A Boy Called Christmas

by Matt Haig, Chris Mould (Illustrator)

Overview

Before there was Santa Claus, there was a young boy who believed in the impossible. . . . Lemony Snicket meets Klaus in this cheeky, Christmas classic-in-the-making that sparkles with wit and warmth!

Now a Netflix movie starring Kristen Wiig, Maggie Smith and Henry Lawfull!

Eleven-year-old Nikolas–nicknamed "Christmas"–has received only one toy in his life: a doll carved out of a turnip. But he's happy with his turnip doll, because it came from his parents, who love him. Then one day his father goes missing, and Nikolas must travel to the North Pole to save him.

Along the way, Nikolas befriends a surly reindeer, bests a troublesome troll, and discovers a hidden world of enchantment in the frozen village of Elfhelm. But the elves of Elfhelm have troubles of their own: Christmas spirit and goodwill are at an all-time low, and Nikolas may be the only person who can fix things-if only he can reach his father before it's too late. . . .

"Irresistibly readable. Destined to become a Christmas and anytime-before-or-after-Christmas classic!" – Chris Grabenstein, New York Times bestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

"The definitive (and funny) history of ho, ho, ho! My children loved it." – Yann Martel, bestselling author of Life of Pi

"Matt Haig has an empathy for the human condition, the light and the dark of it, and he uses the full palette to build his excellent stories." – Neil Gaiman, Newbery-winning author of The Graveyard Book

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780399552687
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	10/16/2018
Series:	Boy Called Christmas
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	2,956
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	650L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Matt Haig is an internationally bestselling author whose novels for children and adults have been translated into twenty-six languages. His children’s books have won the Nestlé Smarties Book Prize, the Alex Award, and the Blue Peter Book Award, and been nominated several times for the Carnegie Medal and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize. He lives in Brighton, England, with his wife and two children. Visit him at matthaig.com and follow @matthaig1 on Twitter.
 
Chris Mould began studying art at the age of sixteen and has gone on to become an acclaimed illustrator of children’s books. He lives with his wife and two children in Yorkshire. Visit him at chrismould.blogspot.com and follow @chrismouldink on Twitter.

Read an Excerpt

You are about to read the true story of Father Christmas.

 

Yes. Father Christmas.

 

You may wonder how I know the true story of Father Christmas, and I will tell you that you shouldn’t really question such things. Not right at the start of a book. It’s rude, for one thing. All you need to understand is that I do know the story of Father Christmas, or else why would I be writing it?

 

Maybe you don’t call him Father Christmas.

 

Maybe you call him something else.

 

Santa or Saint Nick or Santa Claus or Sinterklaas or Kris Kringle or Pelznickel or Papa Noel or Strange Man with a Big Belly Who Talks to Reindeer and Gives Me Presents. Or maybe you have a name you’ve come up with yourself, just for fun. If you were an elf, though, you would always call him Father Christmas. It was the pixies who started calling him Santa Claus, and spread the word, just to confuse things, in their mischievous way.

 

But whatever you happen to call him, you know about him, and that’s the main thing.

 

Can you believe there was a time when no one in the world knew about him? A time when he was just an ordinary boy called Nikolas, living in the middle of nowhere, or the middle of Finland, doing nothing with magic except believing in it? A boy who knew very little about the world except the taste of mushroom soup, the feel of a cold north wind, and the stories he was told. And who only had a doll made out of a turnip to play with.

 

But life was going to change for Nikolas, in ways he could never have imagined. Things were going to happen to him.

 

Good things.

 

Bad things.

 

But if you are one of those people who believe that some things are impossible, you should put this book down right away. It is most certainly not for you.

 

Because this book is full of impossible things.

 

Are you still reading the book?

 

Good. (Elves would be proud.)

 

Then let us begin . . .

Editorial Reviews

"Irresistibly readable. Destined to become a Christmas and anytime-before-or-after-Christmas classic!" —Chris Grabenstein, New York Times bestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library

"Like stockings hung by the fire, this spellbinding opus may well become a yuletide tradition." —Kirkus, Starred review

"Award-winning British author Matt Haig (To Be a Cat) writes with warmth, wit and irreverence." —Shelf Awareness, Starred review

"Matt Haig has an empathy for the human condition, the light and the dark of it, and he uses the full palette to build his excellent stories.”—Neil Gaiman, Newbery-winning author of The Graveyard Book

"The definitive (and funny) history of Ho, ho, ho! My children loved it." —Yann Martel, bestselling author of Life of Pi

"Humorous and heartfelt, A Boy Called Christmas will grow your heart three sizes and make you believe in magic." —Liesl Shurtliff, New York Times bestselling author of Rump

"The most evergreen, immortal Christmas story to be published for decades. Future generations will receive the same comfort and joy from A Boy Called Christmas that they derive from mince pies, snowmen and creamy liqueurs." —Stephen Fry

"Matt Haig puts the Happy back into Christmas." —Jeanette Winterson

"A new festive classic. Funny, sad and brilliant. It turns out we only knew half the story." —Simon Mayo, BBC

"An instant Christmas classic... Nikolas is a terrific character, clearly the offspring of Gerda from The Snow Queen and Roald Dahl's Charlie Bucket."  —The Guardian

"Like enjoying the warmth of a good fire on a cold day . . . perfect for Christmas is every way." —The Independent 

From the Publisher

Perfectly captures the spirit of Christmas, and Mould’s scratchy ink-pen illustrations bring charm and humor to the page. Misguided elves, a mouse that unflaggingly believes in the existence of cheese, and flying reindeer (naturally) all unite under one boy’s faith in the impossible. A heartwarming holiday adventure.

Booklist

10/01/2016
Gr 3–6—This lively British import recounts the adventures of young Nicholas, who will grow up to become Father Christmas, otherwise known as Santa Claus to American children. Born on Christmas Day, Nicholas leads a life of hardship in a remote, ramshackle cabin with his good-hearted father. When his father goes in search of Elfhelm (and a chance at a great monetary reward), Nicholas is left alone with his cruel aunt Carlotta. After enduring abuse and neglect, the boy sets off on his own to find his father and the mythical land of the elves. The fairy-tale atmosphere aptly sets the stage for magic and mischief, including flying reindeer, exploding trolls, a truth pixie, and a trusty mouse companion. Nicholas eventually changes the course of Elfhelm history, saving it from a regime of unhappiness, and ultimately discovers his true calling as a giver of gifts. Mould's quirky yet charming black-and-white drawings are a perfect complement to the sometimes snarky text. VERDICT There's plenty to please fans of Roald Dahl, Lemony Snicket, and Adam Gidwitz: offbeat humor with the ultimate satisfaction of overcoming the impossible, helping humanity, and achieving one's dreams. A popular choice for Christmas or year round.—Madeline Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library

School Library Journal

★ 2016-08-17
Young Nikolas has a grand adventure while discovering his magical destiny as Father Christmas.Nikolas is a sweet, 12-year-old white boy who leads a hard-knock life in the woods of Finland. His mother has died, and his father, Joel is an impoverished woodcutter. Desperate for money, Joel joins a group of men on a quest to prove the existence of elves, leaving Nikolas with his ill-tempered aunt, Carlotta. Nikolas runs away to find his father, but trudging months through the woods, he faces starvation, freezing, and hopelessness. Then he comes across a reindeer with an arrow stuck in his leg. Nikolas helps him and names him Blitzen, and they continue their journey to the elf village together. Unfortunately, once located, the elves do not offer a warm welcome but instead lock Nikolas in the tower. It’s there that Nikolas discovers, with the help of a drimwick, or hope spell, that he’s become more than just the simple boy he used to be. With remarkable descriptions (“His eyebrows were sliding apart like caterpillars falling out of love”) and a bit of mischief (Blitzen likes to wee on the heads of humans as he flies over), this hits both ends of the audience’s sophistication range and has great promise as a read-aloud. The clever story is powdered with puckish illustrations and reminds humans and elves alike that goodness and kindness are a kind of magic. Like stockings hung by the fire, this spellbinding opus may well become a yuletide tradition. (Fantasy. 6-13)

Kirkus Reviews