This is a very clever premise, well executed. Chris Priestley weaves the story of 2 orphans, homeless on the desperate streets of London, with the classic A Christmas Carol. When Sam begs some change from Scrooge and is rebuffed, he and his little sister Lizzie find themselves entangled in Scrooge’s journey with the Christmas Spirits. I’ve not read Chris Priestley before and was impressed - his description of a cold, bleak London had my teeth chattering and although this is a short book, it is not short on style or originality. Even if you haven’t read Dickens, this is still an outstanding addition to you Christmas reading list and is suitable for readers from Year 6+.