This is a book for kids (and their parents) who are heartbroken about Santa Claus. "You might think there is no more magic in the world. But the truth is much more interesting." You see, Saint Nicholas didn't HAVE magic-- he was an opening for magic. But he was never supposed to be the only one.The story got twisted, you see. Real magic was never about presents or a man in a red suit-- real magic is wilder and deeper than that. You might call it love, or kindness, or human goodness. The question is, will you become part of true magic? Will you bring more kindness and courage into the world? Will you join the Secret Society of Saint Nicholas?

Blechman describes in words and delightful drawings how little was known of the actual life of St. Nicholas until an ancient manuscript (mss.), "Vita Splendida et Illustris de Nicolo Beato," was discovered in 1989 by an Italian farmer. The farmer donated it to the church, which sold it to an antiquarian dealer. It ended up for sale by Sotheby's, but the Italian gov't. declared it a national treasure and demanded its return. After a conflict between UNESCO, the CIA, and the Italian-Amer. Cultural League, Sotheby's sold the manuscript to R. Jay Gatchall, who donated it to a museum. Blechman then tells the story of the life of St. Nicholas. A charming book!

When Alexi learns from his babuskha that a Russian village church has been closed for sixty years, the resourceful young boy decides to prepare it for a Christmas miracle.

Meet the Krampus, yuletide terror and punisher of wicked children. Long imprisoned for his outdated methods, the holiday horror suddenly finds himself freed and tasked with a mission: recover the stolen power of the Secret Society of Santa Clauses! With his flying wolf Stutgaard, the Krampus crosses the globe, encountering various figures of winter lore and uncovering a sinister scheme to topple the Santas and change Christmas as we know it forever. Collects KRAMPUS! #1-5 and extras, including all-new material.

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

"One of the keys to being happy while homeschooling is to do it in a way that is natural for you - if you are a book girl, then pack your day full of literature, if you're crafty, then get out the glue sticks and glitter, and if your brain works better when it's sparkly... then, by golly, stick a tiara on your head and go teach something!" Do you wish that you had the chance to sit down with a seasoned homeschooling veteran over a cup of tea and ask every question that comes to mind? Mother of seven and twelve year homeschooling veteran Rebecca Frech is the common-sense voice of experience and reassurance that you've been hoping to find. Teaching in Your Tiara is a soup-to-nuts homeschooling book that walks you through the first years - deciding that home education is right for your family, choosing the right curriculum, understanding learning styles, not raising socially awkward kids, maintaining your own identity, and more. Whether you're the parent who's already committed to homeschooling or you're just dipping your toe into the pool of consideration, this book is for you! Rebecca's logic, honesty, and humor will leave you both amused and well-informed about the realities of homeschooling and what it could mean for your family.

From divinely miserable to damned happy: A tale of reckoning, personal redemption, and love-over-dogma epiphany. As a child, Katherine North had a terrible secret: she couldn't feel Jesus in her heart. For the daughter of Christian missionaries, this was a problem indeed. She embarked on a most unexpected spiritual journey, one that transformed her from a terrified kid into a joyful heathen mystic. Holy Heathen is the origin story of trailblazing life coach Katherine North. From growing up as a "Third Culture Kid" in an evangelical mission in Japan to discovering feminism at Bryn Mawr College, she grapples to find the true meaning of belonging when she doesn't fit in anywhere. Katherine reckons with a lifetime of nightmares and odd spiritual encounters that lead her away from religion but toward a vocation helping others find healing. Her path spans continents, featuring an unlikely acting career in Japan on the stage, a stint in Chicago amongst a gang of mid-nineties Beat-era revivalists, marriage and divorce, church and sex, abortion and motherhood, healing and earthquakes, spiritual awakening-and finally, the call within her that she'd forever yearned for.