The Shoe Box: A Christmas Story

by Francine Rivers

Author Francine Rivers once created her own "God Box" for talking with God. Whenever something was bothering Rivers she would write a prayer about it and slip it in her decorated cardboard box. It was this personal God Box that gave her the idea for writing this compelling Christmas story about a foster child named Timmy whose only valued possession is a shoebox. His foster parents, a young Christian couple, are of course curious about this 6-year-old's mysterious box. What could be inside? But knowing that his privacy is one of the few things Timmy has left, they decide not to pry. Rivers uses the backdrop of Timmy's foster family, church community, and the dedication of his birth mother to illustrate what Christian faith can do. The Christmas pageant finale is a true heart warmer for all believers.

Genres: Christmas, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Audiobook, Short Stories, Holiday

112 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1999

About the author

New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers continues to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her numerous bestsellers include Redeeming Love, A Voice in the Wind, and Bridge to Haven, and her work has been translated into more than thirty different languages. She is a member of Romance Writers of America's coveted Hall of Fame as well as a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW).

www.francinerivers.com
www.facebook.com/FrancineRivers
Twitter: @FrancineRivers

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love the idea of the shoe box, either as a burden or blessing box, and I like the theme of this story. I dislike the layout and style choices as it made the reading choppy being broken up by recipes and memories and such. The story pages were easy to read but the other bits were hard to read as the background imagery and cursive writing also jarred with the flow. I was disappointed by how short this was; it truly is a short story with lots of white space, pictures, and extras. I'm glad I got this from the library as I would have been mad to have paid much for this, it is nice but not worth so much I'd like to own or re-read it.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet little Christmas story that took only 20 minutes to read. The edition I read had Christmas recipes and short anecdotes from the author interspersed within the narrative. Timmy is a six-year-old boy who was adopted by a nice couple. He carries around a red shoe box that he never lets out of his sight. When asked, he tells the questioner the box contains “things.” He never lets it out of his sight. When he is cast as a wise man in the school Christmas play he presents the newborn Jesus his box. The contents are rich in meaning. I enjoyed The Shoe Box, but wished the story had been longer in order to flesh out Timmy and his family a bit more. My edition of The Shoe Box is followed by The Christmas Story, nicely adapted from chapters taken from the books of Matthew and Luke.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

The Shoe Box was a short and sweet Christmas novella that left me with a happy heart. I adored this.

Audio book source: Hoopla
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Kate Reading
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Holiday- Christian Fiction
Length:

[Taury · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shoe Box by Francine Rivers Is a sweet very short Christmas story. Reminder to count our blessings and let go of our worries.

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars for The Shoe Box story itself

The edition I read is the 25th edition, which includes additional material beyond The Shoe Box story itself. The author includes her favourite recipes, an Advent Devotional, an introduction to how the story came to be, and The Christmas Story which includes selections from Matthew 1-2, and Luke 1-2.

Worth reading for the story of The Shoe Box, itself, a story of a six-year-old boy named Timothy O’Neil who comes to live with a couple shortly after the beginning of the school year. Timothy’s parents are unable to care for him for the time being, and one of the only possessions he arrives with is a shoe box, which he carries with him everywhere. A sweet story that brought to mind And a little child shall lead them.

[Malia Saldaña · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite Christmas books,and I try to read it once every Christmas season. It is such a cute,short story. I loved how Timmy brought his shoe box to Jesus. That was so sweet. The ending is perfect,and I highly recommend if you are looking for a short,quick read. I really need to read another book by Francine Rivers soon.
*later review*
This is still one of my favorite Christmas books ever! It makes me smile and leaves me feeling happy every time I read it! 😊

[Jenny Jo Weir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super short read. Prefect for Christmas time. An adorable story about a little boy and his "things" and what God thinks about it. It was precious.

[Mayda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story about a young foster child at Christmas gets right to the point. Christmas is a time for hope and belief in God. This foster child’s shoe box contains all the things that meant something to him, and he always carries it with him, until the end of the story. An interesting part of this tale is the backstory about how the author came up with the idea for this tender and inspirational Christmas story.

[Amy | Foxy Blogs · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very quick Christmas story.
After The Shoe Box Ms. Rivers included the story of Jesus's birth told from these scriptures: Matthew and Luke chapters 1 & 2.

Audiobook source: Hoopla
Narrator: Katie Reading
Length: 32 M

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good story, and well-written...but too many interruptions. It was like trying to watch a Hallmark Channel telefilm only to be bombarded with commercials for the Food Network.

[Cortney Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick read, cute book by an Author that I really enjoy reading her books. This would be a nice story to read to a child. It is a super quick read and the Author shares holiday recipes throughout. I read the whole book this morning.

[Amber Lemus · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Shoebox is a very sweet story with a touching and inspirational conclusion.

It is very short, and seemed rather "sumed up" to me. Not as compelling and emotional as I expected from a Rivers book, but it is a short and sweet holiday read.

[Leslye❇ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little gem is about a foster child named Timmy, and his very special shoe box. An inspiring short story with beautiful illustrations, interspersed with the author's family traditions and recipes.

It was sweet- just the kind of book you want to read at Christmastime.

[Hannah H. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does this count as a full book? I’m not sure, but I’m super close to 45 books and I was able to check this one off during a 30 minute run. I feel slightly bad to pick a few super short books lately, but not bad enough that I wouldn’t count them... 😂 This one was simple, endearing, and a really good reminder about giving all we have to the Lord.

[Sandy Catalano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick Read

Good story but a little too short. Understand the taking in of foster kids and them having treasures. Message is clear and maybe that is enough.

[Tisha (IG: Bluestocking629) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of this book before but then I saw this beautiful 25th anniversary edition by Tyndale Fiction and I knew I had to have it. I know "they" say we should not judge a book by its cover... I bet the cover illustrators would disagree however!

This time, judging the book by its cover, did not let me down!

So this little book was in four parts. The first part was the actual story The Shoe Box. The second was an Advent devotional. The third was the Christmas Story from Matthew and Luke. And the fourth was the author's favorite recipes. My rating applies to only the first part.

The story was absolutely beautiful and it filled my heart. It was very Christmasy. Very hopeful. It was from a different time than now. Now when families run into bad luck financially they often turn to welfare. Back in the day families helped each other out. I wish we could return to those kinder gentler times.

I know readers can receive different messages from the same book. I doubt it was the author's main intent to say that love is the answer not money. But that was one of my many takeaways from this book.

I believe the author's actual main intent with the story is to reiterate the importance of faith. I remember in grade school the nuns drilling into our heads the meaning of faith. Faith is believing faith is believing faith is believing. I can almost see Sister writing this over and over on the blackboard.

I am very glad I read this book. And I will add it to the pile of Christmas books I have read that I will keep to reread every year. The pile of Christmas books that I plan to donate is very small unfortunately.

[Alleluialu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another one of those little hardcover books I took out of our local library to read for the Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge. Again, it was predictable but sweet - just the kind of book you want to read at Christmastime. The author wrote an introduction about how she came up with the idea for "The Shoe Box" and among the pages are little stories about how she remembers her mother whenever she makes chocolate chip cookies including the recipe! There are other little stories and recipes for apple pie and the fixings for turkey dinner; singing "The Messiah" and purchasing Nativity sets for every room in her house. I liked how the little stories were handwritten and the main story was typewritten. The illustrations were what looked like pencil drawings and they were beautiful. The book ends with the Nativity story from the Bible. A lovely Christmas book!

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sweet story. All the things we should put in a box for God sometimes get put by the wayside. If we do what Timmy did we will be able to lead a more grateful life. The author also tells us about how she made a God box and put her worries in it so she could give them to God and not keep them herself. Such a great idea.

Warning: don't read this at work because you might do what I did and get teary-eyed.

[Cheryl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Are you kidding me? This "book" is one short story that takes the reader about 15 minutes to tell, followed by a reading from the Living Bible's account of the birth of Jesus. The final 10 minutes extols the virtues of the author, Francine Rivers.

While the little story was sweet, this was NOT a book by any means. How did it get all of these great ratings???

I am very glad I took this out of the library versus paying for it.

Not recommended.

[E.A Henley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read this book many times, and it comes out of a box, literally, with the Christmas decorations and is placed on the coffee table. It's a short read and one that inspires one to savor the simple pleasures we have but tend to overlook, something that is so important during any season. During the Christmas season it becomes even more touching. An amazing read for such a small book.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a pretty good short story about a boy named Timmy who had a shoe box of treasures that he gave to the Lord during a play reenactment about the birth of Jesus. The story also includes recipes and memories from the author as well as the Christmas story. Look for this book at your local library and wherever books are found.

[Mary Burley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book in an hour today, very short book. Includes some of the author's Christmas recipes and traditions. Nice story line. Makes you appreciate family and Christmas so much more. Would make a nice Hallmark Christmas movie if it hasn't already be made into a movie.

[Cam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute Christmas short story that I’ll probably read to my kids on Christmas Day. A foster child shows up with nothing but a show box hold all that is dear to him. Everyone keeps wondering what is in the box.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

A charming little story of a young boy who offers his all to the Christ Child. I liked the emphasis on the loving care of our Savior over His children.

[Trish Niehaus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but super sweet

[Shalimar Cabrera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a cute short story.

[Laura Ellison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short story about a little boy in foster care who carries around a shoe box.

[Bethany Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this simple yet great story of a boy who gave his faith to God.
The Christmas Story was well worded too!

[Lynnea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Random stories and recipes were thrown in the middle of this short story, making it rather disjointed.

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was too short and didn’t allow enough time for character development. An okay short Christmas story.