Book excerpt: This December, a girl who hates Christmas is in for the surprise of her life Ten-year-old Christina Lucci absolutely despises everything about Christmas. The carols, the eggnog, the decorations—and most of all, Santa Claus. And for good reason: It all reminds her of her firefighter father, who loved the holiday season but died on the job last Christmas. For Christina, no Christmas will ever be merry again. To make things worse, this year, her grandfather’s shoe repair shop is failing. Bills keep piling up and the bank is ready to seize the shop. What Christina needs is a Christmas miracle. With the holidays fast approaching, Christina’s miracle comes in the form of magical brownies, spunky little creatures who just happen to be great at repairing shoes. These tiny helpers have the power to turn Christina’s whole life around—and maybe even get her back in the Christmas spirit.