The Christmas Contest: An Advent Novel

By Maxime Gillio and Benedetta Capriotti

Residents of the North Pole compete to be named Santa Claus’s apprentice in this charming, festively illustrated chapter book told in an advent calendar format, with chapter-a-day reading making it a well-paced and anticipation-filled experience!

Santa Claus has a problem. There are too many kids on the nice list this year, and he’s worried he won’t be able to deliver all the presents by himself! The only solution is to recruit an apprentice for the first time in his long career—to be chosen through a carefully crafted competition. Soon, the North Pole is buzzing with excitement as contestants come forward to show they’ve got the Christmas spirit and know-how to help jolly old St. Nicholas himself.

There are elves who think they deserve a promotion, children from the village, a gnome who only says “groumf,” and even a stuffed monkey! As Christmas Eve draws closer and Santa Claus tasks the hopefuls with more and more creative tests, who will come out on top?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
• Release date: Sep 30, 2025
• ISBN: 9781665990684

Maxime Gillio

Maxime Gillio has twenty-five books to his credit in genres from thriller to social subjects to cozy children’s books. He is also an organizer of literary events and the founder of Les Halliennalles book festival.

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