Alice-Miranda and the Christmas Mystery

Jacqueline Harvey

Puffin, 2023

432pp., pbk., RRP $A16.99

9781761048944

It is more than 10 years since a generation of newly-independent readers, predominantly girls, were introduced to Alice-Miranda Highton-Smith-Kennington-Jones, a highly opinionated independent student as a boarder at Winchesterfield-Downsfordvale Academy for Proper Young Ladies. Since then she has gone on to have so many more adventures in her books, , a movie and even her own web presence.

Now she is back in a new story that focuses on Christmas at the boarding school but with decorations disappearing and the shelves of local stores empty of the usual Christmas treats, clearly there is mischief afoot and a mystery to be solved.  And who better to tackle it than Alice and her friends?

This could be an amazing gift for the young reader because for those who already know Alice-Miranda it’s a seasonal story that will reunite them with their hero, and for those who are reading her story for the first time it opens up a world of new reading for the summer holidays and coming year.  Over the years, Jacquie Harvey has introduced readers to a number of great characters like Clementine Rose, Kensy and Max and, more recently, Willa and her dog Woof, all in series so the reader gets to know the characters, resonate with their adventures and anticipate the next one so if I were starting 2024 in a school library she would be the first in my Focus on Authors feature.  There is something for everyone across the school.