Christmas Countdown #2 - All About Barns

As we were discussing our favorite Christmas reads this week, my daughter reminded me of a book we found several years ago on the recommendation of our librarian - The Christmas Barn.   This is a true Christmas memory by a North Carolina author, C. L. Davis, so that is a special plus for us.

The setting is the southern Appalachian mountains during the Great Depression.   It lends itself to discussing the particular hardships of this period in history and also to contrasting the lifestyle of the Appalachian region to other regions of the country.

The theme of this story is choosing joy in the midst of hardship.  The events clearly demonstrate that enjoying Christmas does not depend on circumstances so much as on priorities and perspective.  This was an especially good selection for us in especially lean years. 

Here is a review of this book from a children's book site.

I've also recommended this book before in a previous post.  

The book is currently out of print, but you may be able to find a copy at your library or online for a good price.  


Not forgetting the younger set!


Here is a "barn Christmas" book for the youngest members of the family.  I actually remember this book from my own childhood.  My grandmother had a small bookshelf on the stair landing that was loaded with books I could enjoy.  This one was a seasonal favorite!

Margaret Wise Brown is one of my favorite authors for young children.  Her stories are always sweet and sweetly illustrated.   As you can see, this book is readily available through Amazon.