Sixteen-year-old Nickolas is the only son of the man known to the world as Santa Claus. Constantly surrounded by the glitter and glitz of a Christmas season that never ends, and by enthusiastic, over-achiever elves who only appear to share his age, Nick wants nothing more than to escape the North Pole. To go where he can see the ocean instead of endless ice. He longs to attend a normal school with normal kids. He wants a real life. Though Christmas is a time of hope, of wonder and magic, it is also a time of strangeness. Of lurking shadows and unexplained occurrences. This year, when a ghost of Christmas Past is awakened, old secrets are unearthed. The bright candy shell skin of Nick's world is peeled away, revealing a much darker layer. He is not who--or what--he has been led to believe. And neither are those closest to him.

Santa Claus’s daughter sets out to break a curse and free a magical kingdom—in this beloved New York Times bestseller. Though few mortals know his secret, Nicholas is more than a jolly red-suited man who visits children all over the world on Christmas Eve—he is also the king of Forever, Land of the Immortals. Each year he gets letters from millions of boys and girls, and helps make their Christmas wishes come true. But one year, a special little boy from New York City asks something Nicholas has never been asked before: “What do you wish for Christmas, Santa?” With that simple question, a magical story unfolds. Nicholas answers that his only wish is for a child. And soon the immortal people of the kingdom celebrate the arrival of Holly Claus, the princess of Forever and the first child to grace its ground. But their happiness is dashed when an evil sorcerer places a spell on the infant, turning her heart to ice and freezing her kingdom in time. Many years later, just in time for Christmas Eve, Holly travels to New York, intent upon saving Christmas and freeing the land of Forever. Holly will make this the most magical—and memorable—Christmas the world has ever seen. This ebook features a note from Brittney Ryan including rare images and never-before-seen documents from the author’s personal collection.

The real story of Santa-and why he became a Saint

A beautifully illustrated retelling of the story of Saint Nicholas, whose kindness and generosity have inspired the Christmas traditions of Santa Claus.

For most of us, young and old, Santa Claus is a jolly old man, as described in the classic poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas." In fact, few people realize that there was a real St. Nicholas. He was the Bishop of Myra and lived during the fourth century. In this beautifully illustrated and richly designed book, Mayer creates an inviting portrait of the man who became legendary for his generosity and miraculous acts of kindness.

This is a comprehensive history of the world's midwinter gift-givers, showcasing the extreme diversity in their depictions as well as the many traits and functions these characters share. It tracks the evolution of these figures from the tribal priests who presided over winter solstice celebrations thousands of years before the birth of Christ, to Christian notables like St. Martin and St. Nicholas, to a variety of secular figures who emerged throughout Europe following the Protestant Reformation. Finally, it explains how the popularity of a poem about a "miniature sleigh" and "eight tiny reindeer" helped consolidate the diverse European gift-givers into an enduring tradition in which American children awake early on Christmas morning to see what Santa brought. Although the names, appearance, attire and gift-giving practices of the world's winter solstice gift-givers differ greatly, they are all recognizable as Santa, the personification of the Christmas and Midwinter festivals. Despite efforts to eliminate him by groups as diverse as the Puritans of seventeenth century New England, the Communist Party of the twentieth century Soviet Union and the government of Nazi Germany, Santa has survived and prospered, becoming one of the best known and most beloved figures in the world.

Second draft of Santa Claus story