The Miracle of Saint Nicholas / Gloria Whelan; Illustrated by Judith Brown

It was the day before Christmas in a small Russian village. Alexi's babushka was telling him what Christmas was like when she was a girl--before the soldiers came. Our church was as crowded as a pod full of peas. Candles made the church as bright as the sunniest day. Watching over us was the blessed icon of St. Nicholas. Alexi had many questions, including, Why can't we celebrate Christmas tomorrow in St. Nicholas? Babushka sadly replied that it would take a miracle after sixty years. Well, Alexi had heard enough. If there truly was such a thing as a miracle, why couldn't it happen here? And so unfolds a story that poignantly reveals how, though quiet and hidden, faith and hope cannot be suppressed--by soldiers or by time.