num_pages: 80
description: Rich in historical detail and filled with luminous illustrations, this poignant book movingly describes the holiday celebrations of both slaves and slave owners on a pre-Civil War plantation.The year is 1859, and it's Christmastime on a Virginia Plantation. The slaves are cleaning and setting up the Big House--where their masters live--for the festivities. The Big House is filled with warmth, colorful decorations, and yummy food...but there is talk of war and a sense that times may be changing. In the quarters--where the slaves live--conditions are poor, dirty, and cold, but the slaves are filled with hope for better times ahead, and they sing songs of freedom.Moving deftly between two worlds, this beautifully illustrated book is a historical tale as well as a holiday treat.
language: English
title: Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters
titlecomplete: Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters
genres: Historical, Childrens, African American, Christmas, Juvenile, Picture Books, Holiday, Historical Fiction, Food, Civil War
ratings_count: 161
places: Virginia
awards: awardedAt: 788947200000
name: Coretta Scott King Book Award
category: Author, awardedAt: 788947200000
name: NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book
publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks