America is in the midst of the Great Depression, and the Kamp family is struggling to get by, especially since Mrs. Kamp’s untimely death nearly a year ago. The older children do their best to take care of the family, but it’s the younger children—Hopalong Cassidy fan Norman and straight-talking little Ruthie—who struggle most. Now, with their mother gone and their father overwhelmed by doctor bills from young Norman’s battle with polio, the Kamp siblings fully expect a Christmas without presents. But when William scrapes together a dollar in coins to use for Christmas gifts, everything begins to change.
A happy child is sent to a harsh institution for orphans where the headmaster dislikes her, but her hopes for a customary Christmas treat spark magic.
Following the 9/11 attacks, the war on terror against Afghanistan continues. With the Taliban insurgents hiding out in the mountains however, they become increasingly difficult for the US military to engage. The solution is to try and flush them out by adding low level chemicals to the water supply. Little do the USA know however that enemy scientists have adapted the chemicals to make their own formula, one that can bring the dead back to life.