Mia and Brandon walked down the sidewalk, bundled up against the brisk, cold air in puffy coats and hats. The mouthwatering scent of baking cookies drifted through the air, coming from the Cookie Crumble Bakery, mixing with the smell of coffee from the Busy Bean Cafe next door. Mia took in a ...

Mia sat on her bed, holding the golden ornament. When she’d pulled it out of her backpack, she’d been positive it had flickered for a second, like a broken light bulb. But as she stared at the shiny orb sitting on her pink bedspread, it did nothing but look like a plain old ...

Editor’s note: This is the second chapter of a 12-part continuing, fictional holiday tale, “The Golden Ornament” that is running daily through Christmas. Parents are encouraged to read it aloud to their children. The outdoor lights dimmed as the music began to play, and the people of ...

Editor’s note: This is the first chapter of a 12-part continuing, fictional holiday tale, “The Golden Ornament” that is running daily through Christmas. Parents are encouraged to read it aloud to their children. The annual lighting of the town square Christmas tree was the night Mia ...

Hannah filled her mug from the hot cocoa fountain that stood taller than she was, then grabbed a frosted snowman cookie from one of the trays attached to the large toy train that twisted through the room, carrying plates and trays piled high with thousands of cookies. She’d just come back ...

“Can the reindeer talk?” Hannah asked as they arrived at a massive warehouse. She stared up at the rectangle building — a building that hardly seemed suitable for anything to live in. “No, they can’t talk like people do,” Santa said. “But they’re excellent at communicating. ...