Happy Friday, Readers! This will be a much more lighthearted post than yesterday. For day 4 of the 12 Days of Christmas 2021, I am sharing a fun middle-grade Christmas story about an unlikely group of friends working together to uncover a mystery.
First Line Friday is a weekly linkup hosted at Reading is My Superpower. To participate, share the first line of a book of your choice, add the link to the linkup on the host’s page, and check out what others are reading and sharing!
The First Line:
It happened every year, late at night, long after darkness had settled over the small town of Pine River.
About the Book
Title: The Angel Tree
Author: Daphne Bendis-Grab (Side note: this is probably my favorite author website ever. It’s so cute and straightforward.)
Genre: Juvenile to Middle Grade Contemporary Christmas Fiction, light Mystery
Synopsis: Every Christmas in the small town of Pine River, a tree appears in the town square–the Angel Tree. Some people tie wishes to the tree, while others make those wishes come true. Nobody’s ever known where the tree comes from, but the mystery has always been part of the tradition’s charm. This year, however, four kids who have been helped–Lucy, Joe, Max, and Cami–are determined to solve the mystery and find out the true identity of the town’s guardian angel, so that Pine River can finally thank the person who brought the Angel Tree to their town.
This is such a fun, heartwarming, and easy-to-read book! It’s not at all realistic, and I’m amazed that these middle school children’s families just let them traipse around town without even checking in with them. But, this is a fictional town where everyone takes care of one another and always has good intentions. It’s comfortable and fun, at least for a few minutes. This is a very quick read and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a contemporary Christmasish middle-grade story.
Also, apparently last year Hallmark movies & mysteries made a film with the same title as this book with the help of the author. However, the premise of the movie sounds nothing like the book, so I probably won’t watch it unless it just happens to be on. If you want more information about that, it’s listed on IMDB here.
What are you reading this season?
Until the next chapter,
Jana
Reviews From the Stacks 
This sounds like a sweet Christmas story. Nice review Jana.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It really is. Thanks, Carla!
LikeLiked by 1 person