The Bells of Christmas [Hardcover]

Virginia Hamilton (Author), Lambert Davis (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 1989 | Age Level: 7 and up

Twelve-year-old Jason Bell waits impatiently for Christmas 1890. Set against the carefully researched background life of a middle-class black family in Ohio a century ago, “Hamilton’s story moves along at an elegant pace, giving readers time to savor the holiday preparations.”--School Library Journal

Editorial Reviews

Review

Award-winning author Virginia Hamilton tells the story of a young boy's Christmas in 1890. Jason and his family live by the historic National Road in Ohio and are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their relatives. Natural surprises such as snow from a clear sky and technical marvels such as a mechanical walking doll and the idea of "horseless carriages" make the day extra special. Illustrator Lambert Davis did extensive research to uncover the look and details of life in 1890 and his warm portrayals of the family complement Hamilton's poetic text. (Children's Literature ) --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Virginia Hamilton’s books, which combined African-American and Native American lore with contemporary stories and characters, are memorable not only for their inventiveness and rich characterizations, but also for their ability to evoke a wide variety of times, places, and historical figures. She resided in Yellow Springs, Ohio till her death in 2002.

Lambert Davis is a published illustrator of children books. Some of the books he has illustrated are 'The Journey: Stories of Migration', 'Swimming with the Dolphins', and 'Baby Whales Drink Milk'.  

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1 edition (October 15, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152064508
• ISBN-13: 978-0152064501
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,397,085 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Virginia Esther Hamilton was born, as she said, "on the outer edge of the Great Depression," on March 12, 1934. The youngest of five children of Kenneth James and Etta Belle Perry Hamilton, Virginia grew up amid a large extended family in Yellow Springs, Ohio. The farmlands of southwestern Ohio had been home to her mother's family since the late 1850s, when Virginia's grandfather, Levi Perry, was brought into the state as an infant via the Underground Railroad.

Virginia graduated at the top of her high-school class and received a full scholarship to Antioch College in Yellow Springs. In 1956, she transferred to the Ohio State University in Columbus and majored in literature and creative writing. She moved to New York City in 1958, working as a museum receptionist, cost accountant, and nightclub singer, while she pursued her dream of being a published writer. She studied fiction writing at the New School for Social Research under Hiram Haydn, one of the founders of Atheneum Press.

It was also in New York that Virginia met poet Arnold Adoff. They were married in 1960. Arnold worked as a teacher, and Virginia was able to devote her full attention to writing, at least until daughter Leigh was born in 1963 and son Jaime in 1967. In 1969, Virginia and Arnold built their "dream home" in Yellow Springs, on the last remaining acres of the old Hamilton/Perry family farm, and settled into a life of serious literary work and achievement.

In her lifetime, Virginia wrote and published 41 books in multiple genres that spanned picture books and folktales, mysteries and science fiction, realistic novels and biography. Woven into her books is a deep concern with memory, tradition, and generational legacy, especially as they helped define the lives of African Americans. Virginia described her work as "Liberation Literature." She won every major award in youth literature.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A heartwarming Christmas story., February 2, 2011

By 

Barbara Jo Scales "Embu Reviewer" (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Bells of Christmas (Paperback)

This little book was a bit old for my granddaughters, aged 6 and 7, but it told a warm-hearted Christmas story to read to the little ones.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars this book shows the strength of the family, November 13, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Bells of Christmas (Paperback)

I thought the was very interesting and heart-warming.My favorite part was when Jason and his father went and waited for thier cousins to celebrate Christmas along the National Road.It shows how much love the family shows for each other. By Cynthia Santagata

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars It Didn't "Ring My Bell", June 4, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Bells of Christmas (Paperback)

The Bells of Christmas had some parts that were interesting. I would have liked to learn more about the father's handicap. However, it seemed like most of the book passed with Jason sitting by the National Road. Learning about the Road seemed to evoke the most interest from my fifth-grade class. One year of that was enough.