“The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic God’s giving, by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves.” – St. Nicholas of Myra
The feast of St. Nicholas is coming up so fast! Now that All Saints Day and Martinmas are behind us it’s time for me to take a little break from my Thanksgiving preparations to plan for Advent and the feast of St. Nicholas which quickly follow. I sure love sharing my little plans here on the blog with all of you!
On December 6th our children always wake up to find that the letters they wrote to the Holy Child or St. Nicholas have been taken and their (sometimes new/replaced) slippers have been filled with little treats, oranges, chocolate gold coins, candy canes, and often times a note from St. Nicholas.
Most years my husband writes little notes to the kids, last year I used this fun downloadable Editable Letter to St. Nicholas to customize for each of our children.
Our children (and teens!) have also always received a new Christmas book as well, which has helped us build an amazing collection over the last 20+ years. It will be so great to pass each of their collections down to them when they eventually start families of their own. I am still looking for a few that are fitting for young adults so please send any suggestions my way!
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Here is the list of books we have picked out for this year:
For Chiquita – Age 17:
“For fans of Little Women, The Chronicles of Narnia, A Christmas Carol, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and more, a literature-inspired cookbook for voracious readers during the festive holiday season. Some of the most famous instances of fictional fare have become synonymous with the holidays. Who can forget the plentiful food surrounding the Ghost of Christmas Present in A Christmas Carol? The simple but generous and joy-filled Christmas gatherings at the Marchs’ in Little Women? Or the Van Tassel’s autumnal feast in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow? Finally, these literary meals can become a reality on your table with A Literary Holiday Feast.”
So many great recipes… for the mystery lover in her!
… for the Dickens lover in her!
(Her book review of The Christmas Carol coming soon! She wrote if for me Christmas and I forgot to share… Update: Here is the link)
..for the Tolkien lover in her!
… and for the all things roses lover… in me! 😉
Scout – Age 15:
Captain received the paperback version of this back in 2013, I’m excited to finally buy this beautiful edition for another one of our Tolkien fans. Eventually I’d love to get them each their own copy!
Letters From Father Christmas, Centenary Edition
“For fans of J.R.R. Tolkien and lovers of Christmas holidays, Letters from Father Christmas is a gorgeous, festive gift featuring a wealth of letters that Tolkien created for his children, appearing in this format for the first time. Published on the 100th anniversary of the first letter Tolkien sent to his firstborn, John, in 1920, this handsome edition will also include an introduction from daughter-in-law Baillie Tolkien, reflecting on the centenary anniversary of the letters, as well as a personal note by Tolkien himself reproduced for the first time.”
For Rose – Age 12:
She loves all things Nutcracker and I know she’ll love this new addition to her collection.
“Jan Brett makes this classic her own by setting it in snowy Russia and adding whimsical touches to the favorite elements of the traditional ballet. Enjoying this book will be an instant Christmas tradition for families who love the ballet and those new to the story.”
For Bud – Age 10:
I shared more about this brand new book here and a giveaway over on Instagram!
The Wise Men Who Found Christmas
“Finally, the True, Untold Story of the Wise Men… They were not three kings. Nor were they from the Far East, or even Persia. In this thrilling, visual adventure capturing the wonder of the Christmas season, New York Times bestselling author Raymond Arroyo shares the true, hidden story of the mysterious Magi, who risked everything to discover the truth. Based on new historical evidence, The Wise Men Who Found Christmas is the miraculous, untold tale of three seekers who followed a star and found themselves in the middle of the greatest story ever told. Stunningly illustrated by Diane Le Feyer, this enchanting family keepsake is sure to become part of your Christmas tradition – and a reminder that chasing truth is often the greatest adventure of all.”
For Grace – Age 5:
I’m a big fan of author Maura Roan McKeegan, especially her Old and New Series, so I placed an order for The Poorest Shepherd as soon as it showed up on Amazon. My order hasn’t arrived yet, but I was pleasantly surprised when a copy showed up in my mailbox from the publisher!
It’s such a sweet book and perfect for our little ones!
In quiet fields,
Where stars shone bright,
Five shepherds watched
Their flocks one night …
“Find out what happens in this charming Christmas legend when five young shepherds meet Mary, Joseph, and the Infant Jesus on the most holy of nights. All bring gifts, except the youngest, who has nothing to offer. But in those empty hands, the poorest shepherd receives the greatest gift of all. This heartwarming story will help children and adults alike see that our poverty is precious to Jesus and that the emptier we are, the more we can be filled by his love.”
For Joy – Age 3:
I purchased this on clearance a few years ago and hadn’t given it to any of the children yet.
Our little girls will both love it!
Christmas at the Zoo: A Pop-up Winter Wonderland
“Excitement reigns as the animals at the Zoo decorate their homes in anticipation of an upcoming visit from Santa Claus. The special 10th Anniversary edition of this award-winning book from Jumping Jack Press is a Zoo-rific retelling of the classic Night Before Christmas tale!”
I’m also really looking forward to adding the new books from St. Paul Center (pictured in the giveaway below) to our collection this year! I’ll most likely be slipping them in as new surprises to this year’s Advent Book Basket. They are still on their way and I’ll be sharing more about them once they arrive!
GIVEAWAY
Once again this year I will be hosting FOUR big Advent and Christmas themed giveaways here on the blog: this St. Nicholas Giveaway, another sleigh full of giveaways with my annual Christmas Gift Ideas & Stocking Stuffers post, another Advent Book Basket giveaway and finishing up with another O Antiphon giveaway!
Here is the first giveaway in preparation for the feast of St. Nicholas.
Enter for a chance to win one of the four different prizes below:
PRIZE #1 – Set of Five Cookie Stamps with Recipe Booklet
Includes: #001 – Santa Claus, #031- Noel Stocking, #317 – Old St Nick,
#357 -Santa on the Rooftop, and #413 – St Nicholas
sponsored by Rycraft Cookie Stamps
(combined value $64.95)
Congratulations, Elaine S!
Prize #2 – St. Francis of Assisi Box
This box will include everything pictured plus a couple surprises too!
sponsored by Saints Around the World(value $58.00)
ADVENTROSE10 for a 10% DISCOUNT on any boxes sold in the shop
(Expires December 8, 2022)
Congratulations, Patricia S!
Prize #3 – Two BRAND NEW books from St. Paul Center
Includes: Beloved Son: Joseph and Jesus and The Shepherd at the Crib and the Cross sponsored by St. Paul Center (value $35.90)
I’ll share more pictures of these just as soon as they arrive from the publisher! I’m especially excited about the release of the fifth book in The Old and New Series!
Congratulations, Elisse F!
Prize #4 – BRAND NEW book from Sophia Institute Press
The Wise Men Who Found Jesus sponsored by Sophia Institute Press(value $17.95)
Congratulations, Jenny W!
Please enter the giveaway using the Rafflecopter box below:
Note: If you have any trouble with Rafflecopter just send me an email or message with your name/email address and I can add you manually. I’ve been looking for alternatives, but haven’t found a free option yet that offers what I need for these annual giveaways that I love hosting for you all!
Download my St. Nicholas labels over at Dropbox with either Black or Green text
And here is the link to my original St. Nicholas Chocolate Coins from 2010 and the updated version in 2019!
(You can find another option, an adaptation this original idea of mine, over at St. Nicholas Center. I also just made an updated printable for this year which I will try and share soon!)
For additional Christmas book suggestions you can find some of your lists in the archives:
Saint Nicholas & the Nine Gold Coins (Beautiful book!)
A Child’s Christmas ABC Book (Another Favorite!)
Christmas Mosaic: A Review & Featured Book List
35 Favorite Christmas Picture Books for Children
Feasts & Seasons :: Advent & Christmas Collection
Advent Book Basket and Printable Labels:
2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021
(I plan to share our 2022 Basket later this month – 2016 Labels will work for 2022!)
New Christmas Books for the Feast of St. Nicholas:
2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021Stacks of Books on Christmas Morning or Epiphany:
You can find the rest of our booklists here or scroll through all our past St. Nicholas Day Celebrations in the archives.
Even more St. Nicholas themed gifts can be found in these past posts filled with Christmas Gift Ideas & Stocking Stuffers from 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021!
Read about our family traditions here:
The Advent Season in Our Catholic Home
A picture from St. Nicholas Day 2021 – Scroll through all past St. Nicholas posts here!
As always, your lists are so helpful! I was just looking for this yesterday as I was trying to decide what to get my kiddos for St. Nicholas' Day. Any prize would be great, but I would probably enjoy the cookie stamps the most. Thanks for all that you do!
I'd love to win the St. Francis box!!
Reading your blog is like going on a mini-retreat… and it gives me new ideas for how to incorporate our Catholic faith into the lives of my family and extended family. Thank you so much!
Your book posts are always such a treasure of new books I didn’t know about.
Awesome suggestions, as usual! Thanks for all you do.
What a wonderful giveaway! Thanks so much for doing this!-Marisa Tenney
I love your giveaways. The best of Catholic products. The Wise Men book looks amazing!
Thank you for the suggestions!! Some of these books will definitely be in my cart soon!!
I look forward every year to seeing what new books you give!
Lisa C. here— I always love the giveaways! The cookie stamps would be my choice to win since I love cooking and baking for the holidays! As always, thanks for the beautiful ideas!
Thank you so much! Our (mostly German) family has a special devotion to St. Nicholas and I am always looking for new ideas to celebrate his feast day! I recently bought the “Miracle of St. Nicholas”which I found from one of your previous posts. Can’t wait to share it with my son. It is such a beautiful story! Thank you!
Oh my goodness, what great ideas and new books to discover as my kids grow! Thanks for sharing!
Love all these giveaways! I'd appreciate any of them! Thank you for doing this each year 🙂
Love all of these suggestions!
These are great! 👍🏼
Tammy C. I would like to win the cookie stamps and the recipe booklet. Thank you so much for doing these giveaways.
I so enjoy all of your inspirational posts! My family has started gifting new Christmas books every year after reading one of your early blog posts many years ago. Thank you for the wonderful giveaways and I especially love the stamps! Been meaning to purchase some of those.
Your recommendations are the main reason we have such an amazing Christmas Treasury and liturgical traditions. thank you
I look forward to your book recommendations every year!
We love St Nicholas day at our house, and I think a lot of that is because you’ve allowed us to peek into your home! Thanks for sharing your sweet family with all of us.
The Saint Francis box is fantastic! I'd love to win that!
Thank you for all the great recommendations! I'd love prize #2 or #1, but all of them are great!
It is always a joy to read posts on Shower of Roses. There are always great recommendations to be found here. Thanks for your hard work. God bless.
Some exciting additions this year. I am sure my girls would love the selection for Chiquita! God bless!
Some great additions. My girls would love the selection for Chiquita! God bless!
Thank you for always sharing and I anxiously await these great recommendations! God bless you!
I am always excited to check out your lists of Christmas books. My children and I have enjoyed this tradition so much over the years that I really think it's our favorite Advent tradition. I would love to win any of these prizes 🙂
Christmas books are my weakness! Love the ideas you share and Tolkien would be so perfect for my oldest, as we just saw his manuscripts at Marquette.
I always look forward to all of your posts and updates about Advent and Christmas in your family. It's truly an inspiration to me! Thank you for organizing the giveaway!
The Saint Francis box is beautiful!!
Thanks for the giveaway!!
I love all the ideas and encouragement. Thank you for always sharing.
I would love to read those new offerings from the St Paul Center!
Wonderful lists, as always — and always a great way to stay on top of newly published books, too. As for what I'd prefer, either Prize #1 (cookie stamps) or #2 (St. Francis box) would be ideal. Honestly, I'm happy with anything. I teach the Year One students in our parish's RE program, and love having a variety of books and other resources available to help inspire their hearts.
Thank you for sharing! I always love your recommendations.
Thank you so much for these recommendations!! It is always so so helpful every year!
Love the St. Francis box!
Yay! I love your lists, I find them so helpful!
Thank you for all these inspiring ideas!
I always love your book lists! Thank you for sharing your ideas and creativity with us!
Oops! Think I commented anonymously. Once again, I always love your book lists.
Thank you for sharing your ideas and creativity with us!
I'm Andrea C. I can't get my name to appear, even though I signed in. Anyways, I would love the Prize 3 or prize 4 as all those books are on my wishlist for the kids 🙂
I would like the St. Paul Center books.
Marilyn C
I look forward to your recommendations and giveaways every year. Thank you for your diligent work in getting it all put together! I’ve had my eye on the cookie stamps, and the new book by Raymond Arroyo about the three wisemen looks fantastic!
I always love your suggestions and giveaways! So fun!
I always love your suggestions and giveaways! So fun!
I love the Biblical Typology series from Maura McKeegan along with The Wise Men Who Found Christmas books. However, everything looks wonderful. Thank you. – Laura G.
Thank you for these book ideas! Hoping to win because I waited too long and missed the buy one get one free book deal on amazon.
I would love the cookie stamps!
We always leave a book for each of our 8 children for StNicholas Day! Love your recommendations and this giveaway is fantastic! Thank you for the opportunity to enter.
I love reading these posts every year. Thank you for sharing!
Cyndi Baker. I would love to win the Christmas set and bake emblem hot bread special design for each family member!
Thanks for hosting this giveaway. Prize #1 is my favorite, however they all look great!
These book lists are so helpful!
Hi Jessica, I've been LOVING your posts!! The children are growing so fast, I hardly recognize them. I think of you often and I always keep you and your family in my prayers!! much love, Becky :o)
Thank you so much for these! I ordered The Nutcracker for my daughter’s stocking so I’m glad to see it made the list! Thank you for the other suggestions- I still need to get one for St Nicholas day!
Thank you so much for your wonderful giveaway but especially for your book suggestions! Every year I wait for this as you always find wonderful books and my family’s Book collection has grown over the years thanks to you! One of my older daughters loved to read and cook so the cookbook has been ordered! Thank you for all you do and for your wonderful blog that has helped my family grow in the faith all these years. Wishing you and your beautiful family a fruitful Advrnt season. God bless you.
I just love coming to your website all year long for Catholic ideas, but this is my favorite time for Catholic Christmas gift ideas
I look forward to this post every year! Thank you!!
I look forward to this post every year! Thank you!
Love your book recommendations and ideas for the Advent season and St. Nicholas' feast day!
Thank you for these recommendations! Every year it gets harder to choose St Nick gifts for our kids. There are so many options out there!
Thanks for offering the chance to win the St. Paul Center books!
We are doing slippers this year for St. Nicholas day and I thought of your family! I am not in Instagram or Twitter but I'll take my chances with this blog post! 😉
Thanks so much for sharing all of these great books and ideas. I hope you and your family have a very blessed Advent!
I always look forward to your giveaways and have purchased many books from your amazon links!!
#1 is my personal favorite; we love baking around here!
I always look forward to your book suggestions! Thank you for all the time & effort that you put into sharing them with your readers.
Thank you for compiling these lists – I always find a great gift suggestion!
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing!
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing!
Grandma Dee, Thank you for this giveaway and all the recommendations. I am interested in anything suitable for children ages ten and younger,toddler age.
Thanks for all the amazing suggestions. I have built quite a Christmas book collection for my children using your wonderfully lists.
For older kids- some of my favorites are:
– One Splendid Tree by Marilyn Helmer (picture book). I picked this book up for my 14 yr old this year since he is taking a WW2 class for history this school year.
– The After Life of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand. (Chapter book) A modern retailing of the Christmas Carol.
– Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie (chapter book): a Christmas who done it.
Reindeer Boy by Cassandra Jean (Graphic novel)
-A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Adapted by Sean Michael Wilson (graphic novel) This is one of my favorite adaptations of the classic.
-North Pole Patrol: A Christmas Adventure (chapter book)
– The 13th Gift
My older kids also enjoy getting picture books still. I bought my teen this year the picture book Gingerbread Pirates. I know he’ll love it despite it being a picture book for little kids.
Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions. I have built quite a wonderful collection of Christian books for my family using your recommendations.
I would especially love prize #1. Thank you!
I always enjoy reading your blog for inspiration.
You always manage to find such beautiful Catholic books! Thank you for yet another giveaway!
Thanks for always hosting such wonderful giveaways!
Thank you for your lovely work and for some amazing resources. I always look forward to seeing what you publish every Advent season.
Thank you for hosting this giveaway! I would most like to win prize #3. Second pick would be #2.
Wonderful lists & giveaways!!!!
Wonderful lists & giveaways as always!!!!
I was wanting to add a couple of these books this year! Love this list!
Hi! I am a new blog reader, but I have browsed your older posts, and they are making me so excited for this coming season! I would love the cookie stamps! This year will be my second time making St. Nicholas cookies. God bless! – Emily Ellis
They all look lovely, but I think the St. Francis box would be something fun and different. 🙂
Thank you for the beautiful ideas! Our family has gained so much from your blog. God bless! The cookie stamps are so fun! Angela Schaefer
Thanks so much for the opportunity to win! Goodness I would be lost without your ideas and creativity. Thank you for sharing. Blessed Advent to you and your family.