#40 in Middle grade
A Boy Called Christmas
- 242
- Pages
- about 4.5 h
- Reading time
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Our view
“A Boy Called Christmas” is a dark, moving origin story for Father Christmas, told in the manner of a fairy tale. Matt Haig faces loss and grief head-on, and the magic does not simply wipe the sorrow away. Some readers advise keeping it for older children rather than the very young, adding that adults can enjoy it just as much. It opens a three-book festive series.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
The first magical book in Matt Haig's festive series – now a major new film! BELIEVE IN THE IMPOSSIBLE You are about to read the TRUE STORY of Father Christmas. If you believe that some things are impossible, you should put this book down right away. (Because this book is FULL of impossible things.) Are you still reading? Good. Then let us begin . . .
Reading order · Christmas
Full order & progress →- A Boy Called ChristmasThis book
8.08.0 / 10 - The Girl Who Saved ChristmasThe Girl Who Saved Christmas–Not ranked yet
- Father Christmas and MeFather Christmas and Me–Not ranked yet
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.2 across 55 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 27% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Middle grade average of 8.0. That is how 8.0 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 8.2 | 55 | 100% |
Frequently asked
What age is A Boy Called Christmas for?
A Boy Called Christmas sits on the Middle grade shelf in the sources we use, which by convention means roughly ages 8–12. This is a guide from the book’s category, not a publisher’s age rating. It has 242 pages — shorter than 61% of the ranked books in Middle grade.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Middle grade — with scores between 7.7 and 8.1, closest to this book.
