‘The door at the top of the calendar slowly began to swing open. ‘There was just blackness on the other side – not the kind of blackness you expect to see in a painting. For Sam and Alice it was like looking down a tiny, dark hole or through a window into nothingness. They both took a step backwards in shock. A split second later, the tiny door was as big as a large window and it came rushing toward them. A moment after that, before they could move or think or do anything at all, they were completely swallowed up by the great and utter darkness and, at first, complete silence.’

And so begins the biggest adventure of Alice’s life. In a new city and at a new school, Alice isn’t looking forward to Christmas. But when Sam, her idiot uncle, brings home a mysterious advent calendar that’s short on chocolate but big on surprises, she is thrown into an Advent she never dreamed of.

Packed with codes and secrets and inviting us to explore the deeper meanings of Christmas, this enthralling and touching tale can be read on many levels, and is suitable for adults and children alike.

Steven Croft is Archbishops’ Missioner and the author of Ministry in Three Dimensions and Transforming Communities.