The True Gift: A Christmas Story [Hardcover]

Patricia MacLachlan (Author), Brian Floca (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2009 | Age Level: 7 and up

All year long Lily and Liam look forward to Christmas on their grandparents' farm. It's always the perfect trip -- walking to the lilac library, trimming the tree, giving gifts. But this year, thanks to a white cow alone in the meadow, things will be different. This Christmas, Lily and Liam will find out the meaning of a true gift.

From one of our most beloved authors comes a brand-new holiday classic that rings in the season by celebrating the joys of family, community, and true giving.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4–Lily and her younger brother go to their grandparents' farm for Christmas, as always. This year something is different; White Cow is the only animal in the field. Liam, certain that she is lonely, sacrifices his beloved books to buy her a calf companion, and Lily overcomes her fear of the large animal. The simple, elegant prose tells a warm family story with a classic holiday theme. Floca's graphite and ebony pencil drawings are lush with evocative detail and perfectly complement this lovely offering.–Virginia Walter, UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, CA END

About the Author

Patricia MacLachlan is the author of many well-loved novels and picture books, including Sarah, Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal; its sequels, Skylark and Caleb’s Story; Edward’s Eyes; The True Gift; Waiting for the Magic; and Your Moon, My Moon, illustrated by Bryan Collier. She lives in western Massachusetts.

Brian Floca has written and illustrated the picture books Five Trucks; the ALA Notable Children’s Book The Racecar Alphabet; and the ALA Notable Children’s Book and Robert F. Sibert Honor Book Lightship. His most recent book is Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11, which Kirkus Reviews described as “Breathtaking, thrilling, and perfect.” Brian has illustrated The Hinky-Pink, by Megan McDonald, also an ALA Notable Children’s Book, and several books by Avi, including the graphic novel City of Light, City of Dark and Poppy, winner of the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. A native of Texas, Brian currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. You can visit him online at brianfloca.com.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (October 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141699081X
• ISBN-13: 978-1416990819
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #477,474 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)