The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks
Katie Kirby
Puffin Books

I found my self spluttering with laughter at almost every turn of the page in this account of the events of the festive season as described in Lottie’s diary from 30th November through to New Year’s Eve. Lottie absolutely loves Christmas but is a tad disappointed to hear that it’s to be a ‘small family affair’ sans her grandparents and other relations. If you’re familiar with events in Lottie’s life you’ll anticipate that it’s unlikely to go as expected.

Before the holiday comes though, there’s her form’s Secret Santa to sort out, not to mention that her brother Toby is driving her crazy with his baa-ing at every opportunity (he’s been chosen as second sheep in his school nativity play), a very dramatic visit to the Father Christmas grotto at the garden centre, baby Bella uttering her first word (bum) and repeating it frequently,

developments in the Daniel/Antoine dilemma to deal with, an unexpected substitution when Toby’s nativity is performed in the church and a muddle that begins due to her lack of fluency in French during her WhatsApp communication with Antoine about drinking eggnog – surely she didn’t somehow invite his entire family for Christmas dinner, did she?

Add to all that an on-going ‘Elf on the Shelf issue’, a sudden change of heart by her grandparents, a fair few other unexpected arrivals and the depositing of sparkly poo … It’s not hard to see that chaotic is just what Lottie’s Christmas proves to be. I certainly wouldn’t want to be Lottie’s long-suffering mum.

With stick figure illustrations sprinkled throughout, readers around Lottie’s age (10-13) will delight in her final jottings of the year.