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The Great Depression
(1929-1945)
Christmas

Hardscrabble Christmas II

Hardscrabble Christmas II
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   high interest, readability grades 3 to 5
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   2.7

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    bustle, candy-mint, eyesight, hobo, Keyed-up, longed, Oooof, thrust, tidings, dark-haired, doorway, strained, burst, grip, boiling, slender

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Hardscrabble Christmas II
By Toni Lee Robinson 		  
1     Keyed-up kids burst from the school doors like steam from a boiling kettle. It was Christmas break! Meagan rushed out with all the rest. "Meagan! Meagan!" Annie, Meagan's little sister, was behind her on the path. The thin, solemn girl wore thick glasses. Her eyesight had always been bad. She stumbled on the uneven snow path.
 
2     "Come on, Annie," Meagan called to her. She turned and grabbed the hand of the six-year-old. Together they raced the last block home. Meagan scooped the little girl up and swung her through the doorway. "Oooof! You're heavy! Who told you you could get so big so fast?" Meagan teased her. "You just quit that!"
 
3     Annie giggled. "I can't wait til Christmas, Meagan," she said, her eyes shining. "Can you? I can't wait for presents."
 
4     "Annie—"Meagan said slowly. "You know we might not have presents this time. Things are hard for Mama and Papa. This year, they don't have money for such things."
 
5     Annie's eyes looked hurt. "No presents?" she whispered. How can we not have presents? What about the magic?" She looked very close to tears.
 
6     Meagan knelt to put her arms around her little sister. "What magic, Sweetheart? What are you talking about?"
 
7     "You know!" said Annie. "The magic of Christmas! It's a magic time. Nice things happen. Things like getting presents even if you don't have money." The little face brightened. "Remember the shepherds? The angel brought them tidies!"
 
8     "Brought them what?" Meagan asked, puzzled.

Paragraphs 9 to 23:
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