Christmas elves’ secret slips

December 18, 2023

Editor’s note: This is the fifth chapter of a 12-part fictional holiday tale that is running daily until Christmas. Parents are encouraged to read aloud with their children. Jasper placed his hands on his hips and put on his best stern big brother face. “Where are you staying? How are you eating?” Juniper tried to contain her excitement, sensing her brother’s resolve was weakening. She pointed to the large gingerbread-style house at the far end of the Village. “It’s their souvenir shop. It has so much candy! And the back room where I sleep has a comfy couch and a ...

A brother checks in on his sister

December 17, 2023

Editor’s note: This is the fourth chapter of a 12-part fictional holiday tale that is running daily until Christmas. Parents are encouraged to read aloud with their children. Jasper emerged from the doorway he’d created, exiting the frigid winter air and entering the warmth of the Christmas Village. A quick glance around confirmed nobody had noticed him, and he settled into one of the chairs that lined the wall where parents sat watching their children play. He spotted Juniper right away and grinned as he watched her take part in a cookie decorating contest. It was hardly fair, ...

Strange Christmas happenings

December 16, 2023

Editor’s note: This is the third chapter of a 12-part fictional holiday tale that is running daily until Christmas. Parents are encouraged to read aloud with their children. Katie watched in confusion as a tornado of red glitter swirled up toward the ceiling. “What in the world?” Kellan asked while all the children around them exclaimed in awe. Suddenly the glitter fell, covering everything nearby with a fine layer of red sparkle. The boy who had opened the jar dropped it and ran off. “Oh no,” Kellan groaned, swiping frantically at his hair, and Katie couldn’t help but ...

Feeling homesick at Christmas

December 15, 2023

Editor’s note: This is the second chapter of a 12-part fictional holiday tale that is running daily until Christmas. Parents are encouraged to read aloud with their children. Juniper watched the brother and sister as they worked at the craft center, helping little kids put gemstone ornaments onto their mini foam Christmas trees. Seeing the easy way the siblings interacted with each other, teasing and laughing, sent a pang through her heart. She missed her own big brother more than she thought she would. Never in a million years would she have imagined she’d miss the way he stole ...

Christmas chaos begins to unfold

December 14, 2023

Editor’s note: This is the first chapter of a 12-part fictional holiday tale that is running daily until Christmas. Parents are encouraged to read aloud with their children. Katie had never thought about what pure chaos would look like. But as she stood in the center of the town’s Kiddie Christmas Village for her first day on the job, she knew. Chaos was dozens of small children running around, shrieking with laughter as they moved from station to station while consuming large amounts of sugar via hot cocoa and marshmallows and candy canes. Frazzled parents stood off to the sides, ...

Friends’ work finished

December 25, 2022

Editor’s note: This is the final chapter of a 12-part fictional Christmas tale. Parents are encouraged to read aloud with their children. By MEGAN SMITH and HOLLY NITTOLI Correspondents For the first time Anna could remember, she didn’t have the usual bittersweet feeling about Christmas being over. This year was different; the feeling that she and Tyler got from helping others was the best kind of Christmas spirit ever, and it didn’t have to end with the holidays. On the day after Christmas, they were full of excitement as they entered the Book Secret. It was crowded in the ...