Lulu's Library, Volume 1 (of 3)

What if Christmas lost its magic? That's the question at the heart of this charming 19th-century collection, which opens with a girl named Effie bored by the holiday's familiar routines. Through her dream-visit from a Christmas spirit who shows her the struggles of less fortunate children, Effie awakens to joy she thought she'd outgrown. The collection continues with more tales of imaginative children navigating moral questions with the directness only children possess. These are stories written for a simpler time, yes, but they carry something timeless: the belief that kindness can be learned and imagination is worth nurturing. Anonymous authorship only adds to the mystique. For readers who believe children's literature at its best speaks to adults too.