I know this is a children's book but the temptation to read something this time of the year that uses A Christmas Carol as a template was too much to resist.

George's mum died 3 years ago on Christmas Eve and since then his dad has refused to celebrate or even acknowledge Christmas since. Fortunately for George, his Nana Flo has come to live with them.

Just before Christmas, George and his Nana Flo go out shopping to take in the festivities, only for George to call into Marley’s Christmas Curiosities shop and picks up a snow globe. Granted three 3 wishes from the snow globe, it is up to George to prove to his dad what Christmas is all about.

This is a brilliant children's book with a bunch of characters children will love, especially Trixie the elf and Randolph the purple reindeer.

I read this book cover to cover in a single sitting, and I guess that already tells you how much I loved it. It is an enchanting, magical, whimsical tale of love, family and belonging. 

As in the original Dickens tale, Doyle's book plays with time: past, present and future are mingled in a mind-blowing quest to bring back the spirit of Christmas. What I loved even more, however, was Doyle's gentle way of handling grief: Both Hugo and George have lost the most important person in their lives, both deal with it in different ways. In the false belief that it will help his son to cope, Hugo decides to get rid of Christmas completely. George, on the other hand, is starving for the magic of Christmas as it brings back fond memories of his mum. The two are living side by side instead of with each other, and both don't understand why the other is feeling a certain way. In this fashion, The Miracle on Ebenezer Street deals with the raw realities of life, illustrating how they don't always work the way we want them to. 

As Hugo and George experience Christmas past, present and future, I found myself close to tears more than once. Especially the passage set in the present gave me goosebumps and the stark contrast to Hugo and George's house to the setting of that particular scene was heartbreaking. 

Doyle skilfully weaves in names from A Christmas Carol by sneakily using them for streets, sweets (ever eaten a humbug?), and characters. This way, adult readers will recognise the original story while younger readers may simply enjoy the funny names. 

Dickens' story has seen many adaptations over the years, but this modern-day retelling is a real treat. I highly recommend you to snuggle up with it this holiday season.

What a beautiful interpretation of Dickens' classic story, but written for the modern age. The hero George desperately want to celebrate Christmas and to remember his mother who died three years ago. The question is whether a bit of magic from Marley's Curiosity Shop can help his father re-discover his love of life? This is joining my collection as one of the future classics about the Christmas season.

A MIRACLE ON EBENEZER STREET is a fun modern-day retelling of <em>A Christmas Carol</em>. (It might also be a retelling of <em>A Miracle on 34th Street</em>, but I've never seen that movie.) A short book, this can be devoured in an afternoon, so perfect if you want something light and Christmassy to curl up with.<

The story is crackers, a colourful, fast paced adventure. While the retelling is obvious, it's also been well absorbed into Doyle's own story and imagination. The most obvious hallmark of <em>A Christmas Carol</em>, the three ghosts, is present in the narrative, but they are far from ethereal beings bringing an eerie sense of time. Instead, we have larger than life characters who upend the life of the Bishops when George desperately wishes to help his grief-stricken father.

The story never explicitly says how George's mother died, but it's pretty easy to infer. It gives the book a serious undercurrent about grief and loss, and how we can wall ourselves up afterwards in an attempt to protect ourselves, but it just hurts others. It made the "ghost of Christmas Future" the most chilling and poignant, which naturally helps the father's change of heart feel the most natural. I also liked what exactly helped him change, and how it wasn't the overt "miracles" George had been attempting.

Despite this, it's certainly a book that leans towards comedy, from the wild escapades the "ghosts" lead them on to some of the brilliant lines that I read aloud to my housemate.

The Miracle on Ebenezer Street is a fantastic retelling of a classic story.
Doyle has managed to create a child-friendly, modern version of A Christmas Carol - it follows a similar premise to the original, with the use of Past, Present and Future but touches on topics such as grief, love and family. The story of the Bishop family and the memories that Christmas evokes is heart-wrenching but offers young readers an insight into grief and the emotions revolving it. There is a lot of characters names to remember in this book, at first I found it difficult to remember who was who, but as the story was in full swing, the characters and their personalities shone through. I would recommend this book to readers 8+ and using it as an entry text for my students to read before they study A Christmas Carol for GCSE.

Very accessible reimagining, had a lump in my throat as well.

The original has inspired many versions over the years, from Muppets to teen versions, and here the author brings the story into the present day and to a young audience via the Scrooge’s son, George.

Still absolutely deceased by the death of George’s mother in car accident at Christmas three years ago, Hugo will not let anything festive or joyous near himself, his son and even via his sparky mother in December - to save them the pain of remembering. No presents, no trees, no singing.

Finding an unusual shop one day, run by the mysterious Marley, George comes away with a snow globe and the promise of three miracles... Can he remind his dad of what Christmas used to be like? And what it could be again?

George had me in tears a few times, a boy mourning his mum, and denied the chance to speak about her, enjoy her art and memory, have a full relationship with a dad in pain. The past, present and future are well-realised and adapted from the original plot, with other relatives brought in nicely, and a few ghosts you might not expect but that give an Arthur Christmas-like charm to proceedings.

Doyle has a way with words: “Christmas had been scrubbed from the countertops like grime” - there’s a Dickens-esque sound to this. And some lovely wrinkly updates with Ghosts, with Nana Flo (who could have her own backstory made into a novel, I suspected). Hugo I found a little trying and repetitive at times, (“A Scrooge... something utterly and completely absent of joy.” Constantly nagging and disbelieving, he needs the relief of the other characters to stop himself becoming tedious. George though is mature, in touch with his emotions and grief, and trying to hold his family together despite hating his Dad’s greyness.

Doyle gets references in sneakily - road names, humbug sweets, names of characters all give the Dickens names older readers will recognise. She gives us magic, misers and redemption via a realistic plot. The update works and is still recognisable as the Victorian classic.

There are lessons here, there is humour and magic, festive feeling and family. Not a single ‘Bah’ from me.

A wonderful read for boys and girls, 8-12.

With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.

What a beautiful reimagining of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens!

George's world has been cold and grey for the last three years since his mum died, especially on the anniversary of her death at Christmas. His dad works constantly through holidays and has banned all things Christmas from the house.
When George and his Nana Flo sneak off to the Christmas Fair, George comes upon Marely's Christmas Curiosity shop, and inside finds a snow globe that reminds him of Christmases before. What George and his dad soon find out is that the snow globe is full of real magic that takes them on a journey to Christmases in the past, present and future, but will it be enough to bring warmth and colour back to their lives?

I absolutely adored this book. George is such a great kid, so full of love for his dad, never giving up on believing he can change even if that means standing up to him.
Nana Flo was a delight, as all Irish Granny's are, her wisdom flowing off the pages in a pitch perfect Irish lilt with a hint of mischievous.
And all the side characters who helped them on their journey such as Tricksie the elf and Randolph the Reindeer were so great!

This book has the perfect mix of festive cheer and heart that it becomes an instant classic, to be retold time and time again for Christmases to come.

I also listened along as I read the book and loved Remmie Milner's narration of the story.

Thank you to Penguin's Children's Books and Netgalley for an early eArc of the book!

George’s Father Hugo, has banned Christmas ever since George’s Mother died at that time of the year. So no decorations, no singing, no presents, no Christmas dinner round at a fun-filled relatives house, no celebrations of any kind are allowed. George and his Nan are finding this very difficult when all George wants to do is to talk about his Mum.
On a walk into town with his Nan, George discovers a shop he’s never seen before. Entering Marley’s Christmas Curiosities, it is a shop like no other. All children are allowed to pop one cracker, but unfortunately George gets a Scrooge - one with no surprise is the centre. Undaunted George browses and is drawn to a snow globe which seems to depict a scene from his childhood. Bumping into his cousins - whom he has not seen since Hugo banned contact - his elder cousin buys it and presses it into his hands when they leave the shop. That night, shaking the globe magic happens.
Drawing in George and his Father, this first miracle takes them back to a happy time of ChristmasPast when Mum was alive and Hugo was fun to be with. But Hugo is still not convinced, maintaining it was a bad nightmare. So in true Dickens style, two more miracles of Christmas Present and Christmas yet to come have to be experienced in order to convince George’s Father that he needs to address his own anger at the death of his wife and acknowledge his son’s grief.
George is wise beyond his years, and he seems the grown up not his Dad. The cousins are fun and Nan is a wonderful character- a former M16 secret and always up for an adventure, whether riding a purple reindeer or simply accompanying George to the park. This is funny, heart-warming and great for home or a class read in the lead up to Christmas.

Since the death of his mother three years ago, George’s life has been completely devoid of joy. As Christmas approaches again, his dad is busy with work and insistent that the family will not be celebrating. Then Marley’s Curiosity Shop shows up in town and in it, George finds a strange snow globe depicting what looks like his own family’s last happy Christmas. Little does he know that a crazy, magical, life-changing adventure is about to begin. I was completely swept away to a different place with this whimsical retelling of A Christmas Carol and I had such an amazing time. Full of hope and wonder, it’s the perfect festive treat this year.

This is a lovely modern update/twist on A Christmas Carol, with some real emotional bite in dealing with the topic of grief. Sure to be enjoyed by children and their parents alike, although I'd especially recommend it for fans of Ben Miller or Tom Fletcher.

A middle grade book that I thought might work well for my grandson for Christmas but on reading it myself, I'm not so sure. It's a retelling which riffs on A Christmas Carol. George's life has been turned upside down by the death of his mother, but more importantly by his father so lost in grief that he fails to step up for George. He's turning into a grey colourless man, and only George can save him with the help of gloriously colourful Nan, the magic of Marley's Christmas emporium and a purple reindeer. It's a lovely book but maybe not for my grandson.
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The perfect read to put a huge Christmas smile on your face and leave you feeling warm and fuzzy.

George won’t be able to celebrate Christmas, again this year. Since losing his mum, his dad has banned Christmas from their home and all the festive sparkle too. Luckily for George, Nana Flo still harbours a little bit of Christmas spirit and when she takes George to the Christmas market he stumbles across an unusual little shop run by a man called Marley. So begins George’s magical adventure. Will Marley’s magic be able to banish all traces of Scrooge from George’s father? Join George, Nana Flo and Dad as they visit Christmas past, present and future to find out.

Catherine Doyle has packaged wonderful characters, worlds and magical adventures into this superb modern day twist on a well-loved Christmas classic. You’re instantly drawn into George’s life and feel such empathy for him. Nana Flo is a delightful, mischievous nana who I’m sure every reader would love as their own. And be ready to meet a cast of magical Christmas characters too.

A definite festive treat for all, young and old this Christmas season.
Huge thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

This is a fast-paced, enjoyable read, although I wonder whether children will appreciate the references to the original, or whether this will read well without knowledge of The Christmas Carol. Also, in the current COVID climate, I rather sympathise with Scrooge at the moment!

If I can urge you to read one book this Christmas, please choose The Miracle on Ebenezer Street; it's full of magic, warmth and humour and makes for a perfect festive read!

As soon as I started reading this book, I knew it was one that I was going to love - the writing is just captivating and the characters are ones that you just click with, even Hugo! The book moves at a really good pace, so the magic of winter London is there and the characters have depth, and it's this which sets it apart from other A Christmas Carol stories, including the original (whilst I love the premise, I found the actual book [A Christmas Carol] to be a drag with the overly descriptive writing). I found it much easier to engage with this world and these characters, although I did still love the nod to the original with different names featuring along the way!

One of my favourite characters has to be Nana Flo with her festive spirit - she really made the book that extra bit more special with her youthfulness and fun! That said, all the characters were likeable and interesting to join on this adventure!

Catherine Doyle has done a better job that I could've imagined possible in this modern take of A Christmas Carol, making the story her own and something new for readers to love; despite knowing the basic premise of the story, there were so many wonderful aspects to this book that made it truly unique and one of the best reading experiences I've had in a long time.

As a retelling of 'a Christmas Carol' it wasn't great but I did like the characters and feel this could have been a brilliant story on its own.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Puffin Random House Children’s for the earc to read and review.

I love Christmas and I love a Christmas Carol, so why I didn’t fully enjoy this book is honestly a mystery to me, but alas I didn’t really enjoy it at all.

George misses Christmas, for three years his life had been dull and grey since his mum died on Christmas Eve. His dad shut down and removed colour and celebrations from their lives to cope just a little. This year George can’t take it anymore and wants life back to normal, he finds himself with a gifted miracle that can change everything.

In a similar thread to a Christmas Carol they go on adventures through time with interesting characters, they see parts of wonderful Christmasses long ago, to family that miss and long to have them back, to what a life will be like for George if things don’t change now. Though when the miracle breaks they get stuck and have to figure out what to do together.

I didn’t care for most of the characters in this story especially George. I did like Marley and found his shop of wonders a very creative and interesting idea. I also liked Bobbie and Clementine, George’s cousins, they were so bubbly and lively that they made it fun.

The story was written well, though for me I just didn’t find the magic in it until right at the end. It was an interesting modern take on a beautiful classic. I think that even though I personally didn’t fully enjoy this, it is still a must read for anyone that loves Christmas; you may enjoy it so much more and find that magical spark in this story that didn’t shine for me.

Loved every minute of reading this, a retelling of Christmas Carol with humour, nostalgia and family love stuffed into every festive line. I had a tear in my eye several times and was giggling at others, perfect gift for any young (or young at heart!) reader.

This is a really fun family adventure, filled to the brim with Christmas magic. An interesting take on the classic Christmas Carol story, it takes the format we know well and gives it all the charm of a heartwarming Christmas movie. There were little touches throughout that really reminded me of a reading Roald Dahl, and for me, there can't really be higher praise than that.

I felt so very frustrated for poor George, both he and his dad coping with their immense grief without communicating with each other. He definitely deserved all the little miracles that he got to experience along the way. Of course the star of the show is his bright and shiny Nana. I loved every moment she featured in, and her rule defiant attitude.

There are lots of quirky touches that will capture a child's imagination. A walking, talking elf on the shelf. A PURPLE reindeer, not to mention he's Rudolph's estranged brother. A curiosity shop filled with Christmas miracles.

In short, this is a lovely story and would be a great one to share with your littles in the run up to Christmas.

If you're looking for a new festive middle grade to make a Christmas Eve reading tradition, then look no further than Catherine Doyle's 'The Miracle on Ebeneezer Street'.

This will be the third Christmas that George will spend without his mother. After her death, his father has refused to celebrate Christmas and it appears all the colour and festive cheer of the season has gone forever. Then George stumbles across a strange shop that is run by Marley, and after receiving a snow globe, he, his father and his grandmother get whisked away on an adventure through Christmas past, present and future to change George's father's Scrooge-like ways.

From start to finish, this was filled with Christmassy goodness. I was instantly drawn towards George through empathy and a want for him to succeed in changing his father's mind about Christmas. I absolutely loved Nana Flo and how young-at-heart she was. We are also introduced to an elf called Tricksie and a reindeer called Randolph (not Rudolph!!) and it just all made for a perfect Christmas treat.

I could feel the inspiration of A Christmas Carol with so many nods to the original, as well as Charles Diskens himself. The way this was written really made me want to curl up with a hot chocolate, a mince pie and watch snow fall. This gives me the same kind of vibes as Arthur Christmas, so it's well worth a read this Christmas!

What a wonderful narrative! I love the fact that Catherine Doyle has taken all the recognisable features from the Christmas classic 'A Christmas Carol' and given them a fresh story to appeal to a modern, younger audience. As a grown up reading this, the outcome was fairly predictable, but Doyle manages to hold resolutions masterfully at bay right until the very end.

Right from the opening, the story reveals a bleak, grey existence for George, the protagonist of our story. This is emphasised by the technicolour backdrop of Christmas celebrations. It takes a while for the source of his discontent to be revealed. Marley tells George, 'the only real barrier to magic is the limit of human imagination' and this books is all about George and his father's rediscovery of their imagination. Imagine riding pink reindeers, shrinking to be posted through letterboxes, having a talking 'elf on your shelf' named Tricksie as your magical mentor...you get a clear picture of the journey you will have through this book.

George has this wonderful grandmother who looks after him in every sense of the word. She has the courage to let him make choices and urge him to grab every opportunity presented; as the book goes on her character develops and made me long for someone so solid and trustworthy, yet also irreverent, too!

This is a book about taking risks and embracing life to flood it with colour. George's father, clearly loves his son but is determined to keep George safe and sound which has denied them any sense of adventure or genuine joy.

This is a wonderful story of love and adventure - what a lovely Christmas read for any child to enjoy!