A story that helps us see the unique goodness in each person.
Every town has its secrets. When it becomes known that Mr. Nicholas, the eccentric owner of the local hardware store, is somehow involved with reindeer, toys, and children, the town becomes more and more suspicious that this man is more than just a clerk on Main Street.
JB, a clever, open ten-year-old boy with Down syndrome, is able to figure out the secret from the first time Mr. Nicholas gives him a chocolate deer wrapped in gold foil.
JB’s father and mother, both cynical and on the brink of divorce, follow the adventures of JB as he flies on the back of a reindeer, feeds Mister Rogers’s fish, and defines what can be forgotten by those who are too busy to remember the magic of Christmas, cuckoo-clocks, and love.
Product Preview
| Format: | Paperback book |
|---|---|
| Product code: | PP7354 |
| Dimensions: | 5" x 8" |
| Length: | 160 pages |
| Publisher: |
Paraclete Press
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| ISBN: | 9781640607354 |
| 1-2 copies | $17.60 each |
|---|---|
| 3-9 copies | $16.80 each |
| 10-49 copies | $16.00 each |
| 50-99 copies | $15.60 each |
| 100+ copies | $15.00 each |
Praise
Praise for Mr. Nicholas
"In this book about Christmas, written by one of Fred Rogers' closest friends, you will see how Mister Rogers' Neighborhood spoke to the broken parts of who we are and how it guided us to see the unique goodness in us all. May its charm add to the beauty of your neighborhood."
In Christopher de Vinck’s novel Mr. Nicholas, a hardened newspaperman’s life is rocked by a small boy’s love and an encounter with a mysterious old man. On his way to interview a beekeeper, Jim sees Anna’s car clinging to the edge of the road. He stops to help, and they connect—as if each were tapped into the same current. But once married, their differences open a gap between them. Anna suggests that a baby could bridge that gap. But when JB is born with Down syndrome, Jim’s rejection of his son leads Anna to file for separation. Jim feels disappointed in his career; he faces a sad and lonely Christmas. Gradually, though, the time he spends with his son opens his eyes to a world in which magic is real and everyone is worth loving. Anna cannot see the changes in Jim, and when JB goes missing, she blames him. She suspects that JB’s friend, Mr. Nicholas, a scavenger and owner of a hardware store that hides a mystery, is responsible, too. Told in Jim’s voice, this is a story about the power of a boy’s relentless love. Tense and stressful at first, it makes the changes in Jim palpable through his inner reflections, his conversations with others, and through small actions that reveal his growing love for his son. Suspense grows as Mr. Nicholas comes under investigation for JB’s disappearance. Jim questions the old man, who asks him some probing questions in return. In the book’s satisfying conclusion, Jim realizes the importance and beauty of the ordinariness that makes life worth living and gives Christmas its true meaning. Sensitive and heartwarming, Mr. Nicholas is a magical Christmas story in which lives and hearts are changed by a small boy’s unconditional love.
"Sensitive and heartwarming, Mr. Nicholas is a magical Christmas story in which lives and hearts are changed by a small boy’s unconditional love."
"I just finished reading Mr. Nicholas. I found it to be an endearing story and one which touched my heart. JB's character, with his freedom, imagination, trust, and uncomplicated love, teaches readers, and his parents, the relevance of Jesus' exhortation to "turn and become like children" (Mt 18:3). And, this is most definitely a story of turning. I really appreciate the way in which JB and Mr. Nicholas intuitively work as a team to open the eyes of Jim and Anna and to help them grasp the unifying power of love — JB's love, their own love. Jim's tears at the end of Chapter 15 are the realization of the turn. I hope many families will enjoy this wonderful tale. And, I would not be surprised if it has a healing effect for some in fractured relationships."
Author
Christopher de Vinck, husband, father, and grandfather, earned his doctoral degree from Columbia University and devoted 40 years to his career in public education. He is the author of countless essays for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, National Catholic Reporter, Dallas Morning News, USA Today, Reader’s Digest, and Good Housekeeping, and thirteen books including the bestselling The Power of the Powerless: A Brother’s Lesson of Love about his severely disabled brother Oliver and the difference Oliver made in this sometimes jaded world.
De Vinck’s books have won two Christopher Awards, the 2021 Illumination Book Award’s Gold Medal in the category of Christian Living, and “Best Column” by the National Catholic Press Association. He still believes in Santa Claus.
