THANKSGIVING VISITOR - Hardcover

Gr. 5^-7. Anyone who can bring young people Capote's exquisite autobiographical story is to be thanked. From the first line ("Talk about mean! Odd Henderson was the meanest human creature in my experience" ), readers will be held by Buddy's fear and hatred of the ragged bully who picks on him and calls him "sissy." Peck's paintings capture Buddy's misery and also his playful, loving bond with his eccentric, aging spinster cousin in the family house in rural Alabama in 1932. Buddy and Miss Sook become friends in their "separate loneliness" ; she is there to comfort him from a nightmare or join him in a pillow fight; they are "giggly and giddy and stupid together." So he is absolutely furious when Miss Sook invites Odd Henderson for Thanksgiving dinner. Then, with family and friends gathered round the big dinner table, Buddy gets his chance for revenge on the bully at last. Several pictures show that dinner scene, the relatives in shock, napkins in "suspended immobilized hands," as Buddy, Miss Sook, and Odd Henderson reveal astonishing betrayal and hurt and friendship. A great read-aloud for the holiday or for any time. Hazel Rochman

Grade 1-6-Those familiar with Capote's A Christmas Memory (Knopf, 1989) need no introduction to Buddy and his elderly cousin, Miss Sook. When Miss Sook convinces him to invite Odd Henderson, his classmate and tormentor, to Thanksgiving dinner, the holiday takes a wrong turn that eventually gives Buddy a new understanding of some of the complexities and ambiguities of life. This story is meant to be read aloud, and Capote's elegant and precise Southern voice is very much in evidence. His wonderfully vivid figures of speech (a tub of chrysanthemums is "...heavier than forty fat pirates") and his formal tone will appeal to youngsters who are ready for a more sophisticated experience. Peck's paintings enhance the overall mood and create a sense of time and place. Her depictions of people are especially good; using only the sketchiest details she conveys character and gesture with authenticity. Pair this with A Christmas Memory and offer both books to families looking to add something special to their holidays.
Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
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