The Magic Christmas Tree is volume 3 of the Holiday Favorites series by George F. Kohn. This story is about a genetically cloned spruce tree with special deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) characteristics. The tree is programmed to convert sunlight into electrical energy. Thousands of years ago, this special hybrid seed was planted along with seeds from the sequoia trees by an alien spacecraft. When a special code is activated, the spruce tree lights up with thousands of multiple-color, fiber-optic lights throughout the needles on the tree - similar to a fireworks display. The tree has built-in survival techniques to allow it to withstand forest fires, floods, and severe droughts. Another special characteristic of this tree is it cannot be cut down with any man-made, metal tool! The five boys in the tree Fort club need to find the perfect Christmas tree to enter in the tree-decoration contest held in the village. The fabulous five expect to win the $50 first-place award. But first they need to find the tree, cut it down, and bring it back to their tree Fort. Then they have to decorate the tree with special decorations of their own making and finally deliver the tree in town where the contest is being judged. THE SERIES: Holiday Favorites is a collection of nine novellas (short stories) written by George F. Kohn. Most of the stories coincide with the holiday months of the school calendar year, each of those stories being dedicated to its special holiday. October is Halloween - The Legend of the "Hal-lo-Ween and the Motorcycle Witch" November is Thanksgiving - The First Thanksgiving December is Christmas - The Magic Christmas Tree February is Valentine's Day - A Valentine Dream March is Easter - A Big Surprise for Easter April is a celebration in St. Petersburg, Florida - The Festival of States Parade / A Most Unusual Experience July is Independence Day - The Big Fourth The last two stories, in addition to the holiday stories, are about exploring the unknown - what if? They involve using the reader's own imagination and creativity: The Experiment - an alien mission harvests ancient implants. Neanderthal versus Cro-Magnon - different cultures and skills of two tribes are explored. INTRODUCTION to SERIES: A long time ago, before television, forests grew all around a neighborhood near the edge of the great forbidden Cypress Swamp. The people in the neighborhood all shared their lives, beliefs, and superstitions, creating an atmosphere of adventure throughout the neighborhood. In the neighborhood lived five young boys. There was an old mulberry tree that stood on the outskirts of town. Over the years, someone had built a tree house in the fork of two large limbs that spread out over the cemetery. The tree house, called the Fort, was built large enough for the boys to use as their clubhouse. Inside the tree Fort, the boys had a panoramic view of the surrounding area. Looking out the north window, the boys could see a large meadow stretching out into the distance. Through the east window, they could see far away the top of a bald cypress tree. Everyone knew that meant there was a dangerous swamp nearby. In this series of stories, some strange and incredible things happen in the area to challenge the boys' ingenuity. Utilizing their imagination and skills, the boys successfully solve one problem after another. What is real, and how much is in their imagination?