Away in a Manger Summary

Christmas time has arrived, and Miss Butler is having the kids make hot pads from bottle caps. By this time, Mary Alice has made a friend, Ina-Rae Gage, and is on better terms with several girls, though Carleen Lovejoy remains her biggest nemesis. Mary Alice has managed to shed the "rich girl" reputation.

The annual Christmas program at the school is coming. No student at the school can really sing, and the chorus practice sounds awful. The heart of the Christmas program is the Nativity scene, and to everyone's surprise, Mary Alice is chosen to play the part of the Virgin Mary. Carleen Lovejoy will play the leader of the heavenly angels, and she is intent on outshining all others.

Arriving home, Mary Alice is surprised to see Grandma tramping around in the snow in rubber waders...