Claudia's drama class gets to write a play for the third graders at SES and help them stage it! They decide on the Thanksgiving story.

Did I worry all that night? I did.

Was I completely tied up in knots by the time I reached my Short Takes class the next day?

I was.

It didn't help that the whole school seemed to have heard about the Big Thanksgiving Fight. I tried to follow Stacey's advice, to lay low and give vague answers to anyone who asked.

Ms. Garcia was standing by her desk as we came into the room. Needless to say, none of us was late. We all sat down without saying a word and faced Ms. Garcia. she looked gravely back at us.

When the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class, she said, "I'm afraid I have some bad news."

No one groaned of gasped. Somehow, no one was surprised.

"They killed our play, didn't they?" asked Rick.

"Not exactly," said Ms. Garcia. "But we have been given an ultimatum by the principal of Stoneybrook Elementary School, at the behest of the majority of her third grade teachers, and quite a few of her third-graders' parents. Either put on a play that shows the traditional first Thanksgiving story, or the principal will, er, kill the play."

Abby said, "That's censorship!"

Erica said, "Can they do that?"

"I believe it is censorship, too, Abby. And yes, Erica, they can do that," Ms. Garcia answered.

"What about our freedom of speech?" someone else said. "Or is that some made-up part of our history, too, just like Thanksgiving?"

"Wait a minute, " I objected. "Thanksgiving is not made up. It's just been polished, and all the parts that people don't want to know about have been left out most of the time."

Fourteen pairs of eyes looked questioningly at me - including Stacey's.

Claudia and the First Thanksgiving
Published by Scholastic Inc. 1996
ISBN: 0590228757