Mrs. Budlong's Christmas Presents

** "Mrs. Budlong's Christmas Presents" by Rupert Hughes is a funny story about a small town during Christmas, showing how people can get caught up in wanting gifts and trying to look good in front of others. The main character, Mrs. Budlong, loves getting lots of presents and uses Christmas to show off and get her neighbors to give her things. She comes up with plans to make sure everyone pays attention to her during the holiday. The neighbors try to give her better gifts than each other, leading to silly and over-the-top actions. But when Mrs. Budlong realizes she might not be able to give as many gifts as she's getting, she and her family rush to find presents at the last second, causing a crazy and hilarious Christmas that surprises everyone in town. The book makes fun of how holidays have become all about buying and selling things, and it also pokes fun at some of the funny things people do. **