Kidlit recommendation: The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks

I thought I’d share a few book recommendations over the next few days in case you’re still shopping – books have your back right up until the last minute! This is a bit specific, but my daughter is almost 11 and is reading all kinds of stuff (from Dogman to Worst Week Ever to Babysitters Club to the Divergent series) but her absolute favourite this year has been Katie Kirby’s Lottie Brooks series. She devoured them in quick succession while we were in England in May and has reread them all a few times since. And she’s not alone – I’m yet to meet a 9 or 10 or 11 year old girl who has picked up Lottie Brooks and not been completely obsessed.

The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks has not been out long in Australia, so might be a good bet if you’re not sure whether your giftee already has some of the books in the series. My daughter was absolutely thrilled when an early copy arrived from the team at Penguin kids.

What is The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks about?

Here’s the blurb from the publisher’s website:

Dear Santa,

For Christmas this year, I would like:

Two hundred KitKat chunkies (full-size not multipack)
Baby Bella to stop shouting ‘BUM’ in public spaces
A new brother who doesn’t fart on me and call it a ‘tasty air biscuit’
Antoine or Daniel (I can’t decide!) to surprise me on Christmas Day with a grand romantic gesture
Cash (lots of it!)
A new diary (I’m really getting through them!)

Lots of love,

Lottie xxx

PS. Please could you put a chocolate orange instead of a real orange in my stocking this year?

Lottie Brooks LOVES Christmas – there’s presents, all the KitKat Chunkys you can eat AND no school for two weeks! But this year, Christmas might be a bit more chaotic than usual. The whole Brooks family are visiting for the festive break (along with some surprise visitors . . .), there’s a Secret Santa to organise, and the hammies won’t stop attacking Gavin, the Elf on the Shelf!

Will Lottie survive the festivities intact or will she have to hide in the fort of shame until it’s all over?

Our thoughts on The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks

This post is more of a recommendation than a review, because I haven’t read them myself, but my daughter tells me she loves how fun and relatable the books are. She thinks they are super funny, and she loves seeing what all of the characters are up to. I feel like the vibe for her is similar to how I felt reading Penny Pollard’s Diary or The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole as a kid, so I totally get the appeal.

In addition to this Christmassy story, there are five other books in the Lottie Brooks series, plus a journal kind of book too- you’re certain to be able to find one of them at your favourite bookshop, and we recommend them unreservedly.

Big thanks to the team at Penguin books for sending us this early copy to enjoy!

xo Bron
***

The Completely Chaotic Christmas of Lottie Brooks by Katie Kirby
Out now from Penguin Books Aus
Source: The team at Penguin Kids kindly sent an early copy for review.
Category: Contemporary diary-style fiction for middlegrade/tweens/upper-primary

Keep up with the latest from Katie Kirby (and Lottie Brooks) on Katie’s website here.

Want more Christmassy kidlit? Click here