An Advent Novel (Maxime Gillio) – YA Books Central
About This Book:
Residents of the North Pole compete to be named Santa Claus’s apprentice in this charming, festively illustrated chapter book told in an advent calendar format, with chapter-a-day reading making it a well-paced and anticipation-filled experience!
Santa Claus has a problem. There are too many kids on the nice list this year, and he’s worried he won’t be able to deliver all the presents by himself! The only solution is to recruit an apprentice for the first time in his long career—to be chosen through a carefully crafted competition. Soon, the North Pole is buzzing with excitement as contestants come forward to show they’ve got the Christmas spirit and know-how to help jolly old St. Nicholas himself.
There are elves who think they deserve a promotion, children from the village, a gnome who only says “groumf,” and even a stuffed monkey! As Christmas Eve draws closer and Santa Claus tasks the hopefuls with more and more creative tests, who will come out on top?
*Review Contributed by Adrien Carter, Newsletter Manager and Staff Reviewer*
This year, Santa Claus has encountered a problem: there are too many kids on the nice list, and he may not be able to deliver all of those presents. His solution is to recruit an apprentice who is going to be chosen through a competition. So many come to the North Pole excited to show their Christmas spirit and help Santa Claus. This includes elves looking for a promotion, children from the village, a gnome whose only word is “Groomph”, and even a stuffed monkey.
What I Liked: If you have yet to give an advent book a try, this is the perfect book to start with. Each day of the advent calendar corresponds to one chapter of the book, and the final page of the chapter leaves you wanting to know more. While many come to try and partake in the competition, this story follows four of the participants in their journey to be Santa’s apprentice. The main characters include an elf who wants a promotion, Ivy, a village child, Nathan, a gnome who only says “groomph,” and a stuffed monkey, Koko.
The illustrations throughout this book add to the story and make scenes come alive. Each part of the competition is interesting and made more intriguing by the images, which highlight different portions of this competition, such as the snowman that Ivy makes or the wooden sculpture that the child makes. Each chapter is crafted perfectly to be enough of the story for one day and keep a younger audience’s attention throughout. This is also one that a younger reader would be able to enjoy on their own or as a read-aloud.
Final Verdict: The Christmas Contest: An Advent Novel is a delightful, cute, and sweet story highlighting the importance of Christmas to all. This book is perfect for young readers ages 6 and up who enjoy short chapter books and want something to read leading up to the holidays. The best thing about this book is that it can be put away only to re-read it the next year, even if each chapter has already been opened.
*Find More Info & Buy This Book HERE!*