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Transfiguring Adoption awarded this book 4 Hoots out of 5 based on how useful it will be for a foster/adoptive family.
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From the Cover of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens:

” A Christmas Carol is a novella by English author Charles Dickens. It was first published by Chapman & Hall on 19 December 1843. Carol tells the story of a bitter old miser named Ebenezer Scrooge and his transformation resulting from a supernatural visit by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come. The novella met with instant success and critical acclaim. The book was written and published in early Victorian era Britain, a period when there was strong nostalgia for old Christmas traditions together with the introduction of new customs, such as Christmas trees and greeting cards. Dickens’ sources for the tale appear to be many and varied, but are, principally, the humiliating experiences of his childhood, his sympathy for the poor, and various Christmas stories and fairy tales”

Overview: A Christmas Carol is a classic story by Charles Dickens originally published in 1843. It tells the story of Ebenezer Scrooge who hates Christmas and only cares about his money. Scrooge is visited by a series of ghosts on Christmas Eve who implore him to change his attitudes and behavior. Though some components of the story are somewhat outdated (workhouses and the 1834 Poor Law, attitudes towards women, among others), the overall message and themes of the story are certainly still relevant. For me, A Christmas Carol‘s message of kindness and redemption embodies the spirit of the Christmas holiday.

How Is This Relevant To Adoption & Foster Care?

A Christmas Carol is not directly related to adoption and foster care but does discuss some themes that are relevant. It is implied that some part of the reason Scrooge is such a miserly old man is that he had a traumatic childhood in which his father was neglectful and possibly abusive. He is also disdainful of his family. He learns that to become a kind and generous person and embrace both his biological family (his nephew) and a chosen family (The Cratchits).

Discussion Points:

• Can people really change?
  A primary theme of this book is Scrooge’s transformation from grumpy old miser to kind and generous man. However, we don’t follow Scrooge beyond the first few days after his transformation. It may be interesting to discuss if your reader thinks that people are really capable of this kind of change, or if he will go back to his previous behavior after a while. If they don’t think this kind of change is possible, why not? You can also use this to speculate about what the rest of Scrooge’s life might be like.

• Kindness
  Kindness is a major theme in this book. Scrooge refuses to donate any of his money to any people in need at the beginning of the book. He also disagrees with his nephew’s characterization of Christmas as a time of kindness and charity. However, by the end of the book, Scrooge donates money, buys the Cratchit family a large Christmas turkey, gives Bob Cratchit a raise, and attends his nephew’s Christmas celebration. What is kindness? What makes someone kind? You may also want to talk about the importance being kind all year long rather than just at Christmas.

Cautionary Points:

• Horror Elements
  This story uses a number of horror elements. The description of Marley and the other ghosts, as well as some of the imagery at the beginning of the story when Marley first appears and in the chapter with the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come may be disturbing to some readers.
• Sexual Harassment
  There is also one incident that describes what would be considered sexual harassment today; in Stave Three, the Ghost of Christmas Present shows Scrooge his nephew’s Christmas gathering at which one of the attendees follows Scrooge’s niece’s sister around all night and finally corners her and touches her, which she does not consent to. It is not explicit, and speaks more to Victorian attitudes towards women, but still may be a point of caution.

Discussion Guide:

Stave/Chapter 1:

1. What are your favorite things about Christmas time, besides receiving presents?
   Caregiver note: Scrooge’s nephew, in trying to get Scrooge to attend his Christmas celebration, espouses many of the things he likes about Christmas, notably that people are kinder to each other. Talk to each other about your favorite parts of Christmas that aren’t about material things. Do you like the people you get to spend time with? The way people act?
2. What does Marley mean by the warning he gives Scrooge?
   Caregiver note: In the first stave, Marley appears to Scrooge wrapped in chains, imploring Scrooge to change his behavior before he is doomed to be chained himself. He says that a man’s soul must travel, and so since he did not travel while he was alive, he is now doomed to roam the Earth in these chains. He wants Scrooge to change his behavior and become a better person so that he does not suffer the same fate as Marley.

Stave/Chapter 2:

1. Why do you think the Ghost of Christmas Past showed Scrooge these particular memories?
   Caregiver note: The ghost shows Scrooge a series of memories starting with Scrooge being left alone at school on Christmas with only imaginary friends from his books. He also shows Scrooge being picked up from school by his sister, a joyous Christmas he spent when he was an apprentice, and his former fiancée breaking off their engagement because Scrooge has lost himself in becoming rich. Most of these memories have direct comparisons to Scrooge’s behavior to others on Christmas Eve; for example, the memory of Fezziwig, his old boss, illuminates how cruel Scrooge is to his employee, Mr. Cratchit.
2. Do you think Scrooge learned anything from the Ghost of Christmas Past? Why or why not? If yes, what did he learn?
   Caregiver note: Though Scrooge still has a ways to go, he does regret his actions towards the caroller at his office and to Mr. Cratchit. He is beginning to learn that kindness and generosity is not necessarily rooted in wealth and that he has missed out on a lot of happiness because of his isolation and greed.
   

Stave/Chapter 3:

1. Do you think the Cratchit’s dinner sounded good? What is your favorite part of Christmas dinner?
   Caregiver note: Though the dinner described is distinctly Victorian-Era British (goose, steamed pudding), some elements did sound tasty! This is a fun question, but you can also talk about how different cultures and time periods celebrate with different meals.
2. What do the boy and girl who appear at the end of the Stave from the spirit’s cloak represent?
   Caregiver note: The two children who appear represent ignorance and want, and they are described as Man’s children. The spirit warns that you must be wary of both of them, but especially ignorance because he will bring doom. Talk about what ignorance is and how it can be potentially dangerous and damaging.

Stave/Chapter 4:

1. How does the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come differ from the other spirits?
   Caregiver note: To me, the last spirit is the spookiest of all of them. He can’t speak, he only points and nods. Scrooge can only see one hand; the rest of the spirit is “shrouded in a deep black garment”. The Ghost of Christmas Past is described as childlike, and the Ghost of Christmas Present is described as a jolly giant with a horn of plenty. For advanced readers, you might want to discuss why Dickens chose to describe each of these spirits in the way that he did.
2. Why do you think this spirit showed Scrooge Tiny Tim’s death? What lesson did he learn?
   Caregiver note: In the previous stave, the Ghost of Christmas Present does tell Scrooge that Tiny Tim will die if nothing changes. Scrooge is upset but seeing the reaction of the Cratchit family after Tiny Tim has died solidifies the lesson that Scrooge needs to help support the Cratchits because they are less fortunate.
3. What does Scrooge mean when he promises to honor Christmas all year long?
   Caregiver note: At the very end of Stave 4, after seeing his own death, Scrooge promises that he will honor the Christmas spirit all year long. This can be a good connection to the discussion about kindness and charity and why it is important all year rather than just at Christmas time.

Stave/Chapter 5:

1. Do you think Scrooge was really visited by the spirits and Marley, or was it all a dream?
   Caregiver note: This is left open to interpretation, though at the beginning of the book, the narrator insists that Scrooge was awake.
2. Why do you think Scrooge doesn’t tell the Cratchits that he bought them the giant turkey?
   Caregiver note: Scrooge wants to do something nice for the Cratchit family, but he doesn’t need the thanks and praise that he might get if he told them the turkey was from him. This can be a good discussion of altruism, and how it is better to do kind things for the sake of being kind rather than in order to get something in return.
3.  How has Scrooge changed by the end of the book?
   Caregiver note: Scrooge now values family, gives to charity, and has stopped hoarding his money. This has opened up his life beyond isolation and greed and makes him into a kind and generous person.

About the Reviewer:

Julie is a Central Virginia native who currently resides in Rochester, New York. She received her Masters of Arts Degree in Psychology from the College of William and Mary in 2012 and is currently a PhD candidate in Epidemiology at the University of Rochester. Julie has worked in various mental health research positions since 2012 and is passionate about researching how physical health, mental health, and trauma experiences interact. When not working, Julie enjoys reading, cooking, spending time with her cats, and watching videos about otters (her favorite animal).

**Transfiguring Adoption is a nonprofit organization seeking to nurture growth in foster and adoptive families by giving a HOOT about their families. Transfiguring Adoption does not intend for its reviewers nor its review to be professional, medical or legal advice. These reviews and discussion guides are intended to help parents to better be able to connect and understand their children who come from traumatic backgrounds.