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Snatching St. Nick
Ten-year-old Cooper is always at the top of Santa’s Naughty List. His arch-rival bets there’s no way Cooper will get the super-hot Christmas toy only given to those on Santa’s Nice List. (Yes, Santa Claus is real!) The loser has to transfer to the dreaded Dunsley Military Academy. When trying to be good absolutely fails, there’s only one thing Cooper can do to win the travel to the North Pole, kidnap Santa, and hold him for ransom. Of course, nothing goes as planned! In this wild Christmas adventure, is it possible for Cooper to win the bet and still avoid getting a bazillion more years on the Naughty List?
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Published November 16, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 21, 2021
The author kindly sent me a copy of this book since I was not able to download the version on NetGalley.
I know that every author puts their heart into what they write and I appreciate that. Here are the problems that I had with this book.
First of all this book is narrated by Cooper, a 10 year old "bad boy" who is determined to get a particular toy for Christmas. He knows that he is always on the naughty list but has come up with another plan.
I personally don't think most 10 year old children still believe in Santa. If they are old enough to read this book I would not recommend it.
The language in this book is not anything that I would want my 8 year old grandson to read. There is a lot of slang and just plain bad and insulting language. Example: "A smarty-pants looking kid with thick-rimmed glasses asked "I've seen quite a few humans working around this place. Why? " Answer from the tour elf "Discrimination suit of '62. Had to hire humans after that.". How would a young child understand that?
What I felt was even more inappropriate, "Aren't elves always short like you?" Answer "Not necessarily. Humans and elves began to marry each other and have kids, so now you don't know who is who and what is what". Definitely not what I would want to explain to my grandson!!
The main message of the book doesn't really come until the final chapters which helped explained some of Cooper's actions.
The little boy's plan to go to the North Pole is very unbelievable and then there are others, bad elves, who change the plan entirely.
I believe the author wanted to make the book amusing for the child reading it, I just don't think the story or language is appropriate and I couldn't recommend it.
I received a galley of this book from the author.
I know that every author puts their heart into what they write and I appreciate that. Here are the problems that I had with this book.
First of all this book is narrated by Cooper, a 10 year old "bad boy" who is determined to get a particular toy for Christmas. He knows that he is always on the naughty list but has come up with another plan.
I personally don't think most 10 year old children still believe in Santa. If they are old enough to read this book I would not recommend it.
The language in this book is not anything that I would want my 8 year old grandson to read. There is a lot of slang and just plain bad and insulting language. Example: "A smarty-pants looking kid with thick-rimmed glasses asked "I've seen quite a few humans working around this place. Why? " Answer from the tour elf "Discrimination suit of '62. Had to hire humans after that.". How would a young child understand that?
What I felt was even more inappropriate, "Aren't elves always short like you?" Answer "Not necessarily. Humans and elves began to marry each other and have kids, so now you don't know who is who and what is what". Definitely not what I would want to explain to my grandson!!
The main message of the book doesn't really come until the final chapters which helped explained some of Cooper's actions.
The little boy's plan to go to the North Pole is very unbelievable and then there are others, bad elves, who change the plan entirely.
I believe the author wanted to make the book amusing for the child reading it, I just don't think the story or language is appropriate and I couldn't recommend it.
I received a galley of this book from the author.
December 19, 2022
I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
Snatching St. Nick about a mischievous kid called Cooper who has a reputation for always getting into trouble. When he strikes up a bet with his adversary Dax Christmas is about to get crazy! Dax bet Cooper that he couldn't stay on his best behaviour before Christmas and will never be so well behaved to get what he really wants - a Zop-Em 3000. Cooper being Cooper gets fed up of trying to be good and decides its just not worth the effort and comes up with a crazy plan to kidnap Santa! To make things even worse there's even more trouble afoot when Floozer tries to turn Christmas into a combat attack. There's quite a few giggles to be had in this book and it did make me smile quite a few times. Such a fun and crazy book that will give children a fun entertaining read for the festive season.
Snatching St. Nick about a mischievous kid called Cooper who has a reputation for always getting into trouble. When he strikes up a bet with his adversary Dax Christmas is about to get crazy! Dax bet Cooper that he couldn't stay on his best behaviour before Christmas and will never be so well behaved to get what he really wants - a Zop-Em 3000. Cooper being Cooper gets fed up of trying to be good and decides its just not worth the effort and comes up with a crazy plan to kidnap Santa! To make things even worse there's even more trouble afoot when Floozer tries to turn Christmas into a combat attack. There's quite a few giggles to be had in this book and it did make me smile quite a few times. Such a fun and crazy book that will give children a fun entertaining read for the festive season.
March 9, 2022
Reviewed by Grady (age 8) for Reader Views (03/2022)
“Snatching St. Nick” is a legendary book with delightful characters, an element of magic, and a lot of wonderfully naughty people. Cooper has always been an epically naughty kid, but when he strikes a bet with Dax, his adversary, things get a whole lot more… interesting. Dax is positively certain that Cooper will NEVER behave well enough to earn the awesome/legendary Zop-Em 3000, and when Cooper decides that being good isn’t worth the effort—this is Cooper we’re talking about—he begins plotting to kidnap Santa. Exactly what you would do, right? All the while, someone named Floozer is trying to turn Christmas from a time for generosity, kindness and magic, to a time of combat!!! “Snatching St. Nick” is a very entertaining book and an eccentric story that brought page after page of laughter to my body!
A few of my favorite parts are Cooper going into the girls locker room, and afterwards, the principal asking when she was eligible for retirement. Those scenes alone had me bursting out in laughter! A few more scenes that I absolutely cherished are when Cooper thrashes around screaming in his Grandpa’s apartment (a clever fake) all because Grandpa wouldn’t reveal top-secret documents. This results in Gramps feeling bad and giving Cooper the documents. There is also a scene where Floozer tells an elf kid to crawl up a fireplace—if those other spots don’t have you bursting in laughter, that one surely will!
Another fun feature of this book are the graphic details! For example, each chapter looks like it has a string of Christmas lights tangled around the chapter number.
Taylor writes very well with sentences that paint clear pictures, probably clearer than any illustration could. For example, pg 74: “It was dark and chilly. The only sounds were Peony’s bellyaching and me fumbling around in my backpack. Found it! I said. A moment later, light illuminated from my headlamp.” I can almost feel the cold, hear Peony’s bellyache and I could definitely picture the scene! However, “light illuminated from my headlamp” should be “light emanated from my headlamp.” Other than that, that paragraph was spot-on and likewise very descriptive.
I wish the author gave us a bit more information about Cooper’s dad, Alan, and his Gramps, both of whom are mentioned briefly in a few parts, but quickly disappear. Adding this would contribute to the plot of the book and would definitely add to the overall story. I think that Floozer’s thugs need more of an origin story — how Floozer met them, where they come from — because they just appear, poof!
Generally, I try to stay out of trouble, but there are a few people, schoolmates, that can get under my skin, and cause me to relate with Cooper. I recommend this book to an audience of 7-13, who have a heart for mischievous, daring, funny and magical stories.
“Snatching St. Nick” is an epic book full of adventure, mischief, cunning and… KIDNAPPING!?!?!? I loved this book for its sense of humor and adventure, and I think anyone who doesn’t like it has lost all hope! (Just kidding, ha ha!)
“Snatching St. Nick” is a legendary book with delightful characters, an element of magic, and a lot of wonderfully naughty people. Cooper has always been an epically naughty kid, but when he strikes a bet with Dax, his adversary, things get a whole lot more… interesting. Dax is positively certain that Cooper will NEVER behave well enough to earn the awesome/legendary Zop-Em 3000, and when Cooper decides that being good isn’t worth the effort—this is Cooper we’re talking about—he begins plotting to kidnap Santa. Exactly what you would do, right? All the while, someone named Floozer is trying to turn Christmas from a time for generosity, kindness and magic, to a time of combat!!! “Snatching St. Nick” is a very entertaining book and an eccentric story that brought page after page of laughter to my body!
A few of my favorite parts are Cooper going into the girls locker room, and afterwards, the principal asking when she was eligible for retirement. Those scenes alone had me bursting out in laughter! A few more scenes that I absolutely cherished are when Cooper thrashes around screaming in his Grandpa’s apartment (a clever fake) all because Grandpa wouldn’t reveal top-secret documents. This results in Gramps feeling bad and giving Cooper the documents. There is also a scene where Floozer tells an elf kid to crawl up a fireplace—if those other spots don’t have you bursting in laughter, that one surely will!
Another fun feature of this book are the graphic details! For example, each chapter looks like it has a string of Christmas lights tangled around the chapter number.
Taylor writes very well with sentences that paint clear pictures, probably clearer than any illustration could. For example, pg 74: “It was dark and chilly. The only sounds were Peony’s bellyaching and me fumbling around in my backpack. Found it! I said. A moment later, light illuminated from my headlamp.” I can almost feel the cold, hear Peony’s bellyache and I could definitely picture the scene! However, “light illuminated from my headlamp” should be “light emanated from my headlamp.” Other than that, that paragraph was spot-on and likewise very descriptive.
I wish the author gave us a bit more information about Cooper’s dad, Alan, and his Gramps, both of whom are mentioned briefly in a few parts, but quickly disappear. Adding this would contribute to the plot of the book and would definitely add to the overall story. I think that Floozer’s thugs need more of an origin story — how Floozer met them, where they come from — because they just appear, poof!
Generally, I try to stay out of trouble, but there are a few people, schoolmates, that can get under my skin, and cause me to relate with Cooper. I recommend this book to an audience of 7-13, who have a heart for mischievous, daring, funny and magical stories.
“Snatching St. Nick” is an epic book full of adventure, mischief, cunning and… KIDNAPPING!?!?!? I loved this book for its sense of humor and adventure, and I think anyone who doesn’t like it has lost all hope! (Just kidding, ha ha!)
April 6, 2022
This was a really great book. I gave out a couple copies to some of my 4th and 5th grade students and they really enjoyed it. There were elements in it that made it your typical "bad boy gets EXACTLY what he asked for" in it but that is part of what made the story so enjoyable. I recommend this book for kids grades 3-5 as they will appreciate the humor in it the most.
March 22, 2022
Snatch this book up fast!
Cooper reminds me so much of my cousin. When Cooper promises... well I don't want to give it away :)
Truely enjoyed. A great read for all!
Cooper reminds me so much of my cousin. When Cooper promises... well I don't want to give it away :)
Truely enjoyed. A great read for all!
November 3, 2021
Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book in return for an honest review. This was a cute book, but very juvenile. I think it would be perfect for 4th and 5th grade kids.
November 4, 2021
I could not finish this book. Not because I'm an adult reading middle-grade fiction. This particular middle-grade fiction threw all the tropes into the pot and stirred them around. Dead mother, check. Super busy executive father, check. Crazy old grandparent, check. You get the idea. The narrator was like one of those kids on a Nickelodeon series who is far too aware of the camera and constantly plays to it. It all became too much. I made it about 1/3 of the way through, and it still hadn't really done much more than set up the need to kidnap Santa. My desire to see what would happen was outweighed by my frustration with the writing.
October 27, 2021
I received an advance copy of, Snatching St, Nick, by Myla Taylor. This book is very juvenile, its a great Christmas book for little kids.
November 29, 2022
I’m an admitted Christmas geek complete with an advent calendar, a collection of Tommy Bahama Christmas-themed Hawaiian shirts, assorted Santa hats, and the only ugly Christmas sweaters I have are ones I made myself (not a fan of the vulgar store-bought ones). Christmas decorations go up before the turkey's gone cold. But enough about me, let’s get on to Snatching Saint Nick. I Loved it. I purchased two copies for my niece and nephew. I loved it for what it is – the work of a writer who used her imagination to spin a new tale involving Christmas mythology. It’s an enjoyable read full of interesting and original characters and I appreciated the way the author used the points of view of the various characters to tell the story.
Snatching Saint Nick is a fun Christmas caper about a boy on Santa’s naughty list who hatches a scheme to get the hottest toy of the season. SPOILER ALERT - it’s a scheme that ultimately results in his kidnapping of Santa. Not much of a spoiler since the title of the book is Snatching Saint Nick [ ha ha!]. Along the way we meet his friends, his frenemies, and adversaries learn about his sad home life, and that there’s more to him than the troublemaker he appears to be.
I would ignore any negative reviews from people who self admittedly didn’t read the whole book. Anyone concerned about the age at which a child should stop believing in Santa Claus is missing the point and has a lump of coal waiting for them in their stocking.
I’m a film guy more than a children’s book guy, but what I do know is the suspension of disbelief, is what makes any fantasy tale enjoyable no matter the medium. We didn’t have to believe Will Ferrell was a real elf to enjoy the movie Elf. Or believe a Grinch exists or that there’s a Santa clause that forces someone to be Santa every year or that Santa has ninja elves and an older rascal of a brother named Fred. And I can go on – Arthur Christmas, Jingle All The Way, Jingle Jangle “No matter who you are, no matter what you do, the magic lives inside of you.” Don’t be like Assistant Principal Anita Hogarth (obscure but relevant movie character reference). Let the kids escape into the world that the author created, and set their imaginations free to enjoy the ride. After all, it’s just a book about Christmas.
Snatching Saint Nick is a fun Christmas caper about a boy on Santa’s naughty list who hatches a scheme to get the hottest toy of the season. SPOILER ALERT - it’s a scheme that ultimately results in his kidnapping of Santa. Not much of a spoiler since the title of the book is Snatching Saint Nick [ ha ha!]. Along the way we meet his friends, his frenemies, and adversaries learn about his sad home life, and that there’s more to him than the troublemaker he appears to be.
I would ignore any negative reviews from people who self admittedly didn’t read the whole book. Anyone concerned about the age at which a child should stop believing in Santa Claus is missing the point and has a lump of coal waiting for them in their stocking.
I’m a film guy more than a children’s book guy, but what I do know is the suspension of disbelief, is what makes any fantasy tale enjoyable no matter the medium. We didn’t have to believe Will Ferrell was a real elf to enjoy the movie Elf. Or believe a Grinch exists or that there’s a Santa clause that forces someone to be Santa every year or that Santa has ninja elves and an older rascal of a brother named Fred. And I can go on – Arthur Christmas, Jingle All The Way, Jingle Jangle “No matter who you are, no matter what you do, the magic lives inside of you.” Don’t be like Assistant Principal Anita Hogarth (obscure but relevant movie character reference). Let the kids escape into the world that the author created, and set their imaginations free to enjoy the ride. After all, it’s just a book about Christmas.
March 30, 2022
Snatching St. Nick is meant for kids 8 to 12 who like humorous, silly, full of magic books. You don't have to believe in Santa (though he's totally real) in order to enjoy the book. It's a fun, fast-paced read that has received positive reviews from Publisher Weekly's Booklife Reviews, Kirkus Reviews, and ReaderViews.com (5 - star review). Great for fans of Caleb Huett's Top Elf and Thomas Lennon's Ronan Boyle series.
December 2, 2021
I received an advanced readers e-copy of this through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
This is a middle-grade book that follows multiple POVs but mainly Cooper's. This is a funny little story to read and I think middle school students would enjoy it. I do have a few problems with the story, however, I, unfortunately, kept feeling myself being pulled out of the zone of reading because of the dialogue that Cooper and his friend Peony and even Dax felt very unlike how 10 year olds speak. The main heist also felt very unrealistic, now a younger middle schooler might not care that much about that but an older middle school student would definitely notice the unrealistic aspects. This wouldn't be great for a younger audience of kids due to the nature of name-calling and the heist itself, including what Cooper does during the heist, are not great things to have children read without ample discussion following them. Even for middle school students, I would encourage a discussion about what went on in the book. There were a few tropes that felt very hallmark-y to me, though, I love a Christmas hallmark film around the holidays- these, unfortunately, fell a little flat to me. I could see what the author was trying to do with this story and I can appreciate the time and effort and clear planning that went into this story. The first few chapters had totally enraptured me and I found myself giggling at the antics throughout the story. Still, I felt it fell a little flat in the areas I spoke about which bummed me out! I will say, the chapter titles are hysterical! I love when authors play around with funny chapter titles.
This is a middle-grade book that follows multiple POVs but mainly Cooper's. This is a funny little story to read and I think middle school students would enjoy it. I do have a few problems with the story, however, I, unfortunately, kept feeling myself being pulled out of the zone of reading because of the dialogue that Cooper and his friend Peony and even Dax felt very unlike how 10 year olds speak. The main heist also felt very unrealistic, now a younger middle schooler might not care that much about that but an older middle school student would definitely notice the unrealistic aspects. This wouldn't be great for a younger audience of kids due to the nature of name-calling and the heist itself, including what Cooper does during the heist, are not great things to have children read without ample discussion following them. Even for middle school students, I would encourage a discussion about what went on in the book. There were a few tropes that felt very hallmark-y to me, though, I love a Christmas hallmark film around the holidays- these, unfortunately, fell a little flat to me. I could see what the author was trying to do with this story and I can appreciate the time and effort and clear planning that went into this story. The first few chapters had totally enraptured me and I found myself giggling at the antics throughout the story. Still, I felt it fell a little flat in the areas I spoke about which bummed me out! I will say, the chapter titles are hysterical! I love when authors play around with funny chapter titles.
December 1, 2021
I'm unsure what exact percentage I got through this book, but I could not finish it. I hate giving books one star because I know how much time and energy goes into them, but this just wasn't very good. The writing is sooooo immature and all over the place. It was trying too hard to be relevant to youths, but it ended up being inappropriate for the target audience and hard to follow. I love reading middle grade and children's stories so I know what to expect and at what level each book should be. The writing in this one was choppy and nonsensical. Not only that, but the plot itself just didn't make much sense and felt so thrown together. Just because a book is written for a younger audience doesn't mean basic plot structure shouldn't be considered. I know this review seems all over the place, but honestly, I'm just unsure of my exact thoughts because this book confused me so much. Overall, just not good- disappointingly so.
Thank you to NetGalley and Raynen Katz Books for an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Thank you to NetGalley and Raynen Katz Books for an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
April 17, 2022
2.5/5 stars
This was very average for me. I really didn't love it however I'm going to attribute that to my age. I think the intended age range would really have a great time reading this during the holiday season. As an adult there is a level of imagination you have to use when reading some middle-grade books, unfortunately, this was just too much to the point where I felt like it didn't make sense. Overall it just wasn't the book for me.
This was very average for me. I really didn't love it however I'm going to attribute that to my age. I think the intended age range would really have a great time reading this during the holiday season. As an adult there is a level of imagination you have to use when reading some middle-grade books, unfortunately, this was just too much to the point where I felt like it didn't make sense. Overall it just wasn't the book for me.
November 9, 2022
Okay this was really cute! there are some problems but then again i am an adult and i am sure if/when i let my child read this they will love it ALOT.
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