Youngsters have often heard adults say, "If you want to know something, go look it up!" Back in the day, there were books, encyclopedias, thesaurus, dictionaries and a whole slew of tools to find the answer. Today, the internet has made it that much more easier to tap into a wealth of knowledge. Yet there are still some tidbits of information that eludes youngsters. In particular, Santa Claus and his jolly ways. Who is this strange man who works only one night a year, dresses in a read suit and leaves presents for good little boys and girls? Is he for real? How does he go around the world in one night? Why did he pick reindeers to help him travel in his sleigh? Wouldn't unicorns be better? (No. Silly, unicorns don't exist!) The questions go on and on and on. Luckily there are ways of getting to the truth about the beloved man everyone has come to know as Santa Claus.
Harold Myra lays out all the facts in his book Santa, Are You Real? From the traces of Santa's early history as Saint Nicholas to today as the jolly red suited man children all over the world recognize. It's sweet and it reminds readers that St. Nicholas' example of love and charity is the way to keep Christ in the heart of Christmas. The author eludes that Santa is alive through the stories of St. Nick. However, adults can prove that Santa is real with Ingrid Ostheeren's I'm The Real Santa Claus. How frustrating must it be for Santa Claus to find so many men impersonating him at Christmas time! They are everywhere! No wonder people have stopped believing in him. In this tale, Santa get the gentle reminder that children still believe in him and in Christmas magic. Must say, there are so adults who need this same reminder.
Now before the more practical, stuffy and so called level headed nonbeliever starts to explode because there need concrete facts. Gerry Bowler's book Santa Claus: A Biography gives the facts in a manner that would make every historian rest at ease. Yes, Bowler insists that Santa is a legend, mystical wonderful fictional elf that has graced greeting cards, wrapping paper and commercial ads for centuries but that shouldn't stop the young at heart from enjoying the book. Having said that, readers should not miss out on reading The Christmas Chronicles: The Legend of Santa Claus. The title should not fool the reader. Tim Stover probably called it a legend to lure nonbelievers into believing in Santa again. The details of Santa's life are rich, warm and wonderful! How could this be fiction? It simply feels too real to be fake. Of course, if one really wants to be a cynic that is their choice but the facts of the story are difficult to dispute. Such as how Santa learned to make wonderful toys, or how he met his love, Mrs. Claus. Stover even details how Santa was able to get the reindeers to fly. How could he just make that up? It's simply must be true.
In need of more proof of his existence? Fictional characters are in books. Authors are not in books, they write the books. Santa can't be fictional because he wrote a book. He's a published author just as James Patterson and Danielle Steele are. It's available for anyone who wishes to know the REAL Santa. (It's even available in e-books, just to prove that old men can still keep up with technology our day) Santa Responds: He's Had Enough ... and He's Writing Back! Frankly, it's about time that he stood up for himself! All the letters from boys and girls who simply write them to appease their parents but truly don't believe and don't deserve half of the items on their list. That's okay because Santa has a way of setting the record straight that isn't too confrontational and gets his message across.
This Christmas, the best gift every reader can give to themselves is the gift of believing in Santa. If that is too far of a stretch, then at least to start believing that wonderful magical things can happen. . It is never too late to start believing again. After all, through the magic of Christmas every reader is young again and it is possible for one fat elf in a red suit to travel the world in one night on a sleigh with eight flying reindeers. It's the magic of the season. It's Christmas.
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