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The Letter on the Tree
1994 Picture cover hardback in Very Good condition. We have been grading & selling books for over 18 years (We do ship International, email for shipping cost) Shelve G-57
Unknown Binding
First published January 1, 1964
110 people want to read
About the author
Natalie Savage Carlson
56 books55 followersNatalie Savage Carlson was born on October 3, 1906, in Kernstown, Virginia. After she married, she moved around a great deal as the wife of a Navy officer, living for many years in Paris, France.
Her first story was published in the Baltimore Sunday Sun when she was eight years old.
Her first book, The Talking Cat and Other Stories of French Canada (where her mother was born), was published in 1952. One of her best-loved books is The Family Under the Bridge (1958), which was a Newbery Honor book in 1959. Many readers will remember her series of Happy Orpheline books about a group of French orphans and their carefree lives.
In 1966, Ms. Carlson was the U.S. nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen International Children's Book Award.
Materials for fifteen of her novels are held at the Children's Literature Research Collection at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Ms. Carlson lived in Rhode Island, Oklahoma, California, the Pacific Northwest, Florida, and abroad. She died September 23, 1997, in Rhode Island.
Her first story was published in the Baltimore Sunday Sun when she was eight years old.
Her first book, The Talking Cat and Other Stories of French Canada (where her mother was born), was published in 1952. One of her best-loved books is The Family Under the Bridge (1958), which was a Newbery Honor book in 1959. Many readers will remember her series of Happy Orpheline books about a group of French orphans and their carefree lives.
In 1966, Ms. Carlson was the U.S. nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen International Children's Book Award.
Materials for fifteen of her novels are held at the Children's Literature Research Collection at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Ms. Carlson lived in Rhode Island, Oklahoma, California, the Pacific Northwest, Florida, and abroad. She died September 23, 1997, in Rhode Island.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 8, 2018
4.5 stars. One of those books that are so easy to read, such enjoyable realistic characters and beautiful day to day life details.
Albert Caron is 10 years old and lives on a small dairy farm in Canada, in fact it's so small it has only 3 cows, sometimes only 2 as Brunaude likes to go off and do her own thing. He is one of the 12 %, as his father calls him, who can speak both French and English. He desperately wants an accordion but his family has next to nothing beyond food and clothing. Albert or Bebert as his friends call him, is a resourceful child, and when his father earns some extra money cutting Christmas trees that are to be sold in the US, Bebert has the idea of attaching a letter to a tree saying how he desperately wants an accordion but his parents are too poor. Well the letter gets a reply but as you can imagine his parents aren't too impressed with his resourcefulness! The rest of the story is wonderful, descriptions of Christmas celebrations, a new business idea, a new visitor and the family trying hard to make ends meet. Bebert was a fun character to read about, we loved the disagreement with a fellow choir boy that resulted in an ingenious fighting method, and their disagreement was soon forgotten!
Albert Caron is 10 years old and lives on a small dairy farm in Canada, in fact it's so small it has only 3 cows, sometimes only 2 as Brunaude likes to go off and do her own thing. He is one of the 12 %, as his father calls him, who can speak both French and English. He desperately wants an accordion but his family has next to nothing beyond food and clothing. Albert or Bebert as his friends call him, is a resourceful child, and when his father earns some extra money cutting Christmas trees that are to be sold in the US, Bebert has the idea of attaching a letter to a tree saying how he desperately wants an accordion but his parents are too poor. Well the letter gets a reply but as you can imagine his parents aren't too impressed with his resourcefulness! The rest of the story is wonderful, descriptions of Christmas celebrations, a new business idea, a new visitor and the family trying hard to make ends meet. Bebert was a fun character to read about, we loved the disagreement with a fellow choir boy that resulted in an ingenious fighting method, and their disagreement was soon forgotten!
December 12, 2024
Natalie Savage Carlson (who of course won the Newbery Award in 1959 for the absolutely lovely The Family Under the Bridge), she in The Letter on the Tree (published in 1964 and which I read on Open Library) presents main protagonist and first person narrator Albert Caron (or rather Bébert as he is generally known and which name I will also be using for my review) as a ten year old French Canadian boy who lives with his family on a small dairy farm in Quebec's Eastern Townships (and with The Letter on the Tree basically being a seasonal read, starting in the wintertime just before Christmas and ending the following summer, a short middle grade novella most suitable for readers from about the age of eight to eleven, but that for readers older than eleven, there is probably and unfortunately not quite enough textual meat so to speak and that the characters encountered in The Letter on the Tree, including Bébert, are also just a wee bit underdeveloped and too on the surface to create absolute and total textual satisfaction). However and the above totally and hugely notwithstanding, my own and personal inner child has indeed really and hugely enjoyed The Letter on the Tree and that I would have absolutely adored Natalie Savage Carlson's text and in particular her Quebec seasonal (and especially winter) landscape and dairy faming descriptions when I was nine and ten years of age and had just moved to Canada from Germany (in 1976), and that therefore I also very much regret not actually reading The Letter on the Tree when I was the age of the (in my opinion) intended audience, since I do recall The Letter on the Tree being available at my elementary school library in Calgary, Alberta in 1977, but that I for some silly reason did not bother checking out The Letter on the Tree when my grade five homeroom teacher recommended the book to me.
And while Savage Carlson (American but of French Canadian background) does not provide a specific historical time frame in The Letter on the Tree, from her descriptions of rural French Canadian life (nicely realistically, historically and culturally authentically showing the latter and also specifically the importance and influence of the Catholic Church and even more so how some of the depicted dairy farmers in The Letter on the Tree are now using electricity and milking machines while others are still milking by hand and have no electricity for their farms and houses yet), I am assuming that The Letter on the Tree is most likely taking place in the 1920s and which would also be one of the main reasons why both the Carons and their neighbours are still almost entirely unilingually francophone, but well, that because the Carons are originally from northern New Brunswick and where Bébert attended English school, he is really the only French Canadian character in The Letter on the Tree who is truly bilingual, who can speak and write both French and English. But just to say albeit Natalie Savage Carlson's sense of geographic place for The Letter on the Tree and her through the narrative voice of Brébert Caron landscape and cultural descriptions of mid 20th century Quebec are spot on and as such excellent, I do wish that with regard to historical time, this could be a bit more precise, that actual calendar dates would be provided in The Letter on the Tree (not a huge deal, but my inner child would definitely like even with her huge enjoyment of The Letter on the Tree a bit more time precision).
Now in The Letter on the Tree, the Carons are poor, and although Bébert longs for an accordion for Christmas like the one he has heard played on the family’s radio, his father says that they are simply too poor to buy one from Pére Noel, from Father Christmas (and I like how Natalie Savage Carlson through Bébert describes in The Letter on the Tree that in Quebec, parents purchase gifts from Pére Noel, that he is not like Santa Claus just giving gift but is actually delivering what the parents have bought from him). And with the mother claiming that poverty is the will of God, but that hard work might end this, Bébert then tries to figure out how his father could make more money for the family (but of course primarily so that Papa can afford to buy that accordion from Père Noel), like for example, how the cows could give more milk. But none of the ideas Bébert considers make sense until and according to the book title of The Letter on the Tree he goes with his father to cut Christmas trees to sell (to send to the United States for a profit) and Bébert writes (in English of course) a letter that he and without his father knowing attaches to one of the Christmas trees asking for an accordion for the poor little boy in Quebec, Canada whose family is too poor to provide a Christmas gift, and with of course said boy being Bébert himself. But even though the attached to the tree letter is in fact answered and a cheque is also sent to Bébert, sadly but also expectedly, Mama and Papa are not at all impressed and make their son return the cheque (which Bébert does a bit grudgingly, feels good when he gets a positive reply regarding his strength of character, his honesty and also a new pen pal of his own age from the United States but is of course disappointed that instead of an accordion for Christmas, The Letter on the Tree shows that Bébert's Christmas gift is what his mother and father could afford, namely a small and kind of childish looking toy drum).
And yes, after the disappointing Christmas celebration and the not all that suitable present (to Bébert at least), the rest of The Letter on the Tree presents kind of a moral lesson (but robed in a story) about general contentment, that hard work and creative problem solving as well as honesty are something to strive for, indeed, more than a bit didactic to be sure but also in my opinion interestingly, engagingly penned and presented by Savage Carlson and thankfully not overly preachy either (and at the end of The Letter on the Tree, after Bébert helps his family spruce up an abandoned cabin for American tourists wanting to visit Quebec in order to fish, the money made due to this is then used by Papa not to buy a milking machine for the cows but instead to get an accordion for his son, for Bébert) and with The Letter on the Tree not only presenting a very nicely captivating story with pretty decent and good messages, but that readers by way of Natalie Savage Carson's text through Bébert's fun and informative first person narration also receive an educational and enlightening glimpse of the life of a French Canadian farm boy of the mid-twentieth century, with church holy days to celebrate, friends to play with, and twice a day, the cows to milk, a lot of work, a lot of chores, but also fun and games and a generally supportive and loving family (even though Mama and Papa were naturally not happy with that letter and being depicted by their son as requiring charity).
Four stars from my above mentioned inner child for The Letter on the Tree, who does not really at all mind that Savage Carson's words, that her story can be a bit didactic and also finds her sense of place and that Savage Carson presents Quebec and Quebeckers positively and with no hint of paternalism or condescension absolutely delightful and cheering (and that Bébert is a fun and relatable main protagonist for The Letter on the Tree, with a voice that is suitable for a young boy and also does not in my opinion sound like Natalie Savage Carson is artificially trying to sound like a child, that her child's narration feels generally pretty age appropriate and as such very nicely authentic).
And while Savage Carlson (American but of French Canadian background) does not provide a specific historical time frame in The Letter on the Tree, from her descriptions of rural French Canadian life (nicely realistically, historically and culturally authentically showing the latter and also specifically the importance and influence of the Catholic Church and even more so how some of the depicted dairy farmers in The Letter on the Tree are now using electricity and milking machines while others are still milking by hand and have no electricity for their farms and houses yet), I am assuming that The Letter on the Tree is most likely taking place in the 1920s and which would also be one of the main reasons why both the Carons and their neighbours are still almost entirely unilingually francophone, but well, that because the Carons are originally from northern New Brunswick and where Bébert attended English school, he is really the only French Canadian character in The Letter on the Tree who is truly bilingual, who can speak and write both French and English. But just to say albeit Natalie Savage Carlson's sense of geographic place for The Letter on the Tree and her through the narrative voice of Brébert Caron landscape and cultural descriptions of mid 20th century Quebec are spot on and as such excellent, I do wish that with regard to historical time, this could be a bit more precise, that actual calendar dates would be provided in The Letter on the Tree (not a huge deal, but my inner child would definitely like even with her huge enjoyment of The Letter on the Tree a bit more time precision).
Now in The Letter on the Tree, the Carons are poor, and although Bébert longs for an accordion for Christmas like the one he has heard played on the family’s radio, his father says that they are simply too poor to buy one from Pére Noel, from Father Christmas (and I like how Natalie Savage Carlson through Bébert describes in The Letter on the Tree that in Quebec, parents purchase gifts from Pére Noel, that he is not like Santa Claus just giving gift but is actually delivering what the parents have bought from him). And with the mother claiming that poverty is the will of God, but that hard work might end this, Bébert then tries to figure out how his father could make more money for the family (but of course primarily so that Papa can afford to buy that accordion from Père Noel), like for example, how the cows could give more milk. But none of the ideas Bébert considers make sense until and according to the book title of The Letter on the Tree he goes with his father to cut Christmas trees to sell (to send to the United States for a profit) and Bébert writes (in English of course) a letter that he and without his father knowing attaches to one of the Christmas trees asking for an accordion for the poor little boy in Quebec, Canada whose family is too poor to provide a Christmas gift, and with of course said boy being Bébert himself. But even though the attached to the tree letter is in fact answered and a cheque is also sent to Bébert, sadly but also expectedly, Mama and Papa are not at all impressed and make their son return the cheque (which Bébert does a bit grudgingly, feels good when he gets a positive reply regarding his strength of character, his honesty and also a new pen pal of his own age from the United States but is of course disappointed that instead of an accordion for Christmas, The Letter on the Tree shows that Bébert's Christmas gift is what his mother and father could afford, namely a small and kind of childish looking toy drum).
And yes, after the disappointing Christmas celebration and the not all that suitable present (to Bébert at least), the rest of The Letter on the Tree presents kind of a moral lesson (but robed in a story) about general contentment, that hard work and creative problem solving as well as honesty are something to strive for, indeed, more than a bit didactic to be sure but also in my opinion interestingly, engagingly penned and presented by Savage Carlson and thankfully not overly preachy either (and at the end of The Letter on the Tree, after Bébert helps his family spruce up an abandoned cabin for American tourists wanting to visit Quebec in order to fish, the money made due to this is then used by Papa not to buy a milking machine for the cows but instead to get an accordion for his son, for Bébert) and with The Letter on the Tree not only presenting a very nicely captivating story with pretty decent and good messages, but that readers by way of Natalie Savage Carson's text through Bébert's fun and informative first person narration also receive an educational and enlightening glimpse of the life of a French Canadian farm boy of the mid-twentieth century, with church holy days to celebrate, friends to play with, and twice a day, the cows to milk, a lot of work, a lot of chores, but also fun and games and a generally supportive and loving family (even though Mama and Papa were naturally not happy with that letter and being depicted by their son as requiring charity).
Four stars from my above mentioned inner child for The Letter on the Tree, who does not really at all mind that Savage Carson's words, that her story can be a bit didactic and also finds her sense of place and that Savage Carson presents Quebec and Quebeckers positively and with no hint of paternalism or condescension absolutely delightful and cheering (and that Bébert is a fun and relatable main protagonist for The Letter on the Tree, with a voice that is suitable for a young boy and also does not in my opinion sound like Natalie Savage Carson is artificially trying to sound like a child, that her child's narration feels generally pretty age appropriate and as such very nicely authentic).
September 9, 2009
I enjoyed this book very much for its setting--French Canada--and Carlson's depiction of life there. The details of the language, the food, and the customs made you feel as if you were there. (I must explore where the expression "Skin of the dog!" comes from.) The book was written at a time when few Canadians spoke both French and English, and the descriptions of people who speak only French trying to speak with people who speak only English, and vice versa, seemed unbelievable to me. How can you live in the same country and not understand each other?
But it happened. Very interesting, and a great story as well. Recommended!
But it happened. Very interesting, and a great story as well. Recommended!
January 11, 2023
A very enjoyable story with characters I grew to love!
December 20, 2023
This is a very realistic story of a French Canadian family told by 11 yo son Albert (Beber). Beber dreams of owning an accordion and asks for help in a letter he attaches to a tree which is being shipped to America for Christmas. The response of the American recipient family and Beber's proud father start a chain of events that make for a wonderful coming of age story. There is honest frustration, hard work, responsibility, respect for parents, redemption of a prodigal, and much family love as they figure out ways to "bring the ends together".
February 4, 2015
Very cute book about a young boy who has his heart set on an accordion for Christmas. So set on it that he decides to tie a note to a Christmas tree his family cuts down to send to the states. This letter strike an unusual friendship but still no accordion, Bebert takes off to a small cabin and suddenly has a great idea...
November 19, 2025
Delightful story that, if whittled down to its core, focuses on just what is poverty?
Bebert's father insists they're too poor for... just about everything. The guy has a serious "woe is me" attitude.
So of course, Bebert assumes they are poverty-stricken and exaggerates it.
When people try to help (after hearing about their barely surviving) Dad is appalled. And offended that his child thinks they're so messed up.
Now look, I get it. Bebert knew he'd exaggerated, but he'd seen that exaggeration played out day by day, week by week, month by month. What he did was wrong, but his parents hold blame for how he came to think doing so was excusable.
But then a guy with nothing comes along... and Bebert's family gets a picture of what poverty really looks like.
I loved how the author even showed the truly needy that he had something to offer despite his circumstances. Basically, everyone learned something in a book that managed to do it all without being overly moralistic and preachy. Thank goodness!
I loved best seeing the world through Bebert's eyes and how his father tried to make English idioms work in French. I'll always think of "Bringing ends together" after this.
Bebert's father insists they're too poor for... just about everything. The guy has a serious "woe is me" attitude.
So of course, Bebert assumes they are poverty-stricken and exaggerates it.
When people try to help (after hearing about their barely surviving) Dad is appalled. And offended that his child thinks they're so messed up.
Now look, I get it. Bebert knew he'd exaggerated, but he'd seen that exaggeration played out day by day, week by week, month by month. What he did was wrong, but his parents hold blame for how he came to think doing so was excusable.
But then a guy with nothing comes along... and Bebert's family gets a picture of what poverty really looks like.
I loved how the author even showed the truly needy that he had something to offer despite his circumstances. Basically, everyone learned something in a book that managed to do it all without being overly moralistic and preachy. Thank goodness!
I loved best seeing the world through Bebert's eyes and how his father tried to make English idioms work in French. I'll always think of "Bringing ends together" after this.
September 8, 2019
I read this in one sitting. It's a story about a young French-Canadian boy who feels sorry for himself because he will not get the present he wants for Christmas. His father has a small farm and there and many children to feed. By the end of the story, he realizes he is not so poor after all.
The language was a little stilted at times, making me wonder if it had been awkwardly translated from French, but I couldn't find anything saying that it was. After awhile I got into the story enough so that I didn't notice the writing style anymore.
The language was a little stilted at times, making me wonder if it had been awkwardly translated from French, but I couldn't find anything saying that it was. After awhile I got into the story enough so that I didn't notice the writing style anymore.
December 23, 2019
The Family Under the Bridge is one of my favorite Christmas chapter books and I actually only read it for the first time a couple of years ago. Since I’ve gotten into a bit of a vintage book obsession in recent months, I decided to try another older Christmas book by Natalie Savage Carlson this year. I still like the other one better, but I really enjoyed this one, too.
December 12, 2017
Beautiful picture of life in a French Canadian family. Written simply to be accessible for children, but meaningful for adults also.
January 31, 2019
Excellent story told from a young French Canadian’s point of view
March 8, 2019
There are many lessons to learn from poverty.
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December 26, 2019Family read aloud. We enjoyed this story though the ending felt a little abrupt to me.
May 23, 2022
I love every book by NSC. Another great one with lots of opportunities to learn good morals.
December 9, 2024
A charming story set in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. A glimpse of a bygone time but with lessons still of quiet value today.
January 4, 2025
A book full of words of the wiser that brought a smile to my heart.
February 1, 2024
Bebert (Albert) Caron lives on a dairy farm in eastern Canada. The family isn't poor but must watch their money so that they can "bring the ends together". Bebert wants an accordion for Christmas but knows he won't get one. He decides to write a letter and attach it to one of the Christmas trees they harvest for money. The letter tells about his poor family and their scant Christmas. When a $20 check comes from a boy in Massachusetts, Bebert's parents make him send it back. He feels ashamed about his begging letter and knows that the American boy will be mad at him. On the contrary, William "Spike" Merryfield writes back and asks Bebert to be his penpal. When Spike says that he and his father want to come to Canada to fish next summer, Bebert dreams up the idea of renting their sugar cabin to visiting fishermen and hunters. Spike and his father are the Caron's first renters. Bebert's works hard to renovate the cabin, and his father buys him a used accordion.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
March 17, 2014
I kind of adore this, for the stilted French-Canadian "translations" into English and the emotions of the kiddo who wants so badly. Plus, it's the most amusing about the author I've seen in some time.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews