Is There a Santa Claus?

Name: Is There a Santa Claus?
Author: Jacob A. Riis

By Jacob A. Riis

Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

Children & Young Adult Reading Essays, Letters & Speeches

About This Book

The narrator receives a child's question about whether Santa Claus exists and reflects on Christmas generosity during a winter journey. He describes festive scenes on trains and in public offices, a visit to the presidential residence where the leader and his wife send a comforting cable to the narrator's ill mother and authorize compassionate acts, and encounters that reveal private gifts, public charity, and small personal sacrifices—a banker's large donation and a widow's modest savings earmarked to help poor children. He concludes that Santa Claus survives as the spirit of giving and recommends sending a friendly thought for someone one dislikes as the truest stamp of charity.

About the Author

Jacob A. Riis

Jacob A. Riis was a Danish-American social reformer, journalist, and photographer, best known for his pioneering work in documenting the lives of the urban poor in New York City during the late 19th century. His influential book, "How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York," brought attention to the harsh realities faced by impoverished communities and played a significant role in the progressive movement for social reform. Riis utilized his skills in photography to capture the struggles of tenement life, advocating for better living conditions and social justice. His writings, including "A Ten Years' War" and "Children of the Tenements," continue to resonate, highlighting the importance of empathy and activism in addressing social issues.