James Otis and his mother have had a rough couple of months since his father died. They've lost their farm and have to move to a shotgun house in the Bottoms. Still, when their pastor asks for donations for a "love box" for the Temples, whose home has lost to a fire, James Otis and his mother are determined to give something for the box as well. But James Otis wonders, with how little they have, what do they have worth giving?

This was an emotional book that handled some tough topics with grace and compassion. I loved watching James Otis figure out what sort of gift he could give when he felt like he didn't have anything of value. His gift ended up being one of the best that the Temple's daughter received because it was given from the heart. The illustrations beautifully complimented the story; there was a warmth that suffused the book despite the difficult topics. ( )

In my opinion this was a very enjoyable book. This book is set during the great depression and revolves around an African American family, primarily the 3 daughters. It's Christmas when the 3 sisters all receive 1 doll for them to share. They fight over the doll to which the main character, Nell, wins the doll. She soon realizes the doll isn't as fun to play with without her sisters. The first thing that I like about this book is how it details an African American family. I think in the past a lot of books only show white children and neglect to have African Americans really shown in the book. I think this would be great for a classrooms book collection as it adds diversity. Next, I like how the books conflict revolves around the family of the main characters. It shows children how all families have arguments and fight over things but the message is that they eventually come together and settle their differences because after all, family is most important. Its a book that really pushes readers to think about tough issues and gives a different perspective. Finally, I love how the illustrations for this book take up a majority of the page. The pictures help the reader get a better mental picture for what is being said in the text. ( )

My personal response to the book: The book was excellent. I would like to see the library acquire this for the collection.
Curricular connections: The curricular connections include Christmas, African Americans, the depression and sharing. A TL could showcase this book during December and the Christmas holiday. It would be a lovely book to showcase on the bookshelves for students to checkout from the library.

There are many reasons why I enjoyed this story. This story takes place during the Great Depression and displays a struggling family. I liked the fact that the author made the characters relatable. I could relate to the aspect of having sisters and having to share. My sisters and I would fight over dolls and other things growing up but what I liked most about this story is the lesson inside. The lesson teaches readers to value family over materials. Another aspect of this story that I enjoyed was the illustrations. The illustrator created each page to be full of great detail and color. There was fine detail found in the clothing and setting, drawn with color pencils. The illustrations also showed the emotions of the characters very clearly. The pictures matched to exactly what the text was stating. The illustrator did a tremendous job with matching the text to the images. The main idea of this story focuses on the true meaning of Christmas, which is not the presents, but the people you share Christmas with. ( )

3.5 Stars