Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Christmas 2011 Advent Calendar - Day 21

From Goodreads:
This classic Christmas story by the author of REBECCA OF SUNNYBROOK FARM features a child as memorable and charitable as Dickens's Tiny Tim. Born on Christmas Day, Carol is the Bird family's special Christmas baby. As her tenth birthday approaches, declining health threatens young Carol's life. Her only wish, however, is to plan an unforgettable Christmas celebration for the poor Ruggles children next door. Few characters have embodied the spirit of Christmas more fully than Carol Bird in this bittersweet holiday classic, which generations of readers have cherished for more than a hundred years.

My Thoughts:
I'm always surprised at how few people have heard of this book, but when I was growing up it was part of our Christmas tradition to take turns reading aloud to the family a few chapters each night leading up to Christmas Eve (usually the 23rd and 24th - it's a fairly short book).


Written in 1887, the story is filled with descriptions of the way Christmas used to be, as Carol plans the celebration for the poor neighbor children.  The story is in turns hysterically funny and poignantly sad, but is sure to be enjoyed by anyone who loves Christmas.

Copies of the book can be difficult to find, but if you're interested, the text of the story is available online in multiple places, including Project Gutenberg.

What's your favorite Christmas story?
Posted by SunnyReads at 6:00 AM
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3 comments:

  1. AngelaDecember 21, 2011 at 7:10 AM

    I have never heard of it but now I think I need to track it down!

    I always loved The Littlest Angel and the Christmas chapters of Little House in the Big Woods.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Christine RainsDecember 21, 2011 at 7:33 AM

    I've never heard of it either. Must check it out! Thank you. :)

    We never had Christmas books when I was growing up. Lots of TV shows, though.

    ReplyDelete
  3. SunnyReadsDecember 21, 2011 at 9:37 AM

    Best of luck to both of you - It might be a difficult search, but I'm sure you'd both greatly enjoy the story! The older editions have the most amazing illustrations, too!

    ReplyDelete

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