Meet The Christmas Carrolls…
The world’s most fantastically festive family!
Wish it could be Christmas every day? Well, for nine-year-old Holly Carroll and her family, it is! Living her merriest life in a house with year-round fairy lights and Christmas trees, a carol-singing toilet and a diva donkey who thinks he’s a reindeer, home-schooled Holly tries to spread cheer wherever she goes. But when she goes to school with a singing Santa backpack, sleigh-shaped sandwiches and first day Christmas cards (during a heatwave in September!), she realises not everyone shares her enthusiasm for spreading cheer. In fact, when the neighbours petition to remove the Carrolls from the street, Holly’s new friend, Archer, tells her to tone down the tinsel, and she discovers a group of children that may not get a Christmas at all, Holly’s snowglobe world begins to crack. Is the world’s most Christmassy girl about to lose her Christmas spirit?
‘The Christmas Carrolls’ Reviews
“A Christmas book about kindness and cheer to make even Scrooge’s heart melt.”
— Dame Jacqueline Wilson
“Fizzing with energy and festive cheer, The Christmas Carrolls is a heart-warming must-read for the Christmas period. Mel’s writing sparkles like the star on top of a Christmas tree.”
— Jennifer Bell, author of ‘The Uncommoners’ & ‘Wonderscape’
“This will put a smile on your face and a lump in your throat."
— The Daily Mail
“The Christmas Carrolls is just fabulous! I laughed solidly throughout the whole thing. It’s gloriously festive, brilliantly funny and utterly endearing. The story is warm and wonderful and I loved it!”
— Abi Elphinstone, author of ‘Sky Song’ & ‘The Unmapped Chronicles’
“Like watching a feel-good family Christmas movie.”
— LoveReading4Kids
“Funny and loveable. A fun and festive tale."
— Women & Home Magazine
“The book that everyone’s going to be hoping to find under the tree this year.”
— BooksForTopics
“Hilariously silly, this super-seasonal debut will have readers chuckling.”
— The Metro
Meet The Characters
Illustrations © Selom Sunu
Holly Carroll
Holly is an excitable, energetic and eccentric 9-year-old, who loves nothing more than inventing with her dad, spreading cheer with her mum, and sharing the magic of Christmas with everyone she meets. With a love for knitting, a flair for ‘fashionizing’ and endless optimism, Holly’s life is full of festive fun, until she starts school and her snow globe world begins to crack…
Archer Edwards
Archer is shy, mysterious and completely bemused by Holly’s boundless love for Christmas. After being partnered with Holly for their class rep speeches on the first day of school, he is thrust into her never-ending Christmassy world, but soon shows her that not everything can be cured with Christmas cheer.
Reggie
This camera-hogging, diva donkey has a thirst for the limelight and loves nothing more than being the centre of attention. Complete with inflatable antlers, a wonky eye and the cheesiest smile you could imagine, this wannabe-reindeer brings humour and heart (and a few smelly farts) to the Carroll family.
Snow Carroll
To say that Snow Carroll (Holly’s mum) is a drama queen is an understatement… With bright white hair and even bolder outfits, she loves nothing more than Christmas crafts, trying to beat her present-wrapping record, and getting involved in the local community. Prone to a meltdown or two, Snow is often oblivious to the world around her and sometimes needs a gentle reminder about what’s really important.
Nick Carroll
A creative chef, expert inventor and highly competitive do-gooder, Nick Carroll (Holly’s dad) has a big smile and an even bigger heart. He’ll do anything for anyone, and loves nothing more than devising new ways to make the Carrolls the most festive family in the world.
Ivy Carroll
As the youngest member of the Carroll clan, Ivy spends most of her days sleeping, looking cute in Christmas onesies, and throwing up her morning milk. But she is often the one who notices things the adults don’t. In fact, she is the first to witness an extra-special Christmas miracle at the end of the story!