From Anna
Jean Little
 In the mid 1930s in Germany, things are changing, people are moving away or disappearing. The new headmaster at the Solden's school forbids the singing of a song titled "My thoughts are free" (Die Gedanken sind frei) during an assembly, instead making the school sing the national anthem. Anna's father, disturbed by the changes in his country, promises Anna that she will be able to grow up in a place where her thoughts are free. When his brother Karl in Canada dies, leaving him his shop and the home he had purchased there, Ernst sees an opportunity to move to Canada. He announces to his family that they will be moving to Canada. The rest of the family comes on board slowly, but Anna, terrified, resists. In Germany she is nearly failing school, how will she manage in a new country and a new language? When they arrive in Toronto, they are greeted by a friend of their uncle's, Dr Schumacher, who helps them move in, and gives them check-ups before they start school. Anna is terrified to learn she will be starting school soon, but during her examination, a startling discovery is made; Anna can barely see. A prescription for glasses helps immensely, however even with the glasses, she has less than normal vision, and is put in a special multi-grade class for students with similar vision. Her teacher here is Miss Williams. Seeing the potential in Anna she sets out to slowly coach the girl out of her shell. She gives Anna A Child's Garden of Verses, and Anna discovers a love of reading. Her English improves with leaps and bounds, and soon she speaks only English at school and with the friends she has found there. However she continues to present her old prickly side to her family, remembering all the years when they didn't understand her. As the Solden's first Christmas in Canada approaches, the children are becoming more and more aware of the effects of the depression on their lives. Instead of keeping with tradition, and getting money from their parents to buy presents, the older children decide to come up with presents for their parents themselves. They struggle to include Anna, but in the end, decide she is "only a kid" and that their parents won't expect anything from her. At school the next day Anna is hurt and infuriated by this and she cannot keep her mood from her classmates. When she describes her problem to Miss Williams, a flood of similar stories come from her classmates. They all express a desire to give their parents a present that truly shows how much they are capable of. Miss Williams returns the next day with a plan. With money for supplies provided by her and Dr. Schumacher, the children are going to weave wastepaper baskets. Some children are dubious, but Anna takes to it right away, weaving a beautiful basket. On Christmas Eve, after her siblings have presented their gifts for Mama and Papa, Anna brings hers out. Her parents are amazed, and her siblings surprised, wondering how she could have made something so beautiful. Miss Williams and Dr Schumacher, invited by Anna to share in the family's celebrations, arrive. The novel closes with the whole group singing Silent Night, the children in English, and the adults (minus Miss Williams) in German.