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The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree

An Appalachian Story

Illustrated by Barbara Cooney
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Hardcover
$18.99 US
9.69"W x 10.75"H x 0.38"D   (24.6 x 27.3 x 1.0 cm) | 16 oz (448 g) | 24 per carton
On sale Sep 30, 1988 | 32 Pages | 9780803702998
Age 5-8 years | Grades K-3
Reading Level: Lexile AD600L
Sales rights: World

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A touching and joyful Christmas classic about courage and family, illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Barbara Cooney.

In the mountains of Appalachia during World War I, Ruthie and her mother prepare to bring the town’s Christmas tree to life, while Ruthie’s father is away at war. Together the two celebrate the strength of family, the warmth of community, and the deeper meaning of Christmas.

Perfect for holiday storytime, gift-giving, or family reading traditions, this cherished picture book reminds readers—young and old alike—that the greatest gifts come from the heart.
Gloria Houston was an educator and the author of many bestselling books for children. She is best known for her work The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree, which Publishers Weekly included on its annual Bestseller List and named it "most likely to become a classic." It was also named Best Book of the Decade by the American Library Association, among many other honors. The work has been translated into several languages and is regularly adapted into musicals, operas, ballets, and screenplays. Frequently characterizing herself as "first, last, and always, a teacher," Houston taught in Florida and Texas schools grades K–12 before teaching at the University of South Florida and Western Carolina University. She was recognized as a Distinguished Educator by the International Reading Association and won the National Excellence in Literacy Education Award, while her books have won and been recognized by more than 40 awards and award lists. She died in 2016. View titles by Gloria Houston
Barbara Cooney traveled the world, lived in a house by the sea in Maine, and made the world more beautiful through her art. She was a two-time Caldecott Medal winner, for Chanticleer and the Fox in 1959 and Ox-Cart Man in 1980. Her beloved book Miss Rumphius was the winner of the American Book Award in 1982. Barbara Cooney died in 2000 at the age of eighty-two. View titles by Barbara Cooney
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About

A touching and joyful Christmas classic about courage and family, illustrated by Caldecott Medalist Barbara Cooney.

In the mountains of Appalachia during World War I, Ruthie and her mother prepare to bring the town’s Christmas tree to life, while Ruthie’s father is away at war. Together the two celebrate the strength of family, the warmth of community, and the deeper meaning of Christmas.

Perfect for holiday storytime, gift-giving, or family reading traditions, this cherished picture book reminds readers—young and old alike—that the greatest gifts come from the heart.

Author

Gloria Houston was an educator and the author of many bestselling books for children. She is best known for her work The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree, which Publishers Weekly included on its annual Bestseller List and named it "most likely to become a classic." It was also named Best Book of the Decade by the American Library Association, among many other honors. The work has been translated into several languages and is regularly adapted into musicals, operas, ballets, and screenplays. Frequently characterizing herself as "first, last, and always, a teacher," Houston taught in Florida and Texas schools grades K–12 before teaching at the University of South Florida and Western Carolina University. She was recognized as a Distinguished Educator by the International Reading Association and won the National Excellence in Literacy Education Award, while her books have won and been recognized by more than 40 awards and award lists. She died in 2016. View titles by Gloria Houston
Barbara Cooney traveled the world, lived in a house by the sea in Maine, and made the world more beautiful through her art. She was a two-time Caldecott Medal winner, for Chanticleer and the Fox in 1959 and Ox-Cart Man in 1980. Her beloved book Miss Rumphius was the winner of the American Book Award in 1982. Barbara Cooney died in 2000 at the age of eighty-two. View titles by Barbara Cooney

Rights

Available for sale exclusive:
•     Afghanistan
•     Aland Islands
•     Albania
•     Algeria
•     Andorra
•     Angola
•     Anguilla
•     Antarctica
•     Antigua/Barbuda
•     Argentina
•     Armenia
•     Aruba
•     Australia
•     Austria
•     Azerbaijan
•     Bahamas
•     Bahrain
•     Bangladesh
•     Barbados
•     Belarus
•     Belgium
•     Belize
•     Benin
•     Bermuda
•     Bhutan
•     Bolivia
•     Bonaire, Saba
•     Bosnia Herzeg.
•     Botswana
•     Bouvet Island
•     Brazil
•     Brit.Ind.Oc.Ter
•     Brit.Virgin Is.
•     Brunei
•     Bulgaria
•     Burkina Faso
•     Burundi
•     Cambodia
•     Cameroon
•     Canada
•     Cape Verde
•     Cayman Islands
•     Centr.Afr.Rep.
•     Chad
•     Chile
•     China
•     Christmas Islnd
•     Cocos Islands
•     Colombia
•     Comoro Is.
•     Congo
•     Cook Islands
•     Costa Rica
•     Croatia
•     Cuba
•     Curacao
•     Cyprus
•     Czech Republic
•     Dem. Rep. Congo
•     Denmark
•     Djibouti
•     Dominica
•     Dominican Rep.
•     Ecuador
•     Egypt
•     El Salvador
•     Equatorial Gui.
•     Eritrea
•     Estonia
•     Ethiopia
•     Falkland Islnds
•     Faroe Islands
•     Fiji
•     Finland
•     France
•     Fren.Polynesia
•     French Guinea
•     Gabon
•     Gambia
•     Georgia
•     Germany
•     Ghana
•     Gibraltar
•     Greece
•     Greenland
•     Grenada
•     Guadeloupe
•     Guam
•     Guatemala
•     Guernsey
•     Guinea Republic
•     Guinea-Bissau
•     Guyana
•     Haiti
•     Heard/McDon.Isl
•     Honduras
•     Hong Kong
•     Hungary
•     Iceland
•     India
•     Indonesia
•     Iran
•     Iraq
•     Ireland
•     Isle of Man
•     Israel
•     Italy
•     Ivory Coast
•     Jamaica
•     Japan
•     Jersey
•     Jordan
•     Kazakhstan
•     Kenya
•     Kiribati
•     Kuwait
•     Kyrgyzstan
•     Laos
•     Latvia
•     Lebanon
•     Lesotho
•     Liberia
•     Libya
•     Liechtenstein
•     Lithuania
•     Luxembourg
•     Macau
•     Macedonia
•     Madagascar
•     Malawi
•     Malaysia
•     Maldives
•     Mali
•     Malta
•     Marshall island
•     Martinique
•     Mauritania
•     Mauritius
•     Mayotte
•     Mexico
•     Micronesia
•     Minor Outl.Ins.
•     Moldavia
•     Monaco
•     Mongolia
•     Montenegro
•     Montserrat
•     Morocco
•     Mozambique
•     Myanmar
•     Namibia
•     Nauru
•     Nepal
•     Netherlands
•     New Caledonia
•     New Zealand
•     Nicaragua
•     Niger
•     Nigeria
•     Niue
•     Norfolk Island
•     North Korea
•     North Mariana
•     Norway
•     Oman
•     Pakistan
•     Palau
•     Palestinian Ter
•     Panama
•     PapuaNewGuinea
•     Paraguay
•     Peru
•     Philippines
•     Pitcairn Islnds
•     Poland
•     Portugal
•     Puerto Rico
•     Qatar
•     Reunion Island
•     Romania
•     Russian Fed.
•     Rwanda
•     S. Sandwich Ins
•     Saint Martin
•     Samoa,American
•     San Marino
•     SaoTome Princip
•     Saudi Arabia
•     Senegal
•     Serbia
•     Seychelles
•     Sierra Leone
•     Singapore
•     Sint Maarten
•     Slovakia
•     Slovenia
•     Solomon Islands
•     Somalia
•     South Africa
•     South Korea
•     South Sudan
•     Spain
•     Sri Lanka
•     St Barthelemy
•     St. Helena
•     St. Lucia
•     St. Vincent
•     St.Chr.,Nevis
•     St.Pier,Miquel.
•     Sth Terr. Franc
•     Sudan
•     Suriname
•     Svalbard
•     Swaziland
•     Sweden
•     Switzerland
•     Syria
•     Tadschikistan
•     Taiwan
•     Tanzania
•     Thailand
•     Timor-Leste
•     Togo
•     Tokelau Islands
•     Tonga
•     Trinidad,Tobago
•     Tunisia
•     Turkey
•     Turkmenistan
•     Turks&Caicos Is
•     Tuvalu
•     US Virgin Is.
•     USA
•     Uganda
•     Ukraine
•     Unit.Arab Emir.
•     United Kingdom
•     Uruguay
•     Uzbekistan
•     Vanuatu
•     Vatican City
•     Venezuela
•     Vietnam
•     Wallis,Futuna
•     West Saharan
•     Western Samoa
•     Yemen
•     Zambia
•     Zimbabwe