A friend of mine (Thanks, Carmen) had sent me an article about Dickens that said the perfect age to introduce this author to a child is 12. I'm not sure if I agree with the article - Dickens can be wordy and his books don't have a chance of competing with the action packed stories that our young adults are reading today. But, I love Dickens and I want my 12 year old son to love him also, so I decide that A Christmas Carol would be the perfect story to enjoy together as a family, especially since the audio version I have is narrated by Jim Dale. We were not disappointed! This book was not only filled with humor and charm, but also preached a valuable lesson on the true meaning of Christmas - without being too preachy. But, what really surprised me was how much this book touched me. Let's face it. It's December 5th, I have not started my holiday shopping, and I was beginning to get a little panicked. But nowhere in this classic Christmas story, does Dickens talk about Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or internet shopping vs buying local. The lesson Ebeneezer Scrooge learns from the Christmas Ghosts is that the holiday is a time to connect and enjoy family and friends. What a good reminder for us all!