As Christmas gifts for family and friends, author Brian Connolly and his two young children created the five stories in "Allegheny River Christmas & Other Stories." Each story draws the reader gently toward the true meaning of Christmas, which exists in the heart, not the purse. Your child will meet interesting characters in each of the stories. Peter fails to earn enough money for Christmas gifts, but finds something more valuable. Laura goes looking for Christmas when she discovers there will be no Christmas at her house. While gathering groundpine in the mountains to make an evergreen rope to decorate his house, Bradley gets caught in a winter storm and takes refuge in Dead Man's Cave. Tommy invites Pennsylvania Gus, a hobo storyteller, to Christmas Dinner, but his parents tell him he must uninvite the stranger they call a tramp. Sarah has a powerful dream about a white bear which she feels is somehow connected to her mother who is in the hospital in a coma. "Allegheny River Christmas & Other Stories" is a book that will grow with your child. Young children will enjoy the beautiful illustrations while you read the first few stories to them. Older kids can read the later stories to themselves.