Posted on by TracyC

December Secrets

The Kids of Polk Street School

decembersecrets#4 December Secrets by Patricia Reilly Giff, 1984.

It’s December, and the kids in Ms. Rooney’s class at Polk Street School are learning about Christmas and Hanukkah.  To get everyone in the holiday spirit, Ms. Rooney has everyone choose someone else in class as their “Secret December Person,” kind of a Secret Santa-style activity.  The kids will give small presents and do nice things for the person they pick.

Emily would have picked her friend Dawn for her person, but they’ve been fighting since Emily wouldn’t let Dawn cut in front of her in line when the fire truck came to school and the kids who were first in line were allowed to actually get in the front seat.  Emily tries to pick someone else to be her Secret December Person, but her other favorite choices are taken.  When she asks Ms. Rooney who is still available, Ms. Rooney suggests Jill Simon.

decembersecretspicEmily doesn’t think much of Jill Simon because she’s fat and a crybaby.  Whenever the least little thing goes wrong, Jill tears up.  She hardly ever smiles.  But, although Emily isn’t thrilled at first to have Jill as her Secret December Person, she then thinks that she can use this as an opportunity to help Jill.  Maybe her presents will help Jill to become a happier, maybe even thinner person.

The book is available to borrow and read for free online through Internet Archive.

My Reaction

Although Emily wants to help Jill, her first attempts fall flat because she’s focusing too much on correcting Jill’s faults instead of thinking about what would really make Jill happy.  Jill becomes a happier person when Emily notices the good things about Jill and helps her to see them for herself.  The project helps Emily to become a more thoughtful person, and she also makes a surprising discovery about the Secret December Person who has been leaving thoughtful presents for her.

The reason why it has to be “Secret December Person” instead of “Secret Santa” is because there are both Christian and Jewish children in the class.  That’s why the kids learn about both Christmas and Hanukkah.  They don’t want anybody to feel left out.  The name “Secret December Person” is a little cumbersome next to “Secret Santa”, but the sentiment is nice.  I don’t recall doing anything like this as a class activity when I was in elementary school.  I remember that I was in first grade when a Jewish girl and her mother explained Hanukkah to the class.  They gave everyone small plastic dreidels to play with, and I spent the Christmas holidays that year playing dreidel with my brother for peanuts and M&Ms.  They were just little party favor dreidels, but I had a lot of fun with mine, and I still have it.  Sometimes, little presents do mean a lot.

Posted on by TracyC

My Crazy Cousin Courtney Comes Back

CousinCourtneyBackMy Crazy Cousin Courtney Comes Back by Judi Miller, 1994.

The title is a little deceptive because Courtney hasn’t come back to New York to visit Cathy.  This time, Cathy has flown to Beverly Hills to spend Christmas with Courtney.  Courtney’s parents are now divorced, and Courtney’s adjusting to it, but she’s still as wild and unpredictable as she ever was.

Almost as soon as Cathy arrives, Courtney wakes her in the middle of the night to tell her that she needs her help to rescue an old man who’s being held against his will and maybe bring him cans of soup and sauerkraut.  Courtney’s heart is always in the right place, but as usual, she has the wrong idea.  In the best Courtney tradition, things work out amazingly well in the end.

In between spotting movie stars and getting into trouble, the girls manage to find time to get their nails done and visit with their friend Frank, who they met last summer in New York.  Cathy had fallen in love with Frank until she realized that he was more interested in being Courtney’s boyfriend.  Seeing him again over Christmas has brought back Cathy’s awkward feelings.  She still likes Frank, but the last thing she wants to do is to take a guy away from her lovable, if crazy, cousin.  But, if there’s one thing that Courtney specializes in, it’s happy endings.

This book isn’t as introspective as the first one in the series was, although Courtney and Cathy still help each other with their opposite personalities.  Cathy’s common sense and restraint can’t stop Courtney in her wild escapades, but she does inspire Courtney to be more thoughtful.  Courtney also helps Cathy to get out of shell, speak up for herself, have a little excitement, and see the possibilities that life has to offer.