Oh, how fun! It can be difficult to find Christmas-themed books for high school that are NOT romance. Stealing Saint Nick by M. T. Anderson fits the bill nicely. It chronicles 1700 years of the real history of Saint Nicholas and the legend of Santa Claus. Apparently, the body of Saint Nicholas was the subject of a heist!
Stealing Saint Nick has been added to my September 2026 – New Release Spotlight list on Amazon.
Author: M.T. Anderson
Genre: narrative nonfiction, biography, religion, holidays and seasonal
Setting: spans 1700 years of Santa Claus mythology, Türkiye and Italy
Themes: saints, Saint Nicholas, world history, Christian history, European history, heists, religion, government, Christmas, myths, legends, holy miracles, religious persecution
Protagonist: Saint Nicholas (historical and legendary)
Recommended for: Grades 8-12
Starred reviews: Kirkus, Booklist, and SLJ
Publication date: September 22, 2026
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
Santa Claus has a surprisingly strange backstory! Before the red suit and North Pole workshop, there was Nicholas of Myra, a bishop whose life became the subject of miraculous—and often contradictory—legends. Then came the sailors who stole his centuries-old remains.
In Stealing Saint Nick, M. T. Anderson follows the winding history of Saint Nicholas, particularly the rival groups of medieval thieves who claimed to have brought his holy relics home to Italy. Along the way, readers encounter religious conflict, bizarre stories, and the gradual transformation of a saint into the Santa we recognize today.
BODY SNATCHERS, MIRACLES, AND SANTA CLAUS
This is certainly a different kind of holiday read! The stolen body alone makes a memorable booktalk hook, especially for teens who enjoy strange-but-true history. Pair this with a discussion of Argentine First Lady Eva Perón and what happened to her body after her death.
Anderson examines conflicting accounts, considers the motives of the people telling them, and shows readers how historians work through incomplete evidence. There’s plenty here for conversations about evaluating sources and questioning familiar stories.
With starred reviews from Booklist, Kirkus, and School Library Journal, this will be a unique book to recommend to high school readers this December.
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