View source for Lily and the Christmas Wish by Keris Stainton

{{infobox1
|title=Lily and the Christmas Wish
|author=Keris Stainton
|reviewer= Anne Thompson
|genre=Emerging Readers
|summary= A funny, warm and up-lifting story about families and magic. Lovely for any time of the year but perfect for Christmas. Short enough for emerging readers but with sufficient depth to engage the more confident reader too. 
|rating=4.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=176
|publisher=Hot Key Books
|date=November 2015
|isbn= 978-1471405129
|website= http://www.keris-stainton.com/
|cover=1471405125
|aznuk=1471405125
|aznus=1471405125
}}
In the small town of Pinewood the people are busy preparing for Christmas. This year they are doing something special to celebrate. Each person will write down a secret wish and tie it to the Christmas tree in the town square. Although nine year old Lily likes this idea she is more than a little sceptical that wishes can come true, no matter how much you may want them to. Then a strange storm blows in and scatters all the wishes across the town. Lily wakes up the following morning to discover that Bug, her pug puppy, can talk! That was not what Lily had wished for but maybe it was someone else's wish? The Christmas magic has definitely gone wrong. Can Lily, her younger brother Jimmy and, of course, Bug put things right before Christmas Day?

This is a delightful story and most definitely a mood lifter. I sat down to read it on a gloomy, damp morning to see what the opening pages were like and became engrossed, finishing it in one sitting. I particularly enjoyed the way in which [[:Category:Keris Stainton|Keris Stainton]] managed to convey the reality of family relationships. Although Lily's parents have separated and grandad has remained housebound following the death of his wife the everyday niggles of life are portrayed with humour, love and understanding. The story itself takes centre stage and this ensures that the book does not become one dealing with social issues and is instead an enjoyable read with a touch of magic thrown in.
 
Lily is an engaging character and her relationship with Jimmy, her younger brother, is a protective one and kindly one. However, Bug, the sarcastic talking pug is in danger of totally stealing the show. He really made me chuckle and added to the enjoyment of the story. This is a clever mix of the traditional and the modern with the joy of an old fashioned community Christmas mixed with today's more inclusive and diverse families and friendships.
 
A funny, warm and charming book for many ages. By the end I really wanted all the wishes to come true for the right people! A lovely story for any time of the year but absolutely perfect for the Christmas stocking. 

Thank you to the publishers for providing this review copy. 
This is Keris Stainton's first book for the younger market, her previous novels have been for teens. Another story about a family that may appeal to the emerging reader is [[My Funny Family by Chris Higgins and Lee Wildish]] Those who are a little more confident would probably enjoy [[Dear Scarlett by Fleur Hitchcock]].

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[[Category:Confident Readers]]