It's a VERY Merry Christmas with a gorgeous selection of books from Hodder / Hachette / L & B Kids and Quercus

We're tucking into a bumper selection of superb Christmas-themed books, courtesy of Hodder / Hachette.

There's definitely something for everyone in our bumper sack of goodies, young and old so let's start off with a favourite character making a seasonal return.

Dave (the slightly grumpy but hilarious cat) is back in "Dave's Christmas Cracker" by Sue Hendra and Lee Wildish.

Amazingly, Dave's usual dour demeanour disappears around December because Dave really truly loves Christmas. He loves tinsel, decorations but most of all Dave loves all the wonderful christmas fare on offer - particularly brussels sprouts! And we all know what lots of sprouts makes, don't we kids?

"Dave's Christmas Cracker" by Sue Hendra and Lee Wildish is out now, published by Hodder Children's Books. 

Next, a rather audacious and ambitious scheme...

Two kids come up with a cunning plan in "How To Catch Santa" by Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish (who seems to be a very busy fella illustrating quite a few awesome christmas books this year!)

Wait until Christmas eve, that's the most opportune time to lay a trap to catch old St Nick. Scatter carrots on your windowsill to lure in Rudolph. Maybe fill a letter with glitter, so you can follow Santa's trail once he's read it.

Something tells us though that Santa is more elusive than you might think, so perhaps the best bet is to tuck in early on Christmas Eve with a story, and see if you can hear the distant tinkle of sleighbells, or perhaps even a muffled "Ho Ho Ho!"

"How To Catch Santa" by Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish is out now, published by Hodder Children's Books. 

A dog is definitely not for christmas, but for life - and in a fantastic new adventure for Charlie and Lola, we can't wait to meet "A Dog With Nice Ears" by Lauren Child.

Lola would really, really, truly honestly love a pet dog - and she's never short of imaginary pets to fill the aching void of not having her own pet.

But as big brother Charlie patiently explains, dogs take a lot of work, a lot of walking and lots and lots of looking after.

Perhaps it might be a good idea to try something smaller?

"A Small Dog!" says Lola "But with nice ears, of course!"

This is another whimsical and fun book for tiny teenies, and though C is a bit old for the Charlie and Lola books now, she still absolutely adores them (mostly because Lauren's storytelling and art never disappoints).

"A Dog With Nice Ears (Charlie and Lola)" by Lauren Child is out now, published by Hodder Children's Books. 

Switching gears for a fabulous middle grade book that's destined to become one of the most celebrated books of the year...

"There May Be a Castle" by Piers Torday is one of those books that's just SO GOOD that you'll wish you'd written it yourself.

On a frozen Christmas Eve, Mouse Mallory and his family set off across a snow-white valley to visit his grandparents.

They never arrive.

As the wheels skid off the icy road, Mouse is thrown from the car. When he wakes, he finds himself in a magical landscape, with only a talkative sheep and a very bossy horse for company.

And they tell him: this is your story now.

So begins Mouse's extraordinary quest through a world of wonder. A world of monsters, minstrels, dangerous knights and mysterious wizards; a world of terrifying danger but also more excitement than Mouse has ever known.

All to find a castle, somewhere, beyond.

But why is Mouse looking for a castle? As thoughts of his family back at the car begin to surface, Mouse realises this might be the most important journey he will ever make ...

This is a novel about love and death. It's about the power of stories to change the way we view the world - and it's about the power of a child to change their own world. Emotionally arresting but ultimately uplifting, this is a remarkable novel for our time.