Operation Merry Christmas by Meredith Costain

Ill. by Danielle McDonald. Ella Diaries. Scholastic, 2016. ISBN 9781760159580
(Age: 6+) Recommended. Themes: Christmas; Humour; Friendship. This Christmas tale from the Ella Diaries series is quirky, cute and contains creative moments!! Including creative spelling! Ella gets bad news that means that Christmas this year will not be the same - and Ella's Mum will be the sadderest. So Ella, with her friend Zoe, make plans that will bring joy but there is always mischief and mayhem when they make plans. But will there be snow? In addition the girls have to contend with end of year parties, Kris Kringle and missing out on an invite to Peach Parker's Christmas Party! Ella has wonderful intentions, but sometimes she does not always think through the consequences, even if she has the most ingenious ideas. But all works out well in the end!
Written in diary format, in Ella's voice (and with her creative spelling and thinking) and with McDonald's naive cartoon style illustrations on display, this will be loved by young female devotees of the Ella Diaries series.
Carolyn Hull