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Claudia and the First Thanksgiving is the 91st book in The Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin.

Back Cover Summary[]

Claudia's drama class gets to write a play for the third graders at SES and help them stage it! They decide on a Thanksgiving story, adding a few little twists to make it more fun.

Claud's teacher okays the script, and the third graders love it. But some parents, and even a few teachers, don't. They want a traditional play...or no play at all.

It's a choice between censorship and letting the kids down. How can Claud and her class decide?

Main Plot[]

Claudia joins a new short takes course with Abby and Stacey to create a play for the third graders at Stoneybrook Elementary School. The class play is called Alice and the Pilgrims and is about the first Thanksgiving. The play soon gets censored due to subject matter.

Subplot[]

Everyone's Thanksgiving plans fall through and Kristy gets permission to host a Thanksgiving meal at her house. Only Shannon and Logan's Thanksgiving plans don't fall through. Dawn Schafer comes as a surprise last minute. The reasons for the cancelations is as follows:

  • Kristy - "Uncle Neal broke his leg, so Aunt Colleen and Uncle Wallace are going up to help him and Aunt Theo for the holidays. Uncle Neal’s invited a whole bunch of his relatives"
  • Mary Anne - her grandmother canceled because she can’t get a nonstop flight.
  • Jessi - "My relatives in Oakley were invited along on a church retreat. They’d been on the waiting list, and some spaces opened up."
  • Claudia - Uncle Russ's family from Ireland is coming to visit
  • Abby - "
  • Stacey - "I’m not going to New York for Thanksgiving, either. My mom and dad got things totally mixed up. He’s actually going to be out of town, so it’ll be Mom and me in good old Stoneybrook."
  • Mallory - "Marie and Phil called. The apartment we were going to stay in is totally under water. A pipe in the apartment above it broke. They’re just hoping they can have it cleaned up in time for Christmas.”

Characters[]

Claudia's Family

Extended Family

BSC Members

Kids

Teenagers

Adults

Families

Locations[]

Pop Culture and Real-Life References[]

  • Marx Brothers
  • The Incredible Journey and Homeward Bound
  • The first Thanksgiving and the Salem Witch Trials

Continuity and Inconsistencies[]

Continuity

Inconsistencies

Ann M. Martin's Dear Reader Letter[]

Dear Reader,

Claudia and the First Thanksgiving is one of the first holiday stories in the Baby-sitters Club series. Like Kristy’s little sister Karen, I love holidays. And I especially like a large gathering of people for Thanksgiving dinner, although I never attended Thanksgiving for 37 people!

Like Claudia in this book, I think that no matter what the background of Thanksgiving, it is a wonderful holiday – a time to celebrate with family and friends, and to be thankful for what we have. Over the years I’ve celebrated the holiday in many different cities and many different settings. I don’t remember every Thanksgiving, but the most memorable one when I was growing up was the year the oven caught fire, and the firefighters had to come over to put out the fire before we could eat!

Trivia[]

  • The Pikes miss their second chance to go to NYC over Thanksgiving, the first in Get Well Soon, Mallory!.
  • Stacey might want to run a small company someday.
  • Dawn visits and meets Abby.
  • One wall of the Pike's family room is covered in cork.
  • There are three 3rd grade classes at SES.
  • Russ has relatives living in Ireland.
  • Claudia misses a meeting due to a sitting job.
  • Mary Anne is called "Mar" in one scene.
  • Claudia likes gym class.
  • Claudia uses different color pens.
  • The Miller Family from Kristy's Big Day is mentioned in the book.
  • This is one of several books about censorship alongside Mary Anne and the Library Mystery and Kristy Power!.
  • Claudia acknowledges that the play her class wrote wasn't great
  • In chapter 14, honorary baby-sitters include Charlie, Sam, Janine, and Anna who had volunteered to help out.
  • Sam knows orgami
  • Claudia knows fancy calligraphy

Gallery[]

Baby-Sitters Club Books
The Summer Before | #1 Kristy's Great Idea | #2 Claudia and the Phantom Phone Calls | #3 The Truth About Stacey | #4 Mary Anne Saves the Day | #5 Dawn and the Impossible Three | #6 Kristy's Big Day | #7 Claudia and Mean Janine | #8 Boy-Crazy Stacey | #9 The Ghost at Dawn's House | #10 Logan Likes Mary Anne! | #11 Kristy and the Snobs | #12 Claudia and the New Girl | #13 Good-bye Stacey, Good-bye | #14 Hello, Mallory | #15 Little Miss Stoneybrook... and Dawn | #16 Jessi's Secret Language | #17 Mary Anne's Bad-Luck Mystery | #18 Stacey's Mistake | #19 Claudia and the Bad Joke | #20 Kristy and the Walking Disaster | #21 Mallory and the Trouble with Twins | #22 Jessi Ramsey, Pet-sitter | #23 Dawn on the Coast | #24 Kristy and the Mother's Day Surprise | #25 Mary Anne and the Search for Tigger | #26 Claudia and the Sad Good-bye | #27 Jessi and the Superbrat | #28 Welcome Back, Stacey! | #29 Mallory and the Mystery Diary | #30 Mary Anne and the Great Romance | #31 Dawn's Wicked Stepsister | #32 Kristy and the Secret of Susan | #33 Claudia and the Great Search | #34 Mary Anne and Too Many Boys | #35 Stacey and the Mystery of Stoneybrook | #36 Jessi's Baby-Sitter | #37 Dawn and the Older Boy | #38 Kristy's Mystery Admirer | #39 Poor Mallory! | #40 Claudia and the Middle School Mystery | #41 Mary Anne vs. Logan | #42 Jessi and the Dance School Phantom | #43 Stacey's Emergency | #44 Dawn and the Big Sleepover | #45 Kristy and the Baby Parade | #46 Mary Anne Misses Logan | #47 Mallory on Strike | #48 Jessi's Wish | #49 Claudia and the Genius of Elm Street | #50 Dawn's Big Date | #51 Stacey's Ex-Best Friend | #52 Mary Anne + 2 Many Babies | #53 Kristy for President | #54 Mallory and the Dream Horse | #55 Jessi's Gold Medal | #56 Keep Out, Claudia! | #57 Dawn Saves the Planet | #58 Stacey's Choice | #59 Mallory Hates Boys (and Gym) | #60 Mary Anne's Makeover | #61 Jessi and the Awful Secret | #62 Kristy and the Worst Kid Ever | #63 Claudia's Freind Friend | #64 Dawn's Family Feud | #65 Stacey's Big Crush | #66 Maid Mary Anne | #67 Dawn's Big Move | #68 Jessi and the Bad Baby-sitter | #69 Get Well Soon, Mallory! | #70 Stacey and the Cheerleaders | #71 Claudia and the Perfect Boy | #72 Dawn and the We Love Kids Club | #73 Mary Anne and Miss Priss | #74 Kristy and the Copycat | #75 Jessi's Horrible Prank | #76 Stacey's Lie | #77 Dawn and Whitney, Friends Forever | #78 Claudia and Crazy Peaches | #79 Mary Anne Breaks the Rules | #80 Mallory Pike, No. 1 Fan | #81 Kristy and Mr. Mom | #82 Jessi and the Troublemaker | #83 Stacey vs. the BSC | #84 Dawn and the School Spirit War | #85 Claudia Kishi, Live From WSTO! | #86 Mary Anne and Camp BSC | #87 Stacey and the Bad Girls | #88 Farewell, Dawn | #89 Kristy and the Dirty Diapers | #90 Welcome to the BSC, Abby! | #91 Claudia and the First Thanksgiving | #92 Mallory's Christmas Wish | #93 Mary Anne and the Memory Garden | #94 Stacey McGill, Super Sitter | #95 Kristy + Bart = ? | #96 Abby's Lucky Thirteen | #97 Claudia and the World's Cutest Baby | #98 Dawn and Too Many Sitters | #99 Stacey's Broken Heart | #100 Kristy's Worst Idea | #101 Claudia Kishi, Middle School Dropout | #102 Mary Anne and the Little Princess | #103 Happy Holidays, Jessi | #104 Abby's Twin | #105 Stacey the Math Whiz | #106 Claudia, Queen of the Seventh Grade | #107 Mind Your Own Business, Kristy! | #108 Don't Give Up, Mallory! | #109 Mary Anne to the Rescue | #110 Abby the Bad Sport | #111 Stacey's Secret Friend | #112 Kristy and the Sister War | #113 Claudia Makes Up Her Mind | #114 The Secret Life of Mary Anne Spier | #115 Jessi's Big Break | #116 Abby and the Best Kid Ever | #117 Claudia and the Terrible Truth | #118 Kristy Thomas, Dog Trainer | #119 Stacey's Ex-Boyfriend | #120 Mary Anne and the Playground Fight | #121 Abby in Wonderland | #122 Kristy in Charge | #123 Claudia's Big Party | #124 Stacey McGill... Matchmaker? | #125 Mary Anne in the Middle | #126 The All-New Mallory Pike | #127 Abby's Un-Valentine | #128 Claudia and the Little Liar | #129 Kristy at Bat | #130 Stacey's Movie | #131 The Fire at Mary Anne's House
Super Specials
#1 Baby-sitters on Board! | #2 Baby-sitters' Summer Vacation | #3 Baby-sitters' Winter Vacation | #4 Baby-sitters' Island Adventure | #5 California Girls! | #6 New York, New York! | #7 Snowbound | #8 Baby-sitters at Shadow Lake | #9 Starring the Baby-sitters Club #10 Sea City, Here We Come! | #11 The Baby-sitters Remember | #12 Here Come the Bridesmaids! | #13 Aloha, Baby-sitters! | #14 BSC in the USA | #15 Baby-sitters' European Vacation
Portrait Collection
Stacey's Book | Claudia's Book | Dawn's Book | Mary Anne's Book | Kristy's Book | Abby's Book
Other
The Baby-Sitters Club Notebook (1987) | The Baby-Sitters Club Postcard Book (1991) | Trivia & Puzzle Fun Book (1992) | Ann M. Martin: The Story of the author of the Baby-sitters Club (1993) | The Baby-Sitters Club Guide to Babysitting (1993) | The Baby-Sitters Club Chain Letter (1993) | The Baby-Sitters Club Secret Santa (1994) | Audio Books on Cassette Tape (1994-5) | BSC Movie Novelization (1995) | The Complete Guide to the Baby-Sitters Club (1996) | Autograph Book (1998) | BSC Graphic Novels (2006-present) | We Are the Baby-Sitters Club: Essays and Artwork from Grown-Up Readers (2021) | Welcome to Stoneybrook: A Guided Journal (2021) | The Official Coloring Book (2023)
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