Reviewed by Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite

The Christmas List is a short story written by Douglas B. Wimmer and L.B. Scott. The Happy Heart Orphanage is not a cheerful place. Run by three tyrannical matrons who revel in the misery of the children in their charge, the orphanage’s children are told on arrival that Santa never visits the children there due to the fact that he only visits children who are loved. As none of the children have parents, they are routinely told by the matrons that there is nobody in the world to love them, and therefore Christmas is not celebrated at the Happy Heart Orphanage. Outside in the freezing cold, a young boy, Johnny, trudges through the ice and snow to go to the outhouse, but the door has frozen shut and he has no way of getting it open. Desperate to relieve himself, he goes behind the outhouse and urinates in the snow. A matron witnesses the event and punishes him for such a disgusting act. Each Christmas is the same, with the matrons of the orphanage feasting on roast turkey with all of the trimmings while the orphans survive on bread, porridge, or scraps. When Johnny decides that the children deserve a happy Christmas just as much as the matrons do, he steals their turkey, but is punished in a most horrific way when caught doing so. Freezing and afraid, Johnny makes three wishes on behalf of the orphans who are so neglected ... with surprising and incredible results!

Oh my! As short as this story is, the emotion behind it is so powerful that it is very difficult for me to express. The actions of the matrons were absolutely cruel and shocking on a full time basis, and watching them rejoice in the misery and pain of the orphans was quite sickening, but the one child who seemed to draw the matrons’ wrath the most was the one who always had the happiness and well-being of his fellow orphans in the forefront in his heart. Although darkness created the story’s framework, love, happiness, and hope for a better tomorrow allowed the light shine into Douglas B. Wimmer and L.B. Scott’s tale to such an extent that I found myself breathless and smiling, with tears in my eyes. I cannot express enough how much I enjoyed The Christmas List and I recommend this book to all readers, young or old, showing that tomorrow can bring exciting things, regardless of how bleak today might seem.