“[Fotinoula and the Christmas Goblin] feels sort of like Home Alone (1990 Christmas film), but if the robbers were goblins.”
Review by Rayleigh Setser
A thrilling battle of wits between girl and goblin in snow covered Athens…
‘Never forget how devious a Kallikantzaros can be. It will try to snatch Mirtoula. It will keep trying until it has her. And if it succeeds you’ll never see your sister again.’
11-year old Fotinoula doesn’t believe her grandfather when he warns her about the Christmas goblins. After all, the Kallikantzaroi were just an old Greek myth. Creatures with blood-red eyes didn’t really climb up from the underworld during the Twelve Days of Christmas to steal little children, and certainly not in a busy city like Athens.
But Fotinoula soon discovers that some folktales have more truth to them than others. With her father away at sea and only an old book for guidance, she must summon up all her courage and problem-solving skills to save her little sister from one of these hideous creatures. In the process she comes to realise just how much her sister means to her.
This touching story weaves together Greek customs, music, food and history to bring alive a fascinating culture and a rather creepy festive folktale.
A great story for 9-12 year olds or any lover of a scary story with heart.
Release Date: 10/2/2020
Genre: Middle Grade | Christmas
Pages: 182
I expected "cozy Christmas spooks" and this book definitely delivered!
It's currently June, but I don't care, I loved this wintery adventure. The primary audience is middle grade (Fotinoula is 11), so I will be reviewing this book from that perspective and for parents/guardians/teachers to recommend to kiddos at their discretions.
First off, educational opportunity is abundant. There is an incredibly helpful glossary for pronunciations of Greek words and names, along with a brief description of what the word is/means. These descriptions are presented in a way that is easy to understand and memorable while also challenging the reader to flex those brain muscles! I feel like I learned a bit of Greek, which is always fun. Fotinoula and the Christmas Goblin leans heavily into Greek folklore, so there is mention of Athena and other Greek gods, as well as a mixture of Christian theology (praying & "the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost"), on top of the legends and magic of the Christmas Goblin. The story itself entwines primarily Greek culture (food, holiday traditions, character names, history, etc.) so if you need a story heavily set in Greece for educational purposes, I highly recommend this one!
Mild spoilers will be mentioned below, but I will keep them vague.
As for the story, it is a spooky Christmas book, but I would deem it appropriate for middle graders (8-12), with awareness that it is spooky. It's not gory, but the main character deals with a curse that gives her nightmares and she lives in fear that her sister (4 years old) will be taken by the Christmas Goblin. There's stories of this happening before throughout the book and, again, it's not gory, but it might frighten some young readers. The Christmas Goblins are mostly pranksters, so nothing too sinister - other than the fact that they want to turn little kids into more goblins. Overall, it feels sort of like Home Alone (1990 Christmas film), but if the robbers were goblins.
Content Ratings:
Action & Gore:
3. Very mild action.
Romance & Spice:
0. None.
Cursing & Vulgarity:
0. None.
Other Trigger/Content Notices:
Content disclaimers: No cursing. No romance. No gore. Just some mild spooks and creepy settings.
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