LOGLINE
At Christmas, a young girl with stamps decides to be a citizen of the world.
PITCH
Until twelve-year-old Madison Clark can travel the world, she goes Christmas caroling through the postal mail. When the United States Post Office runs low on stamps, she borrows stamps from the neighbors to send her pen pal letters in time for Christmas. Then, on Christmas Day, she sings carols in her neighborhood, taking pictures for her next pen pal letters, determined to be a global citizen.
SYNOPSIS
Madison Clark, 12, from San Francisco, loves to write pen pal letters, especially at Christmas. This year, she decides her pen pal club is going to sing the Christmas carol, “Here We Come A-Caroling,” simultaneously, regardless of our time zone. Despite her enthusiasm for letter writing, her mother is concerned that she studies for her upcoming World Studies test. Madison assures her mother that she will get a good grade on the test. She writes her Christmas pen pal letter and copies it seven times – once for each pen pal. Then she folds her Christmas notes three ways and slips them into their envelopes. Madison licks the envelopes shut and says asks her mother to take her to the post office for stamps if she studies for a half-an-hour straight for her test. The deadline to send the letters so that they arrive before Christmas is that night.
When Madison is sure she studied enough to get an “A” on her World Studies test—she hops in the car with her mother to go to United States Post Office and gets in line. Usually, the line only has a few people, but that day it extends all the way around the corner into the parking lot. By the time Madison reaches the front of the line, the post office worker slides out a sign that says: “CLOSED.” Mr. Green, the postal worker, tells her that they are out of stamps and to come back tomorrow. If her letters must go out today, he tells her to find some stamps somewhere and put the cards in the blue mailbox outside by six o’clock. She is so upset that she wants to sing “Here We Come A-Caroling” in protest. Madison runs home to collect stamps from her neighbors. She knocks on one door after another in the neighborhood, but no one answers. She cries on the curb and kicks the stones.
Finally, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, a kind elderly couple in the neighborhood, stop to talk to Madison in their car when they see her crying. Mr. Thompson gives Madison the stamps that he bought at the post office earlier in the day. Then, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson rush Madison to the blue mailbox outside the post office, and Madison slips her seven envelopes into the mail slot as the postal worker collects the last letters for the day. On Christmas Day, Mrs. Clark accompanies Madison to each home in the neighborhood and takes pictures as her daughter sings “Here We Come A-Caroling.” No one sings louder with Madison than Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, who are thrilled their pictures will accompany her next pen pal letters. When Madison receives her return pen pal letters in January, she displays all new photos of her pen pals completing the singing challenge she suggested her in her Christmas letter. She places the photos beneath the glass on her bedroom desk, and her world grows bigger and bigger. Christmas has been celebrated a little bit more all around the world, just because Madison insisted on sending out her letters on time!
Copyright 2022 Jennifer Waters
