The Birds' Christmas Carol

69 pp. With illustrations. "The Birds' Christmas Carol is a novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin written in 1887. The book is about Carol Bird, who as a young girl is portrayed to be full of love and generosity, having a positive effect on everyone with whom she came in contact. Around the age of 5 she contracts an illness and by the age of 10 physicians say that she does not have long to live. The story is about her generosity in planning a Christmas (and therefore, a birthday) party for the nine Ruggles children, a poor family living next door. The book is not simply a wistful moral tale about a saintly child, but is enlivened by many humorous scenes, especially those of the Ruggleses' home life. Carol was named because she was born on Christmas day and her mother heard a Christmas carol from outside. The initial intent was to name her Lucy after her grandmother, but the family agreed that someone born on Christmas was not to be named lightly. Other suggestions for her name include: Maud, Luella, and naming her after her mother. The themes found in the book include many Christian/Christmas ideals, including giving as a way to happiness. Carol's illness is never mentioned by name, but the symptoms listed seem to indicate tuberculosis." -- Wikipedia