Laura Sturgeon

The Big Ugly Sweater Laura Sturgeon

It was the worst present Jodie had ever received in her whole life. What was her Auntie May thinking? She had always given her the best gifts before, so why on her 12th birthday had she decided to give her something so hideous? Instead of the much anticipated ten-speed bike with the blue speckles that she had asked for so many times?

The sweater Jodie ended up receiving wasn't even her style or her size. It was much too big and much too ugly. Deep purple with orange pockets and green pompoms? Seriously? She couldn't wear this. This thing had to go. As Jodie opened her bedroom window and allowed the sweater to fall onto the garbage can below, a sense of regret had filled her. Not knowing why at first, she is soon told that the real gift was not the sweater itself, but something else within its pockets.

Jodie urgently needed to retrieve it from the garbage bin, but it was too late. The sweater was gone! She had to find it, thus beginning her four-day search throughout the neighborhood, enduring various frustrations, bullies and near heat stroke. But was the real gift within the pockets of a sweater? Throughout her quest, Jodie is about to find out what a true gift actually consists of, and discovers what is really important in life.