Books for Catholic Kids: Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker

Leslea Wahl reviews Andrew Votipka's new children's book about a popular saint.

St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Book 2, Mr. Baker's Book series) by Andrew Votipka

Summary:

Class is back in session. Well, not really. In fact, Mr. Baker's class is off for a Christmas break, but that won't stop everyone's favorite time traveling eleven-year-old from breaking into the church, finding Mr. Baker's book, and going off on an adventure all by himself! What could go wrong? A trip to an ancient Mediterranean maritime town with a beautiful beach doesn't sound so bad, if you're fine with tyrannical Roman emperors, graveyards, and sinking boats. Join Theo as he meets a few characters from the Bible, avoids manual labor, assists in shaping world history, and befriends one of the most famous of all the saints. A man so well loved, his name alone brings smiles to the faces of children and adults the world over. Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker.

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Review:

Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker is the second book in The Mr. Baker’s Book series. This series, which introduces readers to saints through fun adventures, reminds me a bit of The Magic Tree House books or Lisa Hendey’s Chime Travelers series. While written for elementary-aged children, I think middle-school students would thoroughly enjoy them as well, either on their own or to read as a family.

Mr. Baker’s catechism classes are literally brought to life with a special time-traveling book. In this story, one of Mr. Baker’s students, Theo, is whisked away to discover more about the real St. Nicholas. We, of course, associate this early saint with Christmas, but there was much more to this fascinating historical figure. This book provides a wonderful introduction to the Greek bishop of our early church.

While the stories in this series are light-hearted and are not meant to be an in-depth biography, they offer a fascinating glimpse into the lives of some faithful servants of God. The stories include some factual tidbits, along with plenty of humor around modern-day kids traveling back to ancient times. These books are a fantastic introduction to some fascinating saints through thoroughly entertaining stories.

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