by R. J. McDowell (Author), Terry O'Dell (Illustrator)
Have you ever wondered how a fir tree feels about being a Christmas tree? It's 1864, in Eastern Tennessee. Fraser the Fir is eight years old and ready for what the firs have been whispering about every year: Selection Day. Fraser imagines himself a treasured tree, better than the rest in the field in which he lives, and is disappointed when he is not chosen to be a Christmas tree by the families that come through the wood one December morning. He is filled with self-doubt and questions his worth. However, through the actions of others, he comes to understand the sacrifices we make for those who mean the most to us and discovers a purpose far more important than being just a Christmas tree.