It's hard to imagine a 10-year-old who hates Christmas, and Christina Lucci certainly didn't always feel that way. It had been her favorite time of year, as well as her dad's, and he'd even gave her the nickname "Christina Kringle" - after all, she was born on Christmas Day. But her firefighter dad died fighting a fire last Christmas Eve, and Christina is most definitely not in the mood for any of the Christmas activities she'd enjoyed with him in the past. Will some magical brownies (the elf-like brownies, not the chocolate ones) be able to help save her grandfather's shoe shop AND restore Christina's faith in people and in Christmas? Don't underestimate the power and magic of the Christmas spirit.
This may be a children's book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I've read a couple of Grabenstein's John Ceepak books so was familiar with his style and humor, and found it here as well. It was sweet and snarky and charming and funny. It's a nice read for when you're starting to feel a bit jaded about the Christmas season.
My thanks to Netgalley and Open Road Media for providing a copy for an unbiased review.