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The Christmas Contest: An Advent Novel
A Simon & Schuster eBook. Simon & Schuster has a great book for every reader.
196 pages, Paperback
Published September 30, 2025
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19 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 23, 2025
Excellent read! Read it for my first grader. This book, organized into an advent calendar is really cool. I have never seen an advent calendar being a book! One day read one chapter. A ruler came with the book so we could cut the pages. Many days my kid couldn't wait until the next day to continue the story.
Santa is hosting a contest to find an assistant to help him with presents and delivery to all of the kids. 4 contestants: Groomph, Nathan, Ivy, and Koko. The contests were gift wrapping, reindeer riding, sledding, yule log making, and many more. Each one in turn win the contest. In the end, there was a surprise from one of the contestants.
A great read and fun alternative to advent calendar besides candies advent calendar. I highly recommend it.
Thank you SimonKids for the opportunity to read and review.
Santa is hosting a contest to find an assistant to help him with presents and delivery to all of the kids. 4 contestants: Groomph, Nathan, Ivy, and Koko. The contests were gift wrapping, reindeer riding, sledding, yule log making, and many more. Each one in turn win the contest. In the end, there was a surprise from one of the contestants.
A great read and fun alternative to advent calendar besides candies advent calendar. I highly recommend it.
Thank you SimonKids for the opportunity to read and review.
July 15, 2025
I received a free copy of, The Christmas Contest, by Maxime Gillio, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Santa has too many children on the nice list, will Santa Have time to deliver all his gifts? This was a interesting Christmas read, I enjoyed the illustrations and the story.
December 24, 2025
Such a fun book to read with the kids! They loved opening each chapter every day. That alone made it worth 5 stars!
Read
December 24, 2025Cute book. Kids had fun opening a chapter a day.
September 13, 2025
Copy provided by the publisher
I was intrigued when the publisher pitched it to me; what do you mean, you can open a chapter a day?
Each five page chapter is sectioned off, and there are instructions to take a ruler and gently open the pages, so just one chapter a day can be read. Of course, I didn't want to open the pages, so had to peer down inside the paper to get the story! That meant I didn't get a great view of all of the illustrations, but now I can save it for my grandson. My daughter was a big fan of our advent calendar (a small stuffed Santa moves from one numbered pocket to another), so I think she will get a big kick out of this, too.
Santa has discovered that so many children have been good that he is concerned that he won't be able to get all of the presents delivered. His granddaughter, Holly, offers to help, but Santa doesn't want her to be away from her family. Instead, he decides to hold a contest for a helper. To his surprise, a huge number of people show up for a sledding contest. There are four winners; an elf named Ivy, a boy named Nathan, a gorilla named Koko, and Groomph, who is a tactiturn dwarf. In between showing the finalists glimpses of the work done at the North Pole, the four must compete in a variety of contests. They wrap presents, protect decorated trees from kittens, create a candy, navigate mazes and crawling up the chimney, make wooden toys, and put costumes on snowmen. The final contest is creating a Yule Log. Santa is the judge, and eats most of all four logs, making himself ill. The contestants decide to band together to prepare for the Christmas journey while Santa is sick in bed, and one of them has a big secret that is revealed. Santa recuperates, and decides that what he really needs is a whole team of helpers, so all of them are hired and go with Santa in his sleigh to make deliveries.
Strengths: The format of this book was such fun, and I loved that there are instructions for opening the sets of pages each day. There are plenty of pictures, with lots of fun details to look at, and just the right amount of text for a bedtime story. This would be super fun for an eight year old to read aloud to younger siblings! Each chapter ends on a little bit of a cliffhanger, but those pages don't let the reader easily go on to the next day (at least the first time!). The story is sweet, there's a little twist, and of course everyone is a winner in the end. There's plenty of Santa lore explained.
Weaknesses: Isn't Santa magical enough to keep up with the increased demand for his services? If he did need an assistant, couldn't he have just promoted a head elf? Holly might not have been that helpful, but wouldn't all her other family members understand that the family business keeps them busy on Christmas Eve? I had a lot of questions, but I don't think younger readers will.
What I really think: One of my favorite parts was the consideration for safety; everyone wears helmets, exercise is suggested after eating a lot of candy, and there are warnings about burning pine wood in an open fire. I can see reading this book easily becoming a family tradition. It might even spark some discussion about Yule Logs and varieties there of; this inclusion definitely belies this book's European roots, but I would definitely be on board with creating a Yule Log-- probably a peanut butter and chocolate one because I live in Ohio, where that combination is "buckeye" flavored.
Oh, look. Someone beat me to it.
https://www.sugarhero.com/peanut-butt...
I was intrigued when the publisher pitched it to me; what do you mean, you can open a chapter a day?
Each five page chapter is sectioned off, and there are instructions to take a ruler and gently open the pages, so just one chapter a day can be read. Of course, I didn't want to open the pages, so had to peer down inside the paper to get the story! That meant I didn't get a great view of all of the illustrations, but now I can save it for my grandson. My daughter was a big fan of our advent calendar (a small stuffed Santa moves from one numbered pocket to another), so I think she will get a big kick out of this, too.
Santa has discovered that so many children have been good that he is concerned that he won't be able to get all of the presents delivered. His granddaughter, Holly, offers to help, but Santa doesn't want her to be away from her family. Instead, he decides to hold a contest for a helper. To his surprise, a huge number of people show up for a sledding contest. There are four winners; an elf named Ivy, a boy named Nathan, a gorilla named Koko, and Groomph, who is a tactiturn dwarf. In between showing the finalists glimpses of the work done at the North Pole, the four must compete in a variety of contests. They wrap presents, protect decorated trees from kittens, create a candy, navigate mazes and crawling up the chimney, make wooden toys, and put costumes on snowmen. The final contest is creating a Yule Log. Santa is the judge, and eats most of all four logs, making himself ill. The contestants decide to band together to prepare for the Christmas journey while Santa is sick in bed, and one of them has a big secret that is revealed. Santa recuperates, and decides that what he really needs is a whole team of helpers, so all of them are hired and go with Santa in his sleigh to make deliveries.
Strengths: The format of this book was such fun, and I loved that there are instructions for opening the sets of pages each day. There are plenty of pictures, with lots of fun details to look at, and just the right amount of text for a bedtime story. This would be super fun for an eight year old to read aloud to younger siblings! Each chapter ends on a little bit of a cliffhanger, but those pages don't let the reader easily go on to the next day (at least the first time!). The story is sweet, there's a little twist, and of course everyone is a winner in the end. There's plenty of Santa lore explained.
Weaknesses: Isn't Santa magical enough to keep up with the increased demand for his services? If he did need an assistant, couldn't he have just promoted a head elf? Holly might not have been that helpful, but wouldn't all her other family members understand that the family business keeps them busy on Christmas Eve? I had a lot of questions, but I don't think younger readers will.
What I really think: One of my favorite parts was the consideration for safety; everyone wears helmets, exercise is suggested after eating a lot of candy, and there are warnings about burning pine wood in an open fire. I can see reading this book easily becoming a family tradition. It might even spark some discussion about Yule Logs and varieties there of; this inclusion definitely belies this book's European roots, but I would definitely be on board with creating a Yule Log-- probably a peanut butter and chocolate one because I live in Ohio, where that combination is "buckeye" flavored.
Oh, look. Someone beat me to it.
https://www.sugarhero.com/peanut-butt...
October 9, 2025
Super, Entertaining, and Cheerful countdown book to Christmas!
Overall: 5 ⭐
Plot/Lesson:° 4📍
Smiles: 3 😁
Illustrations: 5🖌️
Suggested Ages:
Read To: 3+ y/o
Read By: Early Readers+
Mom's Review:
This was a cute, easy to read story that the kiddos can enjoy day-to-day as a countdown to Christmas. With 24 very short chapters, early readers will enjoy tackling and improving their skills nightly before bed, while younger children will appreciate the building anticipation of Christmas!
There’s some great word-repetition throughout the story that will aid in early readers building their vocabulary (and maybe even becoming the new family Christmas rally!)
”A's” Review:
I could read this no problem and I can’t wait to re-read this at Christmas! So fun! We read this book as if it were a countdown to Christmas, only reading one chapter a night. It was so exciting to try and guess what would happen next!
”C's” Review:
I loved having both Mommy and “A” read this story to me! Mommy explained that usually we only read one chapter a night, but I wanted to read the whole book at once. I really loved all the pretty pictures. Santa Claus was really funny with his big belly!
Thank you to Maxime Gillio, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!
All opinions are our own.
NOTES:
° = Our Plot/Lesson rating is how well the kiddos picked up on the morals/lessons learned or well received the facts were.
^ = A, reads at 2-3rd grade level, voracious reader
* = C, knows her letters, but memorizes stories well!
Overall: 5 ⭐
Plot/Lesson:° 4📍
Smiles: 3 😁
Illustrations: 5🖌️
Suggested Ages:
Read To: 3+ y/o
Read By: Early Readers+
Mom's Review:
This was a cute, easy to read story that the kiddos can enjoy day-to-day as a countdown to Christmas. With 24 very short chapters, early readers will enjoy tackling and improving their skills nightly before bed, while younger children will appreciate the building anticipation of Christmas!
There’s some great word-repetition throughout the story that will aid in early readers building their vocabulary (and maybe even becoming the new family Christmas rally!)
”A's” Review:
I could read this no problem and I can’t wait to re-read this at Christmas! So fun! We read this book as if it were a countdown to Christmas, only reading one chapter a night. It was so exciting to try and guess what would happen next!
”C's” Review:
I loved having both Mommy and “A” read this story to me! Mommy explained that usually we only read one chapter a night, but I wanted to read the whole book at once. I really loved all the pretty pictures. Santa Claus was really funny with his big belly!
Thank you to Maxime Gillio, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, & NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!
All opinions are our own.
NOTES:
° = Our Plot/Lesson rating is how well the kiddos picked up on the morals/lessons learned or well received the facts were.
^ = A, reads at 2-3rd grade level, voracious reader
* = C, knows her letters, but memorizes stories well!
January 9, 2026
The Christmas Contest starts with a delightful problem: Santa is in a bit of a bind. The world’s population has grown, kids are being especially good, and suddenly delivering every present in one night feels… ambitious. His solution? A Winter Olympics–style contest to determine who’s worthy of helping him spread Christmas cheer.
This is a book clearly aimed at younger readers, and it leans fully into that joy. The illustrations are wonderful, the challenges are playful, and the story keeps things light and engaging throughout. There’s even a surprise ending that adds a little extra sparkle.
Overall, this is a fun, cozy book that would be perfect to sit down and read aloud with younger children, especially during the holiday season. It feels like Christmas wrapped in friendly competition and festive imagination.
This is a book clearly aimed at younger readers, and it leans fully into that joy. The illustrations are wonderful, the challenges are playful, and the story keeps things light and engaging throughout. There’s even a surprise ending that adds a little extra sparkle.
Overall, this is a fun, cozy book that would be perfect to sit down and read aloud with younger children, especially during the holiday season. It feels like Christmas wrapped in friendly competition and festive imagination.
Read
November 15, 2025This is an Advent novel with 24 chapters to open before Christmas. It has perforated pages zipped together that you open revealing a chapter each day.
Santa’s nice list has gotten too long and he needs help to deliver all the presents. He advertises for an apprentice and hosts a contest to decide.
The text is written at an early chapter book level with only a few pages of large text in each chapter, so it is perfect for roughly 6-9 year olds. Each page is full of colorful, cheerful illustrations.
A fun, bookish way to count down the days until Christmas.
Santa’s nice list has gotten too long and he needs help to deliver all the presents. He advertises for an apprentice and hosts a contest to decide.
The text is written at an early chapter book level with only a few pages of large text in each chapter, so it is perfect for roughly 6-9 year olds. Each page is full of colorful, cheerful illustrations.
A fun, bookish way to count down the days until Christmas.
November 28, 2025
Santa Claus needs to find a helper to aid him in his gift-giving spree this Christmas! He concocts a contest to see who is most qualified.
A fun concept to encourage reading and to mimic the season of waiting and anticipation. Each chapter is revealed one day at a time leading to the eve of Christmas when the story concludes. It is a great book to really get into the spirit of the season.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/bright/...
A fun concept to encourage reading and to mimic the season of waiting and anticipation. Each chapter is revealed one day at a time leading to the eve of Christmas when the story concludes. It is a great book to really get into the spirit of the season.
https://www.theepochtimes.com/bright/...
June 5, 2025
LOVE THIS! Thanks to Net Galley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for the ARC! Santa has a problem, too many presents to deliver! He creates a contest to see who can best help him. All of the contestants have their own strengths. In the end, they need to work together to help save Christmas. Each day of December includes a colored page and story which builds onto the next. It kept you wanting to find out what happened next. Very cute!
January 8, 2026
🎁 The Christmas Contest: An Advent Novel 🎁
Maxine Gillio & Benedetta Capriotti
My kids also had an advent book! I think the chapter length was perfect for my 5 year old but my 9 year old could have used a few more pages each day. Either way, they both had a blast with this one and looked forward to it each night. They were invested in seeing who would win the contest, and they especially loved Groomph 😉. They are already asking to read this again next year!
Maxine Gillio & Benedetta Capriotti
My kids also had an advent book! I think the chapter length was perfect for my 5 year old but my 9 year old could have used a few more pages each day. Either way, they both had a blast with this one and looked forward to it each night. They were invested in seeing who would win the contest, and they especially loved Groomph 😉. They are already asking to read this again next year!
December 24, 2025
This is for kids, so obviously as an adult i haven't rated it high myself. I read this with my children ages 8 & 10. I will say i think this is suitable for kids between 2-6 years old. The chapters are only 5 pages long, the storyline is a bit disjointed, but its an okay read. Good concept but i think my children were too old for this.
December 25, 2025
Count down to Christmas advent book for kids. It was a cute story with really short chapters but it didn’t really go anywhere. The kids kept saying “wow we didn’t get anything new today”.
Santa is looking for an assistant so he sets up a contest. Each mini task leads up to the final winner.
It was just ok.
Santa is looking for an assistant so he sets up a contest. Each mini task leads up to the final winner.
It was just ok.
December 10, 2025
Loved, loved this one, Santa needs an assistant and each chapter guides our four characters through fun Christmas themed trials, 24 chapters with exciting cliffhangers to open each day. I couldn't resist and read it all already. The end message is wonderful.
December 25, 2025
A cute concept — 24 short chapters to count down to Christmas, with perforated pages to tear open every day. Each chapter is only a few short pages, so everything stays pretty simple, but it's just right for early readers.
December 26, 2025
This was a Christmas advent book to read a chapter everyday until Christmas Eve. It was such a cute story! I loved this! It was a cute story about a competition to be Santa’s assistant! He had a bunch of different things they would do and it was just so good! Definitely a kids book but so cute!
December 24, 2025
It was hard to only read one chapter per night, but my girls & I thought it was a fun, cute story!
December 25, 2025
Fun way to countdown to Christmas!
December 26, 2025
3.5
Me esperaba un final un poco más largo y significativo ya que se va haciendo expectante por cada día. me gustó que se leyera un capítulo por día y está bonito.
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Me esperaba un final un poco más largo y significativo ya que se va haciendo expectante por cada día. me gustó que se leyera un capítulo por día y está bonito.
..
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews