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alongreader's review against another edition
5.0
A beautiful set of short stories by Noel Streatfeild, all set around or featuring Christmas in one way or another. Like most of Noel's stories, dancing and theatre feature heavily. These are quite oldfashioned stories now, but that only adds to their charm. This is a fantastic collection for children of 8 to 11.
But the case was not back in half an hour, nor was it back by dinner time on Christmas Day, though it was not for want of trying. The police promised to let the Wards know the moment there was news. Jock's Scoutmaster rang other Scoutmasters, and they rang the guides, and the guides rang Brown Owls, until finally there did not seem to be a street within miles of South Kensington where someone was not asking 'Do you know a little girl called Emily whose grandfather is staying with her for Christmas, whose birthday is in December?'
It was, of course, a miserable Christmas for the Wards.
But the case was not back in half an hour, nor was it back by dinner time on Christmas Day, though it was not for want of trying. The police promised to let the Wards know the moment there was news. Jock's Scoutmaster rang other Scoutmasters, and they rang the guides, and the guides rang Brown Owls, until finally there did not seem to be a street within miles of South Kensington where someone was not asking 'Do you know a little girl called Emily whose grandfather is staying with her for Christmas, whose birthday is in December?'
It was, of course, a miserable Christmas for the Wards.
bekab20's review against another edition
5.0
Love love love. Such sweet stories and one of my favorite authors!
l1nds's review against another edition
5.0
This is absolutely delightful. I'm not saying they showcase the best of Noel Streatfeild (you need Ballet Shoes for that), but they're warm and festive and full of The True Spirit of Christmas, and I'm not ashamed to say that several made me weep a little bit! The book itself is beautiful, with lovely illustrations throughout, and would make an excellent gift for young readers and Noel Streatfeild obsessives!
barefootsong's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
A sweet collection of Christmas stories. My fave was "Christmas at Collers."
lunarchar_'s review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful. Streatfeild was my favourite author as a child having written Ballet Shoes and I adored all these short stories just as much. Highly recommend it!
gilljames's review against another edition
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
These stories are magical and all associated with Christmas. They may be a little tame for the modern child but at least they are classless. father may be a vet in on story but not enough animals are sick for him to carry on supporting his twins' skating career. Another family lives in three rooms. Yes, there's a princess in on and a very middle class in another. But not everyone can make ends meet. As one would expect from Noel Streatfield ballet shoes, skates and the stages feature often in the stories.