The Boy with a Wish

FRANCES AND WESLEY BOCK BOOK AWARD FOR CHILDREN'S LITERATURE 2004

ACCELERATED READER PROGRAM SELECTION

"This book introduces a new legend to explain the origins of Saint Nicholas . . . a reminder of the true meaning of Christmas."

--Children's Literature

Parents and grandparents know well that timeless tales generate endless questions about our holiday traditions, such as "Where did Saint Nicholas come from?" "How does he visit so many children in just one night?" "Why does he leave gifts for girls and boys?"

The Nicholas Stories series answers these questions about Christmas in a way that shares the true special spirit of the holiday.

Nicholas was a little boy who could not use his legs. The children in his village did not play with him. Like his father, he became skilled with his hands and decided to fix as many broken and unwanted toys and dolls as he could. Nicholas had an unselfish wish, to make children happy, so he decided to give the toys to children in the village on their birthdays.

The father of a sick little girl from the other side of the mountain appears at Nicholas's door one day with a plea. He is too poor to buy a doll to celebrate her birthday and lift her spirits. Nicholas gladly makes the most beautiful doll ever for her but becomes lost in a terrible storm on his way home from delivering the gift. In the end, Nicholas is rewarded for his efforts in a way that boys and girls around the world look forward to every year.