Edward Lawrence Paciorek

Misfit Toys Edward Lawrence Paciorek

Misfit Toys is about a girl named Katie who attends a very affluent high school. She is adopted and has some trouble getting along with others because of some anger issues. After being suspended for fighting, she has a heart-to-heart discussion with her English teacher about how to deal with these feelings of anger. While home for Christmas break, Katie is visited by Santa Claus, but he quickly shares with her that Santa is a made-up person and that his real name is Nicholas. Katie asks why God would let a made-up person like Santa Claus get so much publicity during the season of Jesus' birth. Nicholas explains that Santa has been designed to bring God's Love to those who don't feel comfortable inside of churches during the holiday season. He is the secular face of God's compassion. After describing some highlights about his life, Nicholas talks with Katie about how important it is for her to leave her anger behind and for her to try to be more Loving, no matter the circumstance. As a present, Nicholas gives her a small wooden ornament made a half a world away by a very Loving but very old man. Nicholas disappears and Katie falls back asleep, assuming that it was all just a wonderful dream. The next morning, Katie searches frantically for her ornament but it isn't there. She eventually concedes that it was all just a vivid dream, but she makes a resolution to change her life and to be a better person. She returns to school and visits her English teacher, who comments on the cute wooden ornament attached to her backpack. Certain that it wasn't there when she left for school that morning, she ponders what actually happened to her on Christmas Eve.