Like Joachim, the boy with a mysterious Advent calendar, readers can journey geographically from Norway to the Bethlehem stable with the elusive Elisabet and the lamb. Readers can also travel in time back to the stable. The inventive story within a story concludes with a twist as all of the puzzle pieces come together. Families can read the engaging 24-chapter story one day at a time during December. Splendid bookmaking and full-color paintings decorate a volume that just might be destined for status as a holiday classic. To Bethlehem! Honor Book, 1996 CCBC Batchelder Award Discussion (Read aloud: ages 6-8; read independently: ages 8-11)

In the corner of a dusty old bookstore, Joachim discovers a magic advent calendar. When he opens the first window on December first, a small piece of paper falls out, containing the story of a little girl named Elisabet.

Using his historical insight and beautiful imagination, Jostein Gaarder has created a unique and exciting holiday story for the whole family. Beautifully illustrated, The Christmas Mystery will make a wonderful permanent addition to the literature of Christmas.