Loving the holiday season but hating its commercialism, Mallory coordinates an old-fashioned family Christmas of baking and trimming that attracts media attention, but Mallory begins to fear that the chaotic film crews will spoil her plans.

Taking on task after task in her willingness to please the well-paying Cheplin family, baby-sitter Stacey experiences an elated sense of achievement, until her jobs interfere with the rest of her schedule.

Writing a Thanksgiving play for the third-grade class she coaches, Claudia is disappointed when some parents object to her less-than-traditional themes, and she must choose between letting the other kids down or fighting censorship.

Learning that her friend and English partner Amelia Freeman has died in a tragic accident during spring break, a devastated Mary Anne is unable to overcome her sorrow and decides to do something special to remember her friend.