female protagonists supported by a cast of diverse and interesting characters. The sinister Mr Krampus, threatening the girls’ plan at every turn makes for a formidable adversary. From the tinsel to Snowcus Pocus, Sibeal has given us a beautifully written festive tale full of friendship, imagination, magic, and fun! This will become an absolute must for the festive season.

The name’s Claus, Ms Claus, and she’s going to shake (not stir) your beliefs about Christmas. It was two girls, Blanche Claus and her friend Rinki, who invented the global one-night present distribution system. When we meet Blanche, she’s an orphan living under a bridge, and she’s not that into Christmas. It takes the enthusiasm of another waif, Rinki, bedecked in cast-off fripperies, to inspire Blanche's dreams of a Yuletide mission to give a present to each child all over the world on Christmas Eve. Things don’t go straightforward (as if they would!), but the girls remain loyal friends.
This story wafted through me the warm orange and cinnamon glow of Christmas. It was as peppy as a peppermint stick in a mug of hot chocolate, as thrilling as an aerial sleigh ride and as gaudy as a bauble. Sibéal Pounder (Bad Mermaids) crafts a delicious Christmas tale and kicks the patriarchy into touch in this small book.
In her retelling, an orphan named Blanche and her waiflike friend Rinki invent tinsel and Christmas in the spirit of human kindness and generosity. Santa gets a nod as a loveable mince pie baking supporter. Blanche and Santa get shipwrecked and wind up in a frozen northern area called Carolburg full of elves named Carol. Soon Blanche’s plan for worldwide present delivery starts to take form but not without some serious villainy at the dastardly hands of fake news king Krampus.
The setting is Victorian London which will work well with middle grade readers who will be learning about Victorian times. There is a sneaky cameo of Queen Victoria herself and the author brings the streets of London to life, warts and all, using all the senses for world-building. There’s a cheeky fashion designer to mentor Rinki in her budding aspirations that will be shared by many readers. There are some things that don’t quite fit (Velcro) but adds to the magical can-do feel. Objects create a framework that hold the story together – chimneys, horses, Boudicca, baubles, cooking – and Sibéal should get an award for best use of a Brussel Sprout! There are tense and sad moments to offset the saccharine boppiness and naïveté, creating a well-rounded tale that will seize imaginations at bedtime, Yuletide, and beyond. The author adds in some historical detail for the factmonster and also a sensible warning about the harmful effects of tinsel on planet Earth.
If you liked the film Frozen, and have wished for more uplifting sisterhood stories, this will fill the bill. I enjoyed the book. In fact, I reread it post-Christmas and it has made me so jolly that I’m in my Christmas jumper and longing for my own mince pie picnic.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the ARC.

I very much enjoyed this cute Christmas Tale. I'm going to put it out there and predict that this will become a Christmas classic that will be enjoyed year after year.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the heartwarming tale of the real story behind the origin of Christmas. Ideal for all, it captures the strong love and sense of belonging that friendship brings and how even when separated by worlds, knowing you have a friend makes the impossible possible.
Full of girl power, magic and an elf that you wouldn’t want to upset, Tinsel is a book not just for Christmas.

After having this recommended by a friend I saw it was here on netgalley! What a great twist on this Christmas tale. A strong female read was great to see and the tiny flourishes of how Christmas came to be was wonderful to unravel!

This book was absolutely adorable. I really enjoyed the premise of the story and how the story was executed. A lot of fun for kids but also makes you think as an adult as well. Great adventure with some great friendships and important lessons for children too. Highly recommend.

Tinsel is the perfect festive adventure. The story is told in a fresh and exciting voice and we meet a new, strong female character here. Mince pie picnics will surely we popular this Christmas. Undoubtedly a new Christmas classic.. Sibeal was fabulous in a virtual author visit too.

4☆ Enchanting, Magical, Witty, Fun Festive Read!


Tinsel is a Heartwarming and Enchanting Christmas Middle Grade Read.

This story is all about Mrs Claus and Christmas. It's a magical adventure with lots of mischief, fun and Christmas Sparkle.

This story is also very empowering to women as it teaches children what it was like for women and how they wasn't treated equally. It teaches children the value of friendship and kindness.and treating people with respect.

The characters are simply enchanting and beautifully presented. The plot is whimsical, and special. There's so much going on and discoveries to be made.
There is plenty of witty humour that kept me giggling out loud, that children will love!

So if you are looking for a Whimsical, Funny, Enchanting, Uplifting, Festive Treat then you will adore Tinsel.

This is a really sweet middle grade novel about Blanche Claus and the idea that the story we all know about Santa is wrong! I found this such a lovely, escapist read and really enjoyed it. I would have adored this book when I was younger, it’s always fun to read an alternative origin story for Father Christmas and this one has lots of magic, adventures and twists and I would recommend it to anyone who has young children.

Blanche Claus usually spends Christmas Day alone, counting down the seconds until the wretched day is over, until one Christmas an old lady hands her a mysterious glowing red bauble, which appears to contain a dancing Christmas Tree! When Blanche meets an exciting new friend called Rinki, who dresses in abandoned bits of Christmas and has been waiting for someone to share a mince pie picnic with, her Christmasses will never quite be the same. Skip forward a couple of years, and a downtrodden Blanche, who has been disguised as a boy and working as a carter, takes on a special commission from the Captain of the Jolly Holly to deliver a very important box to Stratton Street quick sharp, and who should she bump into again, but her friend Rinki. Sharing another mince pie picnic, the girls hatch a plan to change Christmas for all children all over the world forever!
Tinsel is without a doubt the best take on the Santa story I have ever read, bar none. Many authors take on our classic tales of the man in the red suit, with varying results, but Sibeal’s feisty, feminist take is one I have already shared with my Year 5 Class, and will continue to share with the children I teach and my own children for years to come. Sibeal has taken the classic elements of Christmas, those threads which weave together to create the festive fun, and unpicked them one by one, to give a new and original take on each individual one. Blanche and Rinki are such incredible, strong female leads, supported by a cast of diverse and representative characters. I adored Teddy and Captain Garland, and the Carols, but I think my absolute favourite was Eggnog! In the shadows, Mr Krampus makes a sinister fiend, threatening the girls’ plan at every turn. From tinsel itself to Snowcus Pocus, Sibeal has left no Christmas cracker unturned in her beautifully written festive tale full of friendship, determination, imagination, magic, humour and fun! This will become an absolute must for the festive season.

Tinsel is a lovely Christmas read. Perfect for children and adults who like a story with magic, adventure and determination. I would definitely recommend reading this on a cold winter evening, snuggled under a warm blanket, sitting by a Christmas tree with shiny red baubles!

This is a gorgeous book which we have thoroughly enjoyed reading in the run up to Christmas. It is a perfect wintery read for snuggling up and slurping hot choccy as you listen. Full of magic and adventure. My 8 and 10 year olds loved it.

This was such a brilliant festive story that highlighted the true magic of Christmas.
Blanche Claus is an orphan who dreams of bigger things than the life she leads in London as a carter. When she receives a magic bauble from a mysterious stranger, her world begins to change. Blanche soon finds herself in an unusual position and she, Rinki, Santa, and all of the Carols, prepare to make Christmas a magical time for every child in the world.
I enjoyed all the different elements that we got in this story, with the Elves also being faeries depending on the temperature, Eggnog the dancing Fir tree and Rudy the lovely horse! It made me laugh out loud, scared and even angry at parts which is definitely a sign of a good book. I also loved that the Epilogue tells you how bad Tinsel is for the environment and that Carol (the inventor) wants you, the reader, to come up with an environmentally friendly substitute.
I read this book in one day because I couldn't put it down. If you want a fast paced festive Middlegrade book then this is definitely one that you should pick up!

Thank you so much to NetGalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book. It's one that I'll be re-reading year after year and I'll be recommending it to anyone who wants a feminist Christmas tale.

Blance and Rinki have big plans for the world but as girls in a boys world will they be able to achieve them? And if they do will anybody believe it was a pair of girls?

This gave me proper Christmas vibes, it was brilliant. So festive and full of magic. I loved the characters, both Blanche and Rinki were wonderfully rounded. Blance especially was so determined and brave, I was behind her 100% of the way. Rinki and her adoptive parents were also a delight and I loved all of their relationships.

I would highly recommend this book, it had everything you could need to be a new festive favourite.

I gave this book 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Almost every middle grade book I have read includes a message of morality to deliver to its young readers and this is especially so of Christmas stories. This one was no exception.

The duo who centred this story had a limitless belief in their future success and an unlimited supply of imagination, hard work ethics, and heart in order to achieve it. One of my favourite quotes from the book was "One day things will be different... One day the world will imagine more of girls. We'll make sure of it!" Whilst obviously focusing on a fictional duo, and being extremely fantastical in nature, this also ensured it reminded its readers of all our ancestors who have fought for the freedom we receive today, in a myriad of areas. The fight obviously still exists but at least a little more equality exists, than in the Victorian period Blanche and Rinki reside in.

This proved to be as empowering as it was heart-warming and was the perfect little slice of Christmas spirit and cheer I needed to help close off the hard year 2020 has been, for us all, and to put it into perspective.

I read #Tinsel by @Sibealpounder on #NetGalley & absolutely adore it, will definitely have to be in Bea's #BookAdvent in a couple of years - girls *can* do anything! https://t.co/NwbzP1lIL4