Christmas Tide: Restored Classics to Go Edition

Christmas-Tide blends practical child guidance with a larger meditation on imagination, character, and the true meaning of Christmas giving. Elizabeth Harrison argues that the best gifts are not elaborate amusements, but simple toys, books, and experiences that help a child think, build, observe, and grow. Moving age by age from infancy through six years old, she recommends durable playthings, blocks, beads, sand tables, blackboards, puzzles, tools, and outdoor equipment, always stressing the mother's role as an active guide in shaping a child's inner life. The book also offers carefully chosen reading lists for children, mothers, and teachers, ranging from fairy tales, myths, legends, and beloved classics to nature study and scientific books that train observation and wonder. Harrison warns that education must balance intellect and emotion, and she treats toys as powerful cultural forces that reflect national character and prepare children for life. The excerpt closes in the world of A Christmas Carol, where the Ghost of Christmas Past takes Scrooge back to his lonely childhood, awakening memory, regret, and the emotional roots of his hardened heart. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.