Part of The Baby-Sitters Club, book 91
First published 1995
Claudia takes on coaching the third grade Thanksgiving play with fresh ideas about the holiday's history. She crafts a script that moves beyond the usual pilgrims and Native Americans narrative. Her creative approach aims to give the young actors something more meaningful to perform. But when parents see what Claudia has written, complaints start flowing in. They want the comfortable, familiar version of Thanksgiving they remember from their own childhoods. Claudia faces a difficult choice. She can rewrite the play to satisfy the objecting parents and keep peace in the school community. Or she can stand by her original vision and risk disappointing the third graders who are counting on her. The situation forces Claudia to weigh her artistic integrity against the expectations of adults who have the power to shut down her project. As the performance date approaches, she must decide what matters most.
Genres: fiction, drama, family-life, school-stories, contemporary
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: artistic-integrity, found-family, standing-up-for-beliefs
Period: Thanksgiving
128 pages · Paperback · Apple