Rating: 
Summary: Gentle Stories to Warm the Heart.
Review: So often books of this nature are filled with stories that overly sentimental or moralistic. All of the stories are told in a way that is intimate, as if a family friend were telling of personal incidents. I used "Christmas 1944" for Christmas Eve; it touched worshipers of all ages.
Rating:
Summary: The Magic of Christmas is Brought to Life for Our World
Review: Steve Burt enchanted our congregation last Advent by delightfully reading short stories from his book "A Christmas Dozen." In his writing, the adventures of oh so truthfully quirky and vivid New England characters come to life. It's as though today's secular modern world and the sacred are combined in these little realistic and contemporary mysteries of hope. The stories have broad appeal. We had a Christmas reception following his hour of reading, and of course he gleefully autographed books to people - not to mention to their friends and family. He brought boxes of books with him, and HE LEFT WITH NONE! "A Christmas Dozen" is sheer joy. The journeys of his characters have added deep meaning to my Christmas celebration. I was so moved by them, that my wife and I gave a dozen books for Christmas last year, and we will do so again! I can't help wanting to share these stories. I tell them in worship and even read them at Christmas parties. So many things distract us in December from the real meaning of the season. I encourage you to invite the stories of "A Christmas Dozen" into your life. Read them again and again and again. Steve Burt also travels from his home in Connecticut to congreagations and various secular and sacred organizations around the country. His words contain the delightful mystery of Emmanel, the gift of God With Us.Congratulations, Steve, on an extraordinarily magical book! The Rev. David Reed-Brown The First Baptist Church in Essex, CT
Rating:
Summary: The Magic of Christmas is Brought to Life for Our World
Review: Steve Burt enchanted our congregation last Advent by delightfully reading short stories from his book "A Christmas Dozen." In his writing, the adventures of oh so truthfully quirky and vivid New England characters come to life. It's as though today's secular modern world and the sacred are combined in these little realistic and contemporary mysteries of hope. The stories have broad appeal. We had a Christmas reception following his hour of reading, and of course he gleefully autographed books to people - not to mention to their friends and family. He brought boxes of books with him, and HE LEFT WITH NONE! "A Christmas Dozen" is sheer joy. The journeys of his characters have added deep meaning to my Christmas celebration. I was so moved by them, that my wife and I gave a dozen books for Christmas last year, and we will do so again! I can't help wanting to share these stories. I tell them in worship and even read them at Christmas parties. So many things distract us in December from the real meaning of the season. I encourage you to invite the stories of "A Christmas Dozen" into your life. Read them again and again and again. Steve Burt also travels from his home in Connecticut to congreagations and various secular and sacred organizations around the country. His words contain the delightful mystery of Emmanel, the gift of God With Us. Congratulations, Steve, on an extraordinarily magical book! The Rev. David Reed-Brown The First Baptist Church in Essex, CT
Rating:
Summary: A Christmas Dozen, by Steve Burt, Storyteller of the Heart
Review: Steve Burt is truly a Storyteller of the Heart. I have all 3 of his books; Odd Lot, Unk's Fiddle but by far, my favorite is
A Christmas Dozen, Christmas Stories to Warm the Heart.
I collect all the Storyteller of the Heart books and read them
often..over and over..especially when the world's pain is so
visible on the media. I always cry when I read "Perfect, Just Perfect"..
I can't wait for the next "heart" book from Steve... Westchester, CA
Rating:
Summary: Warms the heart and the soul
Review: Steve Burt's stories are perfect reading especially at Christmas but heart warming the whole year. We will include each of these with the traditional "Twas the Night Before Christmas" reading during family gatherings. Great writing and touching themes to each of the stories for all ages.
Rating:
Summary: Warms the heart and the soul
Review: Steve Burt's stories are perfect reading especially at Christmas but heart warming the whole year. We will include each of these with the traditional "Twas the Night Before Christmas" reading during family gatherings. Great writing and touching themes to each of the stories for all ages.
Rating: 
Summary: good-natured and heartfelt
Review: Steve Burt, a clergyman from Connecticut, here serves up a collection of the Christmas stories which he has produced annually for a number of years. Set mostly in New England, but ranging as far as Europe in WWI, they depict small acts of faith and simple human kindness which give the commonplace an aspect of the miraculous. They range from genuinely moving to endearingly hokey, but are all so good-natured and heartfelt that it's impossible not to be touched by them. The book will particularly appeal to churchgoers and seem like they'd be ideal for reading aloud at Christmas services, but they are universal enough that anyone can enjoy them. GRADE : B-
Rating:
Summary: You don't have to be Christian to enjoy these stories
Review: Steve Burt, a Congregational minister, originally wrote these
heartwarming stories of inspiration and faith for sharing aloud at
Christmas Eve services. Many of them were later published in a wide
variety of periodicals, but it is only now that "The Christmas
Story Pastor," as he likes to be called, has put them together
into this little gem of a book. He might have written them for
churchgoers, but I'm as far from a churchgoer as a person can get. I
have a secular Jewish background and live in New York City, where the
word "church" makes me think of Saint Patrick's Cathedral.
The small town church culture of Americana is an area I've only
explored in books but have never experienced up close and
personal. Only 95 pages long, with easy-to-read print, I took the
book to the gym to read while using the exercise bike. I was so
touched that my eyes welled up with tears and I had to put the book
away to continue exercising. I finished the book within the next two
days, taking my time because I wanted to savor them. Stories are
short, no more than a few pages each, and all set in small towns at
Christmas time. The people are real, characterized by just a few
simple words, and thrust into situations that display their goodness
when faced with choices. I particularly loved a story in which a
boxcar of elephants, on route to the circus, gets stuck on the tracks
one Christmas Eve and formerly hostile ethnic groups pull together to
save the elephants. Another favorite is about a teenager and a
homeless man. Mostly, I found them all fine stories with the exception
of two in which animals talk to each other as if they were human
beings. All of the stories have an inspiring message and there's a
aura of love around them. They were clearly written to reflect the
best we can be. How refreshing! I recommend this book, which is
suitable for children and very easy to read. And you don't have to be
Christian to enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: You don't have to be Christian to enjoy these stories
Review: Steve Burt, a Congregational minister, originally wrote theseheartwarming stories of inspiration and faith for sharing aloud atChristmas Eve services. Many of them were later published in a widevariety of periodicals, but it is only now that "The ChristmasStory Pastor," as he likes to be called, has put them togetherinto this little gem of a book. He might have written them forchurchgoers, but I'm as far from a churchgoer as a person can get. Ihave a secular Jewish background and live in New York City, where theword "church" makes me think of Saint Patrick's Cathedral.The small town church culture of Americana is an area I've onlyexplored in books but have never experienced up close andpersonal.Only 95 pages long, with easy-to-read print, I took thebook to the gym to read while using the exercise bike. I was sotouched that my eyes welled up with tears and I had to put the bookaway to continue exercising. I finished the book within the next twodays, taking my time because I wanted to savor them. Stories areshort, no more than a few pages each, and all set in small towns atChristmas time. The people are real, characterized by just a fewsimple words, and thrust into situations that display their goodnesswhen faced with choices. I particularly loved a story in which aboxcar of elephants, on route to the circus, gets stuck on the tracksone Christmas Eve and formerly hostile ethnic groups pull together tosave the elephants. Another favorite is about a teenager and ahomeless man. Mostly, I found them all fine stories with the exceptionof two in which animals talk to each other as if they were humanbeings.All of the stories have an inspiring message and there's aaura of love around them. They were clearly written to reflect thebest we can be. How refreshing! I recommend this book, which issuitable for children and very easy to read. And you don't have to beChristian to enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: Heartwarming
Review: Steven Burt's book, A Christmas Dozen, is a heartwarming view of humanity and love in the most taken for granted or unexpected situations. With descriptive prose and a family-oriented tone, everyone can share his stories at Christmas or any time. A great way to renew or refresh your faith in the world, love, and the Christmas spirit. A must-read.
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