text: Review by Linda Ulleseit of my short story – The Red Velvet Box « ckbooksblog
  Review by Linda Ulleseit of my short story – The Red Velvet Box
  Jul21 by Christine Keleny
  The Red Velvet Box: Review
  Posted on July 20, 2012 by Linda Ulleseit (Linda did a whole week thing on me and my latest story)
  Although its intended readers will see it as historical fiction from a faraway time, The Red Velvet Box, by Christine Keleny, seems as if it came right out of my own childhood. The time and place details were perfect for the early 1950's, and the fashion details were great. My own childhood was a decade later, but I, too, remember feeling grown up readingSeventeen magazine. In this story, Katherine embarks reluctantly on a holiday trip to visit her grandmother. It's an annual trip with her mother, so Katherine knows exactly how bad it is going to be.
  Katherine is intrigued by the red velvet box, which is very special to her grandmother. It holds old ornaments, each with their own story. I particularly loved that the ornaments weren't valuable imported blown glass. Most are handmade from paper. This is very true to the time and very good comment on value. The box is very magical, but not in a wizard sense. The magic lies in the precious family memories that the ornaments hold.
  Of course Katherine learns a lesson about the value of family that tugs at the reader. Overall, the story is short enough to share over and over again and is heartwarming enough that you want to do so.
  At the end of the story, Keleny includes directions to make one of the paper ornaments in the red velvet box. I actually made these ornaments myself in Girl Scouts, and I often make them in my classroom with my students. I can hardly wait to read the story to my class before creating ornaments this year!
  ( Thanks Linda -I'm glad you enjoyed my story. I had a fun time writing it. I got the ornament idea from a friend who was helping a 90 something year old woman clean out her house. He said he found some neat old ornaments, so I went to visit with her and ask her about some of her ornaments. She didn't make that paper ornament in girl scouts, (I made that up), but I think it's funny that you did. I'm glad you'll be sharing this with your students. My plan is to eventually illustrate this book. I just have to sell enough of them now to pay for the illustrations!) Note: The Red Velvet Box is in the Prime program on Amazon until mid-Aug. It will then be available as an ebook, everywhere
  P.s. Linda just published a YA novel titled: On a Wing and a Dare. It looks like a good one! Good luck Linda!
  This entry was posted in Books, reading, Review, writing and tagged amazon premium, christine Keleny, ebook, family, girl scotts, handmade ornaments, linda ullesit, ornaments, short story, the red velvet box. on a wing and a dare.