Christmas books for 9–11 year olds

Janina Ramirez, David Wyatt
Abruptly woken in the middle of the night by the village jarls, Alva is drawn into an epic quest that has her family at its very core. Protected by her tame wolf, Fenrir, and with the aid of her mother and uncle, Alva must decode mysterious runes, explore the farthest reaches of her homeland, and confront some difficult family truths.
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Book extra: Read an extract [PDF]
Activity: Create your own Viking Mischief Maker [PDF]

Tom McLaughlin
Tyler is clever. Not just averagely clever, or even just cleverer than average – she’s genius-IQ clever, and that tends to set her apart. When she starts a new school, Happyville High, she soon realises that there's something really strange going on. With a laugh on every page, this story is also a light-hearted cautionary tale for the Instagram generation and a reminder of the importance of learning and courage.
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Elaine Wickson, Chris Judge
Stan is a fairly typical 11-year old boy, whose interests include space, pie charts, working out strategies to survive life with his little bruv Fred (who’s 70% annoying and 30% fart), and cake (as long as it’s not beetroot). This is a lovely story packed with heart, interesting facts and a reminder that we can all make a difference in the world.
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Ali Sparkes
Elena, Matt, and Tima have the power to talk to animals, birds and insects, but with power comes complications. Like having to stop the world from ending. Fast-paced action adventure about contemporary children with mysterious powers, told with Ali's classic humour and lightness of touch.
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Julia Golding
The Society for the Protection of Mythical Creatures is facing their most deadly threat. Connie is the only member of the society who can keep peace between humans and the hidden mythical beings that are being destroyed by our pollution. But the shapeshifter Kullervo craves her power. He wants to use it to wipe out all of humanity. Perfect for fans of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, this is a classic adventure story with a very modern twist!
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Astrid Lindgren
Ronja, the robber's daughter, causes mayhem by befriending the son of her father's sworn enemy. Together Ronja and Birk explore the magical forest they have fled to and must fend for themselves in the hope that one day they can return home. A beautiful illustrated edition to accompany the TV series.
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Tamsin Cooke
Fearless stunt double Finn is in Thailand working on the latest Rio Dinoni blockbuster. It's a dream job, but are the whispers around set true? Is the film really cursed? When stunt after stunt goes wrong, filming starts to get really dangerous. An action-packed adventure story with an exciting film location setting.
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Tom McLaughlin
Ben's starting to have serious doubts that Father Christmas is real, so he hatches an elaborate scheme to try and capture him on Christmas Eve. His plan kicks off a sequence of hilarious events that makes this Christmas the most bonkers ever!
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Activity: Draw Father Christmas [PDF]

Gill Lewis
Joe has always loved the moorlands above his home. But everything has changed since his father died and the moors are no longer a place of refuge. Now the whole community are divided over the fate of the hen harriers that nest up in the heather – and Joe is stuck right in the middle, with a choice to make, and a huge secret to keep. A gripping and emotionally powerful novel from the award-winning and bestselling author Gill Lewis.
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Book extras: Read an extract [PDF]

Charles Dickens
The spirit of Christmas comes to life in this wonderful tale of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghosts that visit him to show him the error of his ways. As the clock chimes, will Scrooge be in time to learn the true meaning of Christmas?
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Philippa Pearce
Lying awake at night, Tom hears the old grandfather clock downstairs strike… eleven… twelve… thirteen… thirteen! How strange! When Tom gets up to investigate, he discovers a magical garden. A garden that everyone told him doesn't exist. A garden that only he can enter… A timeless classic about Tom's adventures in his secret, midnight garden.
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