The little red buckets

by Lynda Nelson

Grandmother tells the story of carrying buckets of food as a child to an elderly neighbor, who rewards her with the gift of a crystal figure with a guardian angel attached.

Genres: Christmas, Book Club

91 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1996

Reviews

[Mary Etta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neighbor and friend Angie Peterson gave me this little book for Christmas with two red buckets filled with nuts. Thoughtful story of goodness, sadness and hope. A good Christmas read.

[Marinda (rindasreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved this little book for decades. It is a story of the importance of serving, building friendships, and trusting in God and guardian angels.

[Deborah Robb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and try to read it every year between Christmas and New Year's. I have given many copies as gifts. Although I found it more challenging to buy this year, I managed to gift two books as well. I digress. This is about the book, which I find a heartwarming tale as Grandma Jenny shares heartwarming stories from her life. I think it is dear to my heart because it reminds me of how my grandmother would share stories. A book of service, love, family, friendship, and faith.

[Jamie Jonas · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's ALWAYS a place in the world of literature for sweet, old-fashioned sentiment. This writer delivers on that score, painting a joyous and sometimes sad picture of days gone by. The writing is not great, no, but it is certainly solid and sincere. "Buckets" was especially a worthwhile book to read over the Christmas holidays.

[Jaclyn H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cute book gave me goosebumps! I loved reading about the grandma sharing her special story about her guardian angel with her granddaughter. Grandma stories are the very best!

[Kathy J. Estrada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every few years, I reread this book at Christmas time. It’s a short simple story of love, compassion, and service.

[Mary 'Bess' · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tradition. Pat gave me this book as a Christmas gift many many years ago. I read it eatery Christmas. So does my Mom and my sister. Family love and selfless giving.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet little story for the Christmas season.

[Kymberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Little Red Buckets is about a little girl named Jenny who befriends an elderly woman, Mrs. Nie. She visits her each day delivering red buckets that her mother packed with food and goodies; they become best friends. Mrs. Nie and Jenny share with their struggles and find there love of their loved ones and angels.

Lynda M. Nelson is a great descriptive writer. The start of the book is really slow and I even thought about not finishing it. Though my OCD self that always starts a book in which I have to finish it pressed forward. The story picks up and you soon fall in love with the characters.

The only beef I have with this book is the slow beginning, and along with our loved ones becoming angels. Lynda is Mormon though I do not see any Mormon theology, other than the angels. Though I was impressed that she did put the angels with wings because Mormon theology and art, angels never have wings.

[Mary Valerio · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Little Red Buckets was a great book. It's about a 10 year old girl named Jenny living in 1918 during the war. She helps her mother deliver food to neighbors who don't have much, and had lost a daughter just after her 10th birthday. She gets to know the woman, Mrs. Nie. She starts to love visiting and stays to talk to her everyday. Then her older brother, who she is very close to, decides to go to the war. She recieves a special gift from Mrs. Nie for Christmas and it has a huge impact on the whole family. They all have guardian angels watching over them. I read it to my daughter and we both really liked it. I love stories like this where people get to know someone and realize they are nothing like they had imagined. I would definitely recommend this book. It's very uplifting.

[Patti · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars. This sweet little book was given to me by a special young girl, the little sister of my daughter-in-law. I keep it with my Christmas stories and as I have not read it for several years, I sat down to refresh my memory. Good thing – because I didn’t remember any of it!

This little book is a quick read with a very special message of family, service, friendship and love. One family reaches out everyday to help another couple that is very poor. What begins as simple gesture of help turns into a close friendship fueled by unselfish, constant service.

It is a wonderful story to read as a family at Christmas time. The theme: Giving. The only other thing to add here is that the ending is very cool!

Thanks Kiersten, for sharing one of your favorite stories with me!

[Rebekah]

This book tells a story about life back in the early 1900's in America. It is told through the perspective of a young girl who learns what life was like for her Grandmother. Her grandmother grew-up in a rural part of the country where neighbors helped each other daily to survive the ups-and-downs of life. Nothing was wasted and everything was put to good use, even the red and silver buckets which contained cooking lard. A daily chore to carry food to an elderly, neighbor couple evolves into a sweet friendship that lasts through a blizzard on Christmas Eve. There is happiness, tradition, tragedy, and mystery all mixed together to yield a good story, representative of what was best about America at that time period in the history of our nation.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenny has been given the task from her mother to deliver buckets of food to those in need. Jenny grudgingly makes her deliveries but she soon makes a friend in Mrs. Nie. Hearts are changed as the true spirit of giving is revealed. I red this book every night one December to my daughter, a treasured memory.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading Christmas books! This was such a sweet story of love for our neighbors and the miracles of Christmas angels. God will bless us as we bless others and he knows our needs and will fill them and comfort them if we will let him!

[Julie Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just read this for our December book club. Little Jenny (now a grandma telling the story to her granddaughter) learns the true meaning of Christmas through some little red buckets, a hike up the hill, and a guardian angel. A quick, meaningful read.

[Jodi K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little book for Christmas.

[Michelle]

pleasant holiday story--quick read aloud?

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a sweet Christmas story about service, looking our for your neighbor, guardian angels and red lard buckets. I am going to an antique store to find one as soon as I can.

[Sanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another favorite Christmas story. My mom and I used to read this together every year under the tree. My book club read this one for December.

[Kayla Bump · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book a lot as a kid. I even used it to help my sister learn to read. It's a sweet story that shares a special message about generosity and growth.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Christmas Read Aloud for the family

[Jane]

2

[Amy]

Sweet little Christmas book. A reminder of caring for others. Perhaps pushed off the shelf today by my own guardian angel.