Top Elf

September 4, 2017
Who will fill Santa’s shiny black boots when he decides to hang up the “Big Red Suit”? In bookseller Huett’s high-energy debut, the answer is decided by a reality TV–style competition called the Santa Trials—think the Hunger Games with less bloodshed and more gingerbread. When Santa announces his plan for choosing a successor, his four children are among the contestants, as are elf best friends Ollie Gnome and Celia Pixie. The characters often talk as though they’re in the midst of a sugar rush as they attempt to avoid elimination by building high-tech sleighs and red suits, corralling flying reindeer, squeezing through tricky chimneys, and gulping down more than 100 cookies with milk. Some readers may tire of the numerous parenthetical asides and all-caps outbursts, but this whirlwind holiday escapade ends on a touching note, with lots of laughs and wild twists along the way. Ages 8–12.

July 1, 2017
Santa's looking for a successor...time for a Christmas contest of epic proportions.Ollie and his best friend, Celia, are 11-year-old elves (if they were humans, he'd be white and she'd be black) who work in Games & Puzzles when the current Santa Claus--Matt Claus--announces a contest for persons under 16 to vie to become the next Santa. Ollie and Celia join a motley crew of Clauses, humans, and elves as contestants in a monthlong competition. The first contest--sneaking past giant, fire-breathing robot toddlers to deliver wish letters to the proper departments--winnows down the field. Can the best friends hold on to their Christmas cheer and prevail through 10 more wacky Christmas contests? Huett's debut is an idea with potential buried under an avalanche of unnecessary scenes and stock characters in Christmas costumes. The contestants routinely break the rules of the competition, and the contests themselves at time run counter to the stated goal of finding the best next Santa (as in one that features random elimination). Ramp, an obviously elderly Claus relative, masquerades as a teenager to enter, and his attempts at kidspeak, never particularly funny, grow tiresome. Ollie's wide-eyed excitement and sweetness are cloying out of the gate, and his naivete stretches credulity. A Yule slog. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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October 1, 2017

Gr 3-5-A charming story starring elves from the North Pole. Ollie Gnome and Celia Pixie are entering into the first-ever Next Santa competition, where they will brave many holiday-themed challenges in an effort to replace the current iteration of Santa Claus. Members of the Claus clan-including one of Santa's children, Klaus Claus-and many elves are competing for the top spot. Huett has crafted a vibrant and lovable lead character in Ollie. The story is fast-paced with lots of action to counteract the sweetness. Numerous Christmas puns pepper the text throughout, adding humor. The messages of friendship and teamwork are admirable. VERDICT A light and funny read, perfect for children who celebrate Santa Claus's arrival each December and are interested in a can-do protagonist.-Chad Lane, Tulip Grove Elementary School, MD

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2018
A retiring Santa announces a competition for his replacement. Claus family members and elves alike (including protagonists Ollie and Celia) compete in events ranging from sleigh-racing to cookie-and-milk consumption. A society devoted to the perpetuation of wish-fulfillment and Christmas cheer is fertile territory for puns and parody, and Huett's are all in good fun. The spirited holiday romp endorses teamwork, respect, and generosity.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)