New yule books this season

The following is a list of some new Christmas books available this season:

"THE CHRISTMAS SWEATER," by Glenn Beck, Simon & Schuster, 304 pages, $19.99

Twelve-year-old Eddie knows that since his father died, things are tough for him and his mother, but all he wants for Christmas is a bike. What he gets instead is a sweater — "a stupid, handmade, ugly sweater" that young Eddie leaves in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.

Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don't always get what they want, and too young to understand the value of what he already had, Eddie plummets into a dark and painful place. It would take wrestling with himself, his faith and his family — and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell — before Eddie finally sees the significance of his sweater gift.

The book, which author Glen Beck says is largely autobiographical, is about redemption. "The message of 'The Christmas Sweater' is that redemption isn't just a word — it's a gift that can transform you life. It transformed mine."

"GRACE," by Richard Paul Evans, Simon & Schuster, 316 pages, $19.97

Evans' latest book tells the poignant story of a young girl who has been abused by her stepfather, has left her home and is helped and protected by two young brothers who secretly house her in their homemade backyard clubhouse. The book is set in the 1960s.

Evans told the Deseret News that he didn't start out to write this story. But the book is an expansion of his charity work, and he hopes to start an initiative to help older kids who are aging out of foster care.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM ... 150 Christmas Cards You Wish You'd Received," by Karen Robert, Harper Collins, $14.95

This entertaining book is a collection of funny and touching Christmas cards from across the nation. Robert, an interior designer and mother of four, looks at cards throughout the year as sources of inspiration. She reviewed tens of thousands of cards to select the best 150.

She says that cards have really changed in the past decade — with the advent of the digital age.

Fifty percent of the proceeds will go to SMILE TRAIN, an international organization that provides surgery for cleft palate children.

"THE MIRACLE OF THE WOODEN SHOES," by Deborah Pace Rowley, Deseret Book, 32 pages, $18.95