It’s Time for Christmas Stories to Brighten the Season

COS COB, Conn. – Whatever kind of holiday you’re having—a big family get-together, a quiet dinner for two, or something in between, it’s a magical time of year. And Chicken Soup for the Soul is back with its next collection of holiday stories, covering all the fun from Thanksgiving to Hanukkah to Christmas to New Year’s, compiled from its vast library. The excitement and joy of the season run throughout the 101 true, personal stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Time for Christmas (October 24, 2023, 978-1-611591088, $16.99) Readers will learn about communities coming together to make Christmas special for families going through hard times, the joy of giving, and some creative ways to make their own holidays even more fun. As always, the stories in this collection are what Chicken Soup for the Soul calls “Santa safe,” meaning they keep the magic alive even for precocious readers.

Keeping the magic alive was of paramount importance for Bettie Wailes, who drove from Orlando to New Orleans and then realized she had left behind a sold-out gift for her grandson. That grandmother of the year raced to the airport and took a flight back to Orlando, grabbed the gift from her house, and flew back to New Orleans, arriving at 2 A.M. She says it was worth it to see the joy on the face of her five-year-old grandson Christmas morning.

Getting the perfect gift was what caused a miracle in Jennifer Clark Davidson’s family. Her father, who was in the final stages of dementia, became lucid for 30 minutes and listed the gifts he wanted to give to his wife and children. Then he disappeared back into his dementia and in fact was gone a few weeks after Christmas.

Elizabeth Atwater had her own miracle involving her father. She took her son to the store to see Santa, and Santa recognized her and started crying. He was her long-lost father, a recovered alcoholic now, who she hadn’t seen since she was a child.

This book is one of several current bestsellers from Chicken Soup for the Soul earmarked to raise funds for nonprofits. Royalties from this book go to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots program, which creates miracles for millions of families by providing holiday gifts to children in need in the U.S. The other current Chicken Soup for the Soul books that support a specific nonprofit are Chicken Soup for the Soul: Lessons Learned from My Dog and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Lessons Learned from My Cat, both of which benefit American Humane, as well as Chicken Soup for the Soul: Read, Laugh, Repeat, which supports four nonprofits that provide entertainment to patients and workers in healthcare facilities. A new pair of books about dogs and cats will come out after Christmas and those will support American Humane as well.

“We often use royalties from our books to support nonprofit organizations,” said Amy Newmark, editor-in-chief and publisher of Chicken Soup for the Soul. “The need is greater than ever now, and we’re honored to share royalties from our books to make the holidays and the rest of the year a little more magical for families and pets.”

ABOUT CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL

Chicken Soup for the Soul publishes the famous Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. With well over 100 million books sold to date in the U.S. and Canada, more than 300 titles, and translations into more than 40 languages, the phrase “chicken soup for the soul” is known worldwide and is regularly referenced in pop culture. Today, 30 years after it first began sharing happiness, inspiration and hope through its books, this socially conscious company continues to publish a new title a month. It has also evolved beyond the bookstore, with a podcast, education programs, dog and cat food, licensed products, and video, television and movies through its subsidiary, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment.

###

For a review copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Time for Christmas or an interview with Amy Newmark: