The Miracle on Ebenezer Street

I know this book is aimed more at the younger generation, but if like myself you're a fan of David Walliams & Tom Fletchers books, you'll love this!

Young George lost his Mother at Christmas & from then on his father decided that Christmas was cancelled. George visits Marleys curiosity shop & find a snow globe that takes them on a journey through past, present & future...Yes this is a fabulous take on the classic Dickens' story, A Christmas Carol & a highly enjoyable, fun version 🎅🏻

Many thanks to Netgalley for my ARC in return for my honest review.

Although this is a children’s story, I thoroughly enjoyed, I became completely immersed in the Christmas spirit.
It’s a lovely retelling of a Christmas Carol.
George’s mother dies on Christmas Eve and since then his dad has banished Christmas in the house and in general, a time they once all enjoyed.
A feel good, heartwarming story which will get you in the Christmas spirit.
Will Christmas come alive again at 7 Ebenezer Street, the only way to find out is to read it for yourself.
Thank you Netgalley for this arc in return for my honest opinion.

Christmas books are my all time favourite things to read. Over the past few years, many authors have taken on the challenge of twisting, re-writing and re-imagining the classic stories. From stories on the origin of Father Christmas, the elves and even Mrs Claus. Films have tried to adapt to the ever changing world of the Christmas story too, and none so much as Scrooge.
Catherine Doyle has expertly chosen the magical elements of the classic Scrooge story and interwoven them into a modern day version.
Magic, love and family become characters themselves in this heartwarming and festive treat for the soul. Miracles and Marley also play important roles, more than in the original.
George lives with Dad Hugo and Nana Flo, ever since his Mum died three years ago on Christmas Eve. Christmas is banned in the Bishop household and Dad works all hours to forget life before the accident, Nana Flo is a bit of a rebel and sneaks treats and decorations in where she can, but George knows it will take a miracle to change his Dad.
Visiting Winter Wonderland in secret, George stumbles into Marley’s Christmas Curiosities, where only children are allowed in to browse and pop crackers, choose magical items and live in the world of Christmas. George is astonished to find a snow globe containing a snowman built by his family on the night his mum died. Reliving those happy moments ignites a Christmas fire in George and he becomes determined to find happiness and the return of Christmas in his home on Ebenezer Street.
Shaking the Snow globe causes magic and mayhem in the Bishop home and his Dad is struggling to find the words to describe what is happening. Miracles are like cake layers....Marley tells George when they meet again...some cakes need more layers, just as some people need more miracles.
Determined to prove just how much love he needs and how much the world needs Christmas, George tries again and again to work magic on his Dad. How many shakes of the Snow globe will it take? Can they ever find happiness again?

This story is full of Christmas cheer, warmth and love. It will make you laugh and cry and believe in the power of magic!
From enchanted elves to Rudolph’s brother, shrinking devices and a grow your own Christmas cake, there is so much heart and fun this book!

Set to become a classic in my opinion!

A magical snow globe, a purple reindeer, a grow-your-own Christmas pudding – The Miracle on Ebenezer Street is bursting with festive treats! This modern reimagining of A Christmas Carol will take the reader on an emotion-fuelled adventure. Hilarious, laugh-out-loud antics join heart-felt moments of dealing with loss and grief.
It’s George’s third Christmas without his mum. Since her death, his dad has banned all mention of Christmas in their house. Keeping busy with work, George’s dad is rarely home, leaving George with his wonderfully lovely (and slightly mischievous) Nana Flo. Sneaking off to a Christmas fair, George and Nana Flo make the most of the sights, sounds, smells and tastes before they have to return home to their sad, colourless life. As they are about to leave, George comes across Marley’s Christmas Curiosities – the most amazing Christmas shop ever! Full of every Christmas item you could ever imagine and more, this shop is a Christmas lover’s dream! When George discovers a mysterious snow globe containing a scene from his past, he realises his life may never be the same again. Will George’s wishes come true? Will the colour return to their lives? Will George and his dad ever be happy again?
It’s going to take some pretty powerful miracles and plenty of hints of Dickens to change three years of heartache. Watch out for Marley, Scrooge, Cratchit, Tiny Tim and even the year of publication in this magical tale.
The Miracle on Ebenezer Street is a powerful story of family, love and dealing with loss. It is so clear that everyone needs support in grief and that those who love us are always there – we can always reach out for help. It is wonderful to find such a fun festive story with so much substance. The Miracle on Ebenezer Street will definitely find a home in my children’s special box of Christmas books.
Thank you to NetGalley & Puffin Books for this magical, meaningful story!

This is the book that everyone should find in their stocking this Christmas! Catherine Doyle’s reworking of A Christmas Carol sparkles with Yuletide magic and is served with a dusting of her trademark lyricism and charm.

This story overflows with magical and mysterious characters as it recounts the tale of George Bishop, a ten year old whose world was drained of colour three years previously when his mother died in a car accident on Christmas Eve. Since then, his father Hugo has immersed himself in his work running the family property empire and has banned all references to Christmas. As they approach their third monochrome Christmas without beautiful, kind, artistic Greta, the prospects look grim. Or so it would appear, until George’s grandmother takes him on a clandestine trip to the Winter Wonderland and leaves him to explore Marley’s Christmas Curiosities at the end of a row of wooden huts. In this enchanted space, with its myriad attractions, George is drawn to the shelf labelled “last minute miracles” and discovers a snow globe which inexplicably contains a heart-breakingly familiar snowman.

As anyone familiar with A Christmas Carol would expect, visits to Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future follow, as the snow globe grants George his three miracles. Without wishing to give away any plot spoilers I will just note that these wondrous journeys in the company of fellow travellers such as oil portraits and purple reindeers will make you laugh and cry in equal measure. Moments of great hilarity such as Elf-on-the-shelf Tricksie halting mid-miracle to perform an audit segues seamlessly into Aunt Alice whispering to her late sister in a moment that will cause eyes to leak.

The characters are all beautifully realised, from six year-old cousin Clementine with her joyful ability to see magic around her, to Hugo whose grief has caused him to shut all colour from his and his son’s lives, to George whose longing for family and home drive the narrative. My favourite of all was Nana Flo, the perfect grandmother; warm and wise with an Irish twinkle in her eye, she wears “mystery like a cloak” and is always “happy to conspire at short notice”.

In summary, I absolutely love The Miracle on Ebeneezer Street and wholeheartedly recommend it to everyone, independent readers from 9+, and parents, carers, grandparents, teachers and librarians to read aloud to younger children. Teenagers studying A Christmas Carol for GCSE are also likely to enjoy this thoroughly modern reworking of the story and can amuse themselves finding the clever references sprinkled throughout. Catherine Doyle has written a remarkable story which celebrates the colour, beauty, hope and love of Christmas.

I read somewhere that this book had been commissioned to mark the publisher Puffin’s 80th anniversary and Charles Dickens’ 150th anniversary and feel that it’s timing this year is perfect. With many families facing this Christmas grieving for a loved one, this tender, poignant story might just help children to feel that they are not alone in processing the memories of Christmas past whilst trying to rekindle their festive spirit.

“Let your heart be your compass, it will show you the way”.

I am most grateful to #NetGalley and Penguin Children’s Books for allowing me access to an electronic copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. I have already placed a pre-order for the hardback version of this book which will be published on 1st October 2020.

It’s a bit early in the year for me to read a Christmas book, but this one swept me up completely.

It’s a wonderful twist on The Christmas Carol featuring a grandmother, son, and father who has cancelled Christmas since his wife (and mother of the son) died on Christmas Eve.

With the help of a lot of magic, can going George bring Christmas cheer back to his father?

Absolutely loved this, wonderful, and a must for any young child this Christmas.

My thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Children’s UK for the advance copy

You should all know by now that I adore Christmas, and I literally get myself in a tizz in December. You probably remember that one of my favourite books is A Christmas Carol. So when I spotted this book The Miracle on Ebenezer Street I knew I needed to get my hands on it and quick. The Christmas Elves must have heard me because no sooner than I'd wished for it, the book appeared before me like magic. A little like this book, it truly is a piece of magic.

It's December, a couple of days before Christmas and George is about to spend his third Christmas without his mum. Since his Mum died George's life has become a little sad and grey; Hugo, George's dad has thrown himself into his work and has no time for his Son and absolutely no time for Christmas. In fact its banned in their house and he's even stopped George from seeing his Cousins and his Mums Sister his Aunt. All because three years ago he Mum died on Christmas Eve.

One day George and his Nan are out in the town marvelling at the Christmas Festivities and he comes across Marley's Curiosity Shop. On the door it reads, 'Strictly No Grown - ups Allowed, Enter At Your Own Whimsy'
George goes in and meets an old man named Marley who's reading a paper dated 1843. Marley invites George to select a gift and he chooses a snow globe, which - though George can't quite understand how - appears to show a scene from George's past. A Christmas several years ago where all his family are together and merry.

Once he takes the snow globe home his adventures start. George is ensconced in a magical world where his ancestors from an oil painting come alive and an Elf on the shelf called Trixie takes charge and a purple reindeer who's no longer friends with Rudolph transports them on adventures.

This story is fun, sweet, exciting and has everything a good christmas book needs. Lots of nods to the book that Dickens wrote but in a humorous way.

Highly recommended for children ages 8 -12 ish I would say, and all adults that still believe! For those who loved Tom Fletchers The Christmasaurus like me, this is the book for you. If Christmas is still in your heart and you read a chapter a night leading up to christmas eve who knows what miracles might happen to you.

5 Scroogey Stars for this joyful book.

Thanks to Netgalley, Catherine Doyle and Puffin Books for this advanced copy. Publishes 01 October 2020

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Even though this is a children’s story, It was still thoroughly enjoyable.

I was completely immersed in the Christmas spirit.

A lovely story retelling a Christmas Carol.

Since George’s mother died on Christmas Eve, his dad has banished Christmas in the house and in general. This was a time they once all enjoyed.

It’s a really feel good, heartwarming story which will definitely get you in the Christmas spirit.

So, will Christmas once again come alive again at 7 Ebenezer Street, read this lovely book to find out is to read it for yourself.