Christmas Uncancelled

Christmas is going to be awful. Lynette's parents have won a dream holiday and are dumping her on a boring relative. No one has bothered to warn Lynette that her annoying young cousin will be there as well, or that her aunt's new neighbours are rude, unfriendly and decidedly strange. Angry with her parents, and irritated by old-fashioned Auntie Dorothy and exuberant little Johnny, Lynette prepares herself for a miserable time. She has no intention of even trying to make the best of things. However, being self-centredly ill-humoured proves harder than she expects. This is not an action-packed adventure. There are no major dramas, tragedies or grim lessons. It is a gentle story about a twelve-year-old girl's reaction to the ups and downs of an unwelcome situation and her growing self-awareness and sensitivity towards other people. The story, which is set in England, is suitable for children and adults and has a Christian slant in that it features carol singing and a scene in church on Christmas morning.