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A review by tcm_62
The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder
3.0
Looking for a quick Christmasy read, and remembering enjoying 'Sophie's World' a long time ago, I picked this up not realising it is a children's story.
Nevertheless, it is a charming read and something I wish I'd found when my children were younger. The story begins with a mysterious advent calendar, and the structure of the novel - where each chapter represents the opening of one of the windows in the calendar - could be read the same way; a chapter day-by-day.
This is a retelling of the Christmas story with a twist, beginning with the disappearance of a little Norwegian girl in 1948 who chases a lamb back through time and across continents, gathering other 'pilgrims' as she goes, back to the birth of Jesus himself. Then there is the story of Joshua, the little boy who finds the advent calendar in a bookshop, and his family, as they become more and more involved with the story the calendar reveals.
A good 'read together' book for 7 to 10 year olds.
Nevertheless, it is a charming read and something I wish I'd found when my children were younger. The story begins with a mysterious advent calendar, and the structure of the novel - where each chapter represents the opening of one of the windows in the calendar - could be read the same way; a chapter day-by-day.
This is a retelling of the Christmas story with a twist, beginning with the disappearance of a little Norwegian girl in 1948 who chases a lamb back through time and across continents, gathering other 'pilgrims' as she goes, back to the birth of Jesus himself. Then there is the story of Joshua, the little boy who finds the advent calendar in a bookshop, and his family, as they become more and more involved with the story the calendar reveals.
A good 'read together' book for 7 to 10 year olds.