Little Kid Reaction: My daughter instantly connected with being a member of the Santa Club. It has renewed and at the same time given her a new perspective on the holiday.

Big Kid Reaction: I love this book! It answers the question with purpose and stays true to the Spirit of St. Nicholas.

Pros: Parents and caregivers looking for an empowering, positive way to help older kids understand the Spirit of Christmas will love sharing this book.

To read our full review, go to The Reading Tub®.

THE SANTA CLUB by Kelly Moss
Illustrated by Jim Keserich
Published by Palmary Press
ISBN 13: 978-0-9821340-1-6
At the request of The Cadence Group, a HC was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.

Synopsis (from author): A delightful book with captivating illustrations, The Santa Club transitions your child from receiving gifts to experiencing the joy of giving. With sensitivity, faith, and love, The Santa Club tackles the serious question, “Is Santa Claus Real?” To be read with your child, this wonderful book not only answers that sometimes “dreaded” question but it also addresses the questions of why Santa comes at Christmas and who was the first Santa. The Santa Club is a wonderful parenting resource and a stunning children’s book, and is sure to become an annual family favorite.

My Thoughts and Opinion: To those that follow this blog, you know that this is not the type of book that I would usually accept to review, however, when I was approached, I thought it would be different and fun. When my boys were young, reading was an important integral of their upbringing. From when they were infants, reading before bedtime was a nighttime ritual. Books also played an important part during different milestones in their lives, such as bringing home a baby brother, potty training, starting school, and unfortunately, even loss.

Since it has been many years that I have read a children's book, it was like a new experience for me. The premise of the book is to help parents answer that hard question, Is Santa Real? Not only does it answer the question in a way that a child can understand but it also allows the child to feel special when the answer is revealed. What also impressed me, which I am sure that some will disagree with me, is that it also explains the true meaning of Christmas. At first, I was a bit unsure of the illustrations but the more I looked at them I could see the diversity the author was conveying to the parent and child. I forgot to mention, this book states that a child must only read this book with a parent or guardian. If you are a parent, grandparent or know someone with little ones, this should be in every household, tucked away for the day when that question is asked, Is Santa real?. Highly recommend.

My Rating: 4 ( )

The Santa Club is a book designed to help parents break the news about Santa (or answer their kid's questions) without crushing that special feeling of Santa and what he does.

The Santa Club came into being when Kelly Moss' oldest son came out and asked one day, "Is Santa Real?". Of course Kelly froze and her MIL stepped in gracefully and explained WHO Santa really was and how Santa's work continues to this day by members of "The Santa Club".

This book is written for parents to sit down with their children when that day comes (and it will). From start to end it explains everything to your kids in a way they understand without overdoing the explaining - and it takes the attention off the parents and what they had told the kids over the years.

Finally the book invites kid's into The Santa Club. They get to "agree" and sign up online to join The Santa Club. They can post a picture of themselves (if it's OK w/ mom/dad) and find out ways that they and their family can give to others. It's a really neat idea and long overdue.

The website also has valuable information on giving to others and includes links to several charities along with the opportunity to give directly from the website. This is a wonderful book and would be a great gift for any families bookshelf - and would even make a great Baby Shower gift for a 1st Baby.

thesantaclub.net ( )

I received this book for review from The Cadence Group through the LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and the views expressed herein are my own.

Moss answers two questions in this book that every child will undoubtedly ask: Is there a Santa Claus? and Is Santa Claus real?

I thought this was a cute book, and I liked the tie-in to the Birth of Jesus. Many people look at Christmas as an “either/or” deal: You either believe in Santa Claus or Jesus – not both. Christmas has also become so commercialized that we forget the “Christ” in “Christmas.” The simple explanation that Moss provides is that all people who give belong to “The Santa Club,” whose members love children so much that they give without expecting anything in return. This book is a sweet reminder to remember the spirit of Christmas and to give joyfully.

The hardcover version of the book is of gift-quality with heavier pages. The illustrations are bright and colourful, and I love the way that St. Nicholas is depicted.

MY RATING: 4 stars! I really liked it!! ( )

I had a mixed reaction to this book. I appreciate the tact it uses - when my own children asked this question I gave a similar answer. And they were excited to participate in the more grown-up part of the tradition of "Santa". My disappointment came in the "too young" tone of voice this book uses to address the question. Bringing the voice up a year or two would be, I believe, more appropriate. ( )