By Sibéal Pounder (author)
"The Girls Who Invented Christmas - a deliciously magical and madcap adventure"
Paperback In Stock £7.99 £7.19
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November 2020 Book of the Month | A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month November 2020
Everything that is wonderful about Christmas (and some things that aren’t!) is thrillingly spun about in this deliciously magical and madcap adventure. Homeless Blanche has never had any real Christmas but when the mysterious Rinki gives her a magical bauble and some mince pies on Christmas Day everything changes.
Rinki and Blanche are firm friends forever and together they are about to rewrite the Santa story. Santa Claus, elf magic, delicious Christmas food and drink, and a wonderful sleigh ride are all thrown into the mix as a very merry Christmas for all – except the sinister Mr Krampus – follows.
What if somewhere along the way we've all got the Santa story a bit wrong...? Join Blanche Claus and her best friend Rinki for a funny festive sleigh ride you'll never forget!
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From Sibeal Pounder, bestselling author of the Witch Wars and Bad Mermaids series, this tale of friendship and mince-pie feasts is the perfect book to curl up with this winter.
Funny, feminist and with a huge heart, it's a gloriously Christmassy adventure that will delight even the biggest Grinch.
I absolutely ADORED it! A really funny, clever, brilliant play on all the Christmas tropes. It just has to be made into a movie! - Emma Carroll
Joyful and hilarious, this book is full of characters I adored and dialogue that made me laugh out loud. I loved every moment of it! - Stephanie Burgis, author of The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart
Sibeal Pounder's stories fizz with fun and energy, and her characters grow more appealing with each book - LoveReading4Kids
This is a gorgeous book celebrating strong, feisty girls, and friendship. Rinki's two dads are incorporated into the story just as they should be; without fuss or fanfare and gender roles are challenged throughout but in such a way that it never feels forced. Any book with a festive theme is a winner in my eyes and Tinsel is a twinkly, Christmassy delight that I can't wait to have in my school library! - NetGalley Reviewer
A refreshingly original story on the origins of Santa Claus. It was really funny and a brilliant adventure. Definitely one to be enjoyed with lots of mince pies! - NetGalley Reviewer
Hilarious, heartwarming and full of fun! I so, so enjoyed this festive book and the feminist streak that ran through it. I loved all the Christmassy details peppered absolutely everywhere [...] I highly recommend reading this book if you want to feel full of funny festive joy! - Harriet Muncaster
Very sparkly storytelling and a lovely portrayal of friendship - Hilary McKay
Cleverly mixing the snowy chill of the North Pole with the fuzzy warmth of friendship, Tinsel is Christmas spirit wrapped in a fun, feminist parcel. The elves (all named Carol) are glorious, and I was left craving a mince pie - Lesley Parr
Praise for Witch Wars;
This the most fun I've had reading a book in quite a while - the most inventive, crazy, yet hilarious read - Minerva Reads
A World Book Day Author 2019
Sibéal Pounder previously worked for the Financial Times, where she researched the How To Spend It section and wrote the For Goodness’ Sake column – interviewing everyone from Veronica Etro to Vivienne Westwood. As well as Bad Mermaids , she writes about fabulous witches and feisty fairies in Witch Wars , her first and much loved series for Bloomsbury. Witch Wars has sold over 50,000 copies and was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and the Sainsbury's Children's Book Award.
author photo © Richard Grassie
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This is a really fun, festive, feminist book! Perfect for Christmas.
This is the heartwarming and festive tale of Blanche Claus and her incredible friends, who come together to make Christmas magical for every child. It addresses some serious points like inequality and unfairness in Victorian times, and how women and girls didn't have the same rights or freedoms as men and boys, but overall this is the funny, festive, feminist story about the girl who invented Christmas! The talking Christmas tree and the elves are brilliant and the friendships made though the book are so heartwarming and feel very real. Highly recommended for anyone who loves the festive season.... Read Full Review
Tinsel is a brilliant Christmas story which both Boys and Girls will enjoy. I am 9 and read it on my own but it would also be a good family read. If you like adventure and suspense then you will really like this story and it will prepare you for Christmas..Ho Ho Ho!
Tinsel- The Girls who invented Christmas is a festive Christmasy story about hope and never giving up. The story is about an orphan girl called Blanche who dislikes Christmas until she is given a magical bauble by an old lady. Making friends with an abandoned horse Rudy, Blanche sets off with a new found friend on a Christmas adventure. The book is very good and exciting and I did not want to stop reading it as I loved it.... Read Full Review
Descriptive, funny multiple plot lines. Tinsel takes everything we know about Christmas and changes it, whilst all along giving a reasonable explanation. Recommended for Christmas lovers!
Blanche hates Christmas. She is homeless and has nothing of her own. But she is given a mysterious bauble which changes her life forever. She befriends an abandoned horse (Rudy) and finds another girl without a home. The girl’s name is Rinki and the two become best friends. But when Blanche returns to see Rinki again, she isn’t there. Five years later, Blanche is working as a carter, disguised as a boy. She is asked to deliver a strange box and finds Rinki with a home. When the two were discussing their Christmas wishes, Blanche tells Rinki that, if she could, she would give every child in the world a present at Christmas.... Read Full Review
What if somewhere along the way we've all got the Santa story a bit wrong...? Join Blanche Claus and her best friend Rinki for a funny festive sleigh ride you'll never forget! From Sibeal Pounder, bestselling author of the Witch Wars and Bad Mermaids series, this tale of friendship and mince-pie feasts is the perfect book to curl up with this winter.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Tinsel and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
Tinsel features in the following genres: Adventure Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Books of the Month, Recommendations, Fantasy / Magical, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Julia Eccleshare's Picks of the Month, Featured Books for 9+ readers, Festive Fiction, Funny, Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels
Paperback, Hardback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
Tinsel was written by Sibéal Pounder and published by Bloomsbury Childrens Books an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Tinsel has 320 pages
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
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