The Red Scarf: A Country Boy's Christmas Story »

In his debut novel, Richard Mason takes us back to 1944 Arkansas through the eyes of Richard, a twelve-year-old with a dream. The dream seems simple enough-to buy a red scarf for Rosalie, the prettiest girl in school. However, simply buying a scarf doesn't usually include skunks, bobcats, robbers, and a cast of eccentric characters such as Wing, the one-armed constable who swings a mean blackjack, and Bubba, a big man who wields an even bigger frying pan.

Children's Literature

It is Christmas in Arkansas, 1944, and all Richard wants is to buy is a red scarf for Rosalie, the girl he wants to be his girlfriend, but with so little money to go around, even with his paper route Richard does not know how he is going to ever come up with enough to buy presents for everyone on his list, let alone how he will manage to buy that expensive, $15 scarf. With a town full of characters, though, there is always something going on, and Richard knows about it all. He is determined that somehow he is going to come up with the money, whether from trapping rabbits or raccoons or from catching the local bandits who robbed the newsstand. Though the dialect is at times grating and hard to read, the end of the story shows a good heart and the effects of kindness. Children who enjoy stories of hunting and old-fashioned living will enjoy Richard's misadventures, while many adults will read the story with nostalgia for a bygone era. Reviewer: Kathleen Foucart