The Legacy of Roxaboxen

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Summary: Rare opportunity to learn the story behind the story
Review: Roxaboxen is one of my favorite picture books because it reminds me so strongly of the place I can visit, only in memory, where my childhood friends and I used to play. I'm sure many of us share that special memory place. It was a delight to learn that Roxaboxen was a real place, and to discover the stories of the children who played there. The author does such a good job of relating this "story behind the story" that one can feel the summer sand and sense the Arizona winds. The photos and design of the book enhance this experience, as does the special journal tucked inside the book. Thanks to Alice McLerran for sharing her family's story with us in this very special way.

Rating:
Summary: This book is a treasure and a tribute to imagination!
Review: The Legacy of Roxaboxen is a delightful memoir, a tribute to a young girl who created, along with her sisters and neighborhood playmates, an imaginary town situated on a small desert hill in Yuma, Arizona, in the early days of World War I. The book is an intimate look into the life of Marian Doan, the author's mother, who penned a history of the children's "settlement," Roxaboxen, where "homes" were outlined with rocks, boxes, and desert glass, and where the children fought legendary wars and traded their wares in imaginary stores. Relying on memoirs of aunts, cousins, and her mother's childhood friends, Alice McLerran has created a loving daughter's tribute to her mother's life and creativity, as well as a reverent salute to the wonderful world reserved for the mind of children. Roxaboxen is a real place, and has been preserved as a natural desert park for local and visiting children to enjoy and in which to imagine. The Legacy of Roxaboxen intertwines Marian's early life and the history of Roxaboxen with the events of the era. The book, and McLerran's picture book "Roxaboxen" will encourage readers to unearth their own memories of childhood play. It is a rare gem -- a must read for anyone who values family, friendship, and the unmatchable imaginations of children!