Do Not Open Until Christmas: Short Stories

Once, when I was talking to Rosemary Sutcliffe about why we wrote what we did, she said? We write the books that come to us asking to be written.? She was right. And it is true of short stories too. The ones I?ve gathered together for this book all came to me as ideas wanting me to write them. When an idea like that arrives, I can hardly wait to begin?Jean Little (from the Introduction). Do Not Open Until Christmas is a collection of themed short stories by critically-acclaimed, bestselling children?s author Jean Little. These eleven tales, ranging from historical to contemporary, explore the human spirit and the awakening calls of hope and joy which beckon to all of us each holiday season. The plots and settings are simple and moving, from a boy seeking the perfect present for his teacher, to a young sister facing her first Christmas without her twin. Scrap is the story of a homeless boy taken into care, and ultimately sent to Canada, as a Barnardo orphan. Ten Lords A-Leaping, paints the portrait of a young girl learning how to waltz in a wheelchair. Will is the impatient son and sibling who simply can?t wait to open his presents. Patrick Fisher discovers the magical gift for his bedridden grandfather, while Thomas shares his first Christmas with his new foster family. Jean Little?s stories are moving and thought-provoking. Like all her prose, these offerings are easily read over and over again, individually or together.