EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first chapter in a 12-chapter fictional tale that will run through Christmas Day. Parents are encouraged to read aloud to their children.

Far, far away on Gingerbread Island, where all the Christmas gingerbread in the world was made, the Gingerpeople were hard at work.

With Christmas drawing near, gingerbread goodies were constantly being shipped across the world so people everywhere could enjoy delicious treats during the holiday season.

Gingerbread Island wasn’t the only place working day and night. Peppermint Valley, Chocolate Forest, Gumdrop Cove, Marshmallow Mountain and Lollipop Landing were all magical lands that produced holiday confections for the entire world.

This is the story of how one brave little dreamer from Gingerbread Island helped introduce the people of the world to what would become a beloved Christmas tradition. It’s also the story of how the magical people across the realm of Candyland were saved from forgetting what the true spirit of Christmas was about.

Our dreamer, Molly Gingersnap, sat on her favorite rock where she often escaped to daydream. It was the highest point on Gingerbread Island, and she could see the peaks of Marshmallow Mountain far in the distance.

Looking down onto her nearby neighbors in Peppermint Valley, she watched the smoke rising from the chimneys of all their factories and wondered what they were concocting this year. If only she could go down and just ask, or even try to make new friends. But that was as impossible as toasting gingerbread in the rain.

Citizens of Candyland were taught one thing from birth: They simply didn’t speak to those from other lands. They weren’t allowed to be friends, kids weren’t allowed to play with each other, and most importantly, never ever were they permitted to share Christmas recipes. Life was a competition. Each group always wanted to make the most delicious and the most popular holiday treats.

Molly sighed and got up to head back home in time for the town meeting. It was one of the most important meetings of the year, when assignments would be handed down to all of the adult workers. With Molly’s parents being Master Bakers, their assignments were always very important, and Molly always loved to help them prepare.

That, at least, brought a smile to her face. She couldn’t wait to spend hours dreaming up new treats. When she grew up, she wanted to be the best Inventor on Gingerbread Island.

“Molly, over here!” her friend Maxine called from the back row of Town Hall.

Molly smiled and waved to her parents in the front before sitting down next to her friend.

“Where have you been?” Maxine asked.

“Just walking around.”

Maxine rolled her eyes. “You were up at the peak again, weren’t you? You’re going to get in trouble if they find out you spend hours up there watching the Peppermint People.” She wrinkled her nose as she said the words, almost like they tasted bad.

“I’m not watching them. I’m just thinking, and drawing, and inventing in my mind. Besides, there’s no rule against being on the peak.” She looked at her friend seriously. “Max, aren’t you ever curious? Don’t you want to know what they make? Don’t you want to know what they’re like?”

“Ew. No.” Maxine shuddered.

Molly sighed. “Do you really want to spend the rest of your life on this island?”

“First of all, yes, of course I do. Second, we’re 13, Mol. I don’t care about the rest of my life right now! I care about makeup and jewelry and watching movies, and having cuter outfits than Susie Gingermuffin does. Which, by the way, I never do,” she added with a huff, then gave Molly a look. “You know … the things normal kids care about.”

But Molly didn’t feel normal. She sat back and thought about how different she was from her friend. She watched human baking competitions more than movies, would rather be covered in flour and gingerbread batter than makeup, and she’d been focused on being a Gingerbread Inventor since she could walk. She spent hours every day sketching down her ideas.

“SO WE ARE ALL IN AGREEMENT THEN?” a loud voice bellowed into the microphone. Molly realized that she had been daydreaming (again) and seemed to miss most of the meeting. Mayor Gingerman looked stressed as he surveyed the crowd.

As Molly listened to what the mayor was saying, her excitement grew, and she knew this was going to be the most important Christmas of her life.

Read chapter 2 in tomorrow’s newspaper.