It's A Wonderful Life for kids! BY Jimmy Hawkins (2006)

It's a Wonderful Life for Kids, Too by Jimmy Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I saw this book in a holiday display of books and movies at the Lehi Library. Of course, with my favorite movie being It's A Wonderful Life, I could not resist picking this up and reading it! I love that Jimmy Hawkins, the author of this book, was actually part of the original cast! He played the role of little Tommy Bailey! Tommy happens to be the main character in this sweet short story. The theme is the same but altered for a child’s point of view!

Tommy has had a wonderful life and has touched the lives of others in a great way over the years. He is 11 years old when he is in a dilemma surrounding money for the library fund that has disappeared. He is so upset he thinks he would be better off running away or even that everyone would be better off if he’d never been born! Sound familiar? Yes, this story takes on pretty much the same course as the movie, but in some ways even better!

In this story, as in the movie, there is an angel who has yet to get his wings. Arthur, Angel Second Class, is sent to help Tommy, much the same way that Clarence helped Tommy’s Dad, George! Even at age 11, Tommy has greatly touched the lives, even changing their course, of his family and friends! In the end, everything works out perfectly, but you will have to read the story to find out how!

I believe that everyone goes through periods of doubting their worth, many even to the point of wishing they’d never been born! I know I have…but I also believe that we each touch the lives of so many and never know about it or think about it or remember it! Maybe the solution is to help others know and remember how they have touched your life? There’s a thought…

Well, I loved this book almost as much as I love the movie, which happens to be my favorite movie of all time…and it HAS to be the one with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed! Let me know what you think?