The Memory Cupboard

A Thanksgiving Story

Plot Summary

For Katie, nothing compares to Thanksgiving at Grandma's. There's an overnight ride to Grandma's house on the train. There are the aunts and uncles, whom Katie loves to see each year. Most of all, there is Grandma, who stays close to Katie though they live far apart. But a cherished object is broken at dinner, and Katie blames herself for spoiling the day. Then Grandma shows Katie her memory cupboard. And Katie realizes that though we grow attached to our possessions, it is people who really matter. Charlotte Herman's tender story and Ben F. Stahl's rich paintings make a book that families will treasure.

Reviews

"...many younger kids will recognize Katie's happiness at the reunion, her guilt, and her intense bond with her grandparent, which Stahl reflects with extraordinary depth and detail in warm, beautiful acrylic paintings that capture the Norman Rockwell-like domestic idyll and an enduring bond with a grandparent who says, 'Things are just things. People are more important.'" Booklist

"A sweet, simple story with a heartwarming message. ...Realistic acrylic illustrations depict a loving family happy to be gathering at Grandma's. A pleasant addition to holiday collections." School Library Journal

Associated Keywords
holiday, holidays, turkey, memory, memories, intergenerational, grandma, grandmothers