Charley's Backyard Stars
My Christmas Backyard By Hannah Hoskins, fifth grader in Susan Smith's Class, Seven Oaks Elementary

The Junior Ambassador program is spawned from Columbia's Official Children's Book, Charley's Columbia Backyard by Caroline Coleman Bennett. To find out more about this leadership program, go to www.BAreader.com.

My Columbia backyard is wonderful. The best part of it is a zoo and a park that are great and fun places to be, especially at Christmas. Every year, Riverbanks Zoo has special events that make it even more fun than just visiting the animals. At Christmas, the zoo hangs lots of Christmas lights. The lights are beautiful. Sometimes you can feel snow- like flakes falling on you and hear happy children playing in it. The best part about the "snow" is that it is very cold. All over the zoo, the lights are in different forms and designs. Sometimes they are animals or even Santa Claus! Saluda Shoals Park puts up lots of Christmas lights, too. When you visit there, you can stay in your car and drive through to see the lights. They also have a big building where you can roast marshmallows, take a picture of Santa, and go on a hayride for the lights show. Both places make Christmas in my Columbia backyard extra special!