The Spirit Of The Season

In the spirit of the season, my friend Tabitha over at School Counselor Scrapbook is having a Fa La La Giveaway of Carol McCloud's Bucket Book.

Hop on over to enter!

The Little Fir Tree by Margaret Wise Brown is a TREEmendous holiday tale of generosity and gratitude. Hoping against hope to find its place in this world, the little fir tree just wants to be a part of something. Its wish comes true when the father of a bedridden little boy comes to get it from the meadow and take it home so that it can be a special part of his son's annual Christmas celebration. They decorate the tree and sing carols around it. After that, it became tradition for the dad to dig up the tree to bring it to the boy, then replant it for another year after the holiday has ended.

Then one year, the dad doesn't come and the tree is left feeling sad and alone. I don't want to give away the ending, but I think your students will be pleasantly surprised about why the tree no longer gets to go to the boy. 

Use this heartwarming treasure to talk with your students about how the story illuminates the spirit of the season. What do your students suppose made the Dad think to go get that tree every year? Ask students what they think what it must be like to be the boy at the beginning of the story. Why do they think he can't walk? And what is it like for him in the end. What must have happened so the boy doesn't need the tree to come to him anymore? How must the dad have felt about that?

Congratulations to Mrs. Parker, whose name was drawn by Joshua in my century-mark giveaway; a donation is being made to the Leukemia Society in her name.