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Addie Mills #2
The Thanksgiving Treasure
Addie's Thanksgiving gesture toward a crochety old man enriches both their lives.
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First published January 1, 1974
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
November 28, 2021
Set in small-town and rural Nebraska in 1947, this very short but satisfying novel is the first of three sequels to the author's The House Without a Christmas Tree. My review of the latter book is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ; and many of the comments made there apply to this book as well. Again, the narrator is Addie Mills, now 11 years old at the time of the events themselves (though, again, she's narrating them from the vantage point of adulthood). Addie is an alter ego of Rock (b. 1940) herself, and Clear River is modeled on her home town of Valley. (I don't know whether or not the specific events of this book have as much real-life direct autobiographical content as those in the first book, however.)
Once again, we have a simple, straightforward and linear plot, and the book is a quick read. There is a solid connection to the Thanksgiving holiday, although I do have a quibble there: Addie's teacher at school asserts that, besides their Indian friends, the Pilgrims invited some Indians who were their enemies to the first American Thanksgiving feast, in hopes of winning them over and making friends. To my knowledge, that element of the tale didn't historically happen. But, ahistorical or not, it provides a catalyst for Addie's decision to reach out to a solitary old man who has a mutual, deep-seated feud going on with her tight-fisted and somewhat prickly father. And what about that horse pictured on the cover, you ask --where does he come in? Well, "he's" a she, and trust me, she'll play a significant role in events. :-)
Personally, I enjoyed this book as much as the preceding one, and didn't feel that it suffers at all from what I sometimes call "sequelitis." It tells a distinct tale in its own right, and preserves the vitality of the original book. The returning characters are still fully themselves; I felt that the setting continued to be well evoked, and that the major new character, Mr. Rehnquist, was realistically drawn. Rock's literary vision is essentially optimistic, but doesn't shy away from recognizing that life isn't always made up of nonstop happiness. Addie's a believable kid --an essentially good (and smart) kid, and even an idealistic one, but with a kiddish willful streak, and quite capable of being less than an angel, as her aggrieved cousin would testify. (Okay, we'd probably be tempted to get back at him, too.... :-) ) IMO, this is a book that readers of all ages can appreciate.
Once again, we have a simple, straightforward and linear plot, and the book is a quick read. There is a solid connection to the Thanksgiving holiday, although I do have a quibble there: Addie's teacher at school asserts that, besides their Indian friends, the Pilgrims invited some Indians who were their enemies to the first American Thanksgiving feast, in hopes of winning them over and making friends. To my knowledge, that element of the tale didn't historically happen. But, ahistorical or not, it provides a catalyst for Addie's decision to reach out to a solitary old man who has a mutual, deep-seated feud going on with her tight-fisted and somewhat prickly father. And what about that horse pictured on the cover, you ask --where does he come in? Well, "he's" a she, and trust me, she'll play a significant role in events. :-)
Personally, I enjoyed this book as much as the preceding one, and didn't feel that it suffers at all from what I sometimes call "sequelitis." It tells a distinct tale in its own right, and preserves the vitality of the original book. The returning characters are still fully themselves; I felt that the setting continued to be well evoked, and that the major new character, Mr. Rehnquist, was realistically drawn. Rock's literary vision is essentially optimistic, but doesn't shy away from recognizing that life isn't always made up of nonstop happiness. Addie's a believable kid --an essentially good (and smart) kid, and even an idealistic one, but with a kiddish willful streak, and quite capable of being less than an angel, as her aggrieved cousin would testify. (Okay, we'd probably be tempted to get back at him, too.... :-) ) IMO, this is a book that readers of all ages can appreciate.
November 23, 2020
I read these books by Gail Rock as a kid and enjoyed the movies made from the stories. I enjoyed remembering this sweet story of a little girl in Nebraska in the 1940's. Fun one day read.
December 1, 2024
Loved this little book. So why not 5 stars? Well, the word 'amazing' in there always gets me. I guess I can come up with my own rating system. 5 stars means I loved the book and will never get rid of it and will read it again. Okay. I'll change it to 5 stars. I wish all children and adults could be like this young girl. The world would be a much better place. This book will be read to my boys each Thanksgiving and in between if needs be.
Reread 2024...To my boys and girl. Loved it just as much as the other times I've read it. 😊
Reread 2024...To my boys and girl. Loved it just as much as the other times I've read it. 😊
May 17, 2013
EQUINE TREASURE SERVED UP FOR THANKGIVING!
Eleven-year-old Addie's family spans three generations; her busy but understanding grandmother, her preoccupied and undemonstrative father, and our skinny heroine in glasses and braids. Having learned about the original Thanksgiving at school, Addie wants to reenact the ideals of gratitude and hospitality in her 1947 present. Trouble is--her proposed guest of honor is a cantankerous old coot who cheated her father over some construction work. The bad blood between them is so thick that it will be impossible to corral both men at the same table.
Yet this spunky little gal, who wants to be a painter in Paris, is determined to arrange a reconciliation, dragging her best friend, loyal Carla Mae, into the risky business. Addie insists on being neighborhly to the recluse, which leads to her discovery of an unkempt dream horse. This book, the sequel to THE HOUSE WITHOUT A CHRISTMAS TREE, proves that kindness is never wasted--a lesson that children need to learn and adults need to remember. A short, light read which will appeal to gradeschool girls (especially those looking for a "short" book report)!
(December 1, 2011. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
Eleven-year-old Addie's family spans three generations; her busy but understanding grandmother, her preoccupied and undemonstrative father, and our skinny heroine in glasses and braids. Having learned about the original Thanksgiving at school, Addie wants to reenact the ideals of gratitude and hospitality in her 1947 present. Trouble is--her proposed guest of honor is a cantankerous old coot who cheated her father over some construction work. The bad blood between them is so thick that it will be impossible to corral both men at the same table.
Yet this spunky little gal, who wants to be a painter in Paris, is determined to arrange a reconciliation, dragging her best friend, loyal Carla Mae, into the risky business. Addie insists on being neighborhly to the recluse, which leads to her discovery of an unkempt dream horse. This book, the sequel to THE HOUSE WITHOUT A CHRISTMAS TREE, proves that kindness is never wasted--a lesson that children need to learn and adults need to remember. A short, light read which will appeal to gradeschool girls (especially those looking for a "short" book report)!
(December 1, 2011. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
October 30, 2015
A book to read every Thanksgiving. The tale of a spunky little girl who tries to relive the first Thanksgiving by befriending (and feeding) her crotchety neighbor. She enlists the help of her best friend and muddles through, finding a real live treasure in the bargain. It's so fun to find a book about a somewhat neglected holiday.
November 26, 2019
My 9 year old, Alba's, review:
I think other 9 year olds would like to read The Thanksgiving Treasure because Addie is nice, funny, and brave. I also like this book because I think it's amazing that Addie befriended an old, mean man named Mr Rehnquist. Mr. Rehnquist was her father's archenemy. Finally, I like this book because Addie tells her father about Thanksgiving and that Mrs. Thompson, Addie's teacher, said that the pilgrims had Thanksgiving with their archenemy the Indians. BRAVO!!! :)
I think other 9 year olds would like to read The Thanksgiving Treasure because Addie is nice, funny, and brave. I also like this book because I think it's amazing that Addie befriended an old, mean man named Mr Rehnquist. Mr. Rehnquist was her father's archenemy. Finally, I like this book because Addie tells her father about Thanksgiving and that Mrs. Thompson, Addie's teacher, said that the pilgrims had Thanksgiving with their archenemy the Indians. BRAVO!!! :)
November 14, 2022
Very sweet book. Language caution.
November 17, 2025
I’m am so glad we found this book! I reread the Christmas one every year and this one was just a good!!!
September 21, 2020
Looking for Fall themed and Halloween themed books now. Chose this. I don’t remember reading it before, but it wasn’t written until the 70’s so I’d have been too old probably. But i do remember watching the TV movie, also the other movie based on The Year Without a Christmas Tree.
November 19, 2014
Addie Mills
my first introduction to Addie Mills was in the 70's when The House Without a Christmas Tree was made for TV. having children who were the and are now creative and artistic (both teachers now) we were awed by Addie's cut-out pictures coming to life. We were all thrilled when The Thanksgiving Treasure (Promise) was made for TV....then came the Easter and Valentine productions. Television prompted me to locate the books by Gail Rock. I love reading them all. So, once again, I made my annual visit to the home of Addie, her friends, her father, James and her Grandmother. I was present at her Thanksgiving dinner with her Aunt and Uncle and her incorrigible cousin Henry. I read about her friendship with the recluse, Mr. Rendquist, her special friend....just like the pilgrims made friends with their would be enemies, Addie was insistent upon making a friend of a family enemy. A beautiful lesson to learn. Now, since I have read the book again, it's time to pull out The DVD and watch, The Thanksgiving Promise (Treasure). Read the books for your own enjoyment; especially if you are a child of the forties. Read them to your children and grandchildren......Nostalgic reading.
my first introduction to Addie Mills was in the 70's when The House Without a Christmas Tree was made for TV. having children who were the and are now creative and artistic (both teachers now) we were awed by Addie's cut-out pictures coming to life. We were all thrilled when The Thanksgiving Treasure (Promise) was made for TV....then came the Easter and Valentine productions. Television prompted me to locate the books by Gail Rock. I love reading them all. So, once again, I made my annual visit to the home of Addie, her friends, her father, James and her Grandmother. I was present at her Thanksgiving dinner with her Aunt and Uncle and her incorrigible cousin Henry. I read about her friendship with the recluse, Mr. Rendquist, her special friend....just like the pilgrims made friends with their would be enemies, Addie was insistent upon making a friend of a family enemy. A beautiful lesson to learn. Now, since I have read the book again, it's time to pull out The DVD and watch, The Thanksgiving Promise (Treasure). Read the books for your own enjoyment; especially if you are a child of the forties. Read them to your children and grandchildren......Nostalgic reading.
November 16, 2018
I remember being very fond of the Addie Mills' stories when I was in fourth grade. My fourth grade teacher read them aloud to us. So I was pretty pleased when I found a copy of this Thanksgiving edition at a library book sale recently. Addie Mills is an outspoken, sassy sixth grader growing up in Nebraska in the late 1940s. She lives with her father and her grandmother and her best friend, Carla Mae, lives next door. This book tells the story of the Thanksgiving of 1947 and Addie's strong desire to live up to the meaning of Thanksgiving by becoming friends with Mr. Rehnquist. Mr. Rehnquist and Addie's father have strong animosity towards each other following a business dispute from many years prior. Young readers would be able to relate to the way Addie interacts with her father, grandmother, and best friend. There are several dramatic moments as Addie finds herself very close to getting into trouble. And there are several heartwarming moments as Addie learns about building relationship with those who are lonely and marginalized from society. This is one that would be a good addition to middle grade book collections.
June 7, 2008
When I saw this book on the library shelf I thought, "Oh, another book about the girl from The House Without a Christmas Tree" - which I used to read at least once a year while I was growing up - and still need to add to my childhood-favorites shelf. So I was excited to read all about Addie and another holiday adventure - this time at Thanksgiving. Funny thing, though, as I was reading, it started to feel more and more familiar. By the end I realized I HAD read it before, but probably only once many, many years ago. It was great to catch up with Addie again. This is a great story of Thanksgiving, friendship, love, and a horse named Treasure. Now I need to go dig out my old copy of The House Without a Christmas Tree.
August 14, 2012
The Thanksgiving Treasure is intended for a kindergarten through fifth grade audience. It is a good and wholesome read. Addie loves Roy Rogers but is especially enraptured with his horse Trigger. She dreams of having a horse of her own. Mrs. Thompson, Addie's teacher, shares the story of the first Thanksgiving and the kindness extended from the pilgrims toward their enemies the Indians. Addie decides to take this historical lesson and apply it to circumstances in her own life. If you appreciated the ending in Michael Morpurgo's War Horse, you are likely to enjoy the conclusion to Gail Rock's The Thanksgiving Treasure.
November 18, 2018
Norman Rockwell in Words
I first saw a dramatization of Miss Rock's House Without a Christmas Tree...It was many many years ago and I am still nostalgic about it ...This is Anericana at its finest...better than apple pie or hot chocolate on a winter's night..A Thanksgiving Treasure is a Norman Rockwell painting come to life..the tale told is flawless..though the book is not sentimental I was moved to tears several times..this tale is humorous and sad the characters as real as it gets..You will wish you lived in such a town as Clear River in 1947 where they do not even have a phone..very refreshing!
I first saw a dramatization of Miss Rock's House Without a Christmas Tree...It was many many years ago and I am still nostalgic about it ...This is Anericana at its finest...better than apple pie or hot chocolate on a winter's night..A Thanksgiving Treasure is a Norman Rockwell painting come to life..the tale told is flawless..though the book is not sentimental I was moved to tears several times..this tale is humorous and sad the characters as real as it gets..You will wish you lived in such a town as Clear River in 1947 where they do not even have a phone..very refreshing!
December 27, 2019
Set a year after The House Without a Christmas Tree, this story follows Addie Mills during Thanksgiving. In school Addie learns about the meaning of friendship behind Thanksgiving and takes it upon herself to show some kindness to her father's enemy, Mr. Rehnquist. When inviting Mr. Rehnquist to Thanksgiving dinner with her family doesn't work, Addie decides to bring Thanksgiving to him. In this small act of kindness, Addie soon finds an unlikely friend in her lonely neighbor.
A short read but still otherwise meaningful. A good reminder of how acts of kindness can really make a difference in ourselves and to others.
A short read but still otherwise meaningful. A good reminder of how acts of kindness can really make a difference in ourselves and to others.
February 5, 2017
I picked up this book many, many years ago when I was in grade school. It was fun and enjoyable then. I just reread it, and I was a little more bothered by Addie being a little self-centered and not focused on consequences than I used to be, but it's still a fun and enjoyable story. The horse lover in me would have liked to have Treasure be more central of a character, but it's a decent little story regardless.
December 8, 2017
I first read this in the 1970s when I was in 4th grade, and I remember the TV special, too. The story thrilled me back then with the spunky 11-year-old Addie making her own decisions and befriending a lonely old man. Re-read it for the first time in decades today. I have a new appreciation for the grandmother, and Addie is still spunky, but she's thoughtful, too.
November 26, 2023
When I taught fourth grade I read this lovely little children's novel each year to my students. It's set in a small town in Nebraska in the late forties. A middle grade girl befriends her father's archenemy in order to share the true meaning of Thanksgiving. Many surprising events unfold as a result. I recommend this short but classic tale of the benefit and value of friendship.
January 28, 2018
This is an adorable book I remember from my childhood. Reading it as an adult, I could remember the author's exact words in certain places. A book that reminds us all what compassion is all about. Loved it--again!
December 11, 2021
Great for middle grade students - tells of simpler, more innocent times, friendship and the spirit of generosity.
It's dated so some of the sentiment around Thanksgiving may not stand up, but there is a lesson to be learned about sharing and forgiveness.
It's dated so some of the sentiment around Thanksgiving may not stand up, but there is a lesson to be learned about sharing and forgiveness.
November 3, 2011
Loved the book, loved the television special when I was a girl. I wish I could see the show again (it's not out on DVD) but I enjoyed rereading the story.
November 29, 2024
The world needs more Thanksgiving novels. It's a whole market at Christmastime, but there are like three non-picture books for Thanksgiving if you leave out all the historical "pilgrims and native Americans" books. Why? There are even a bunch of Halloween novels, but poor Thanksgiving gets neglected.
This was a sweet and an unexpectedly sad book. I read it aloud to our 10 & 13 yo, and my voice got husky on the last page. My husband was listening in too, and had to get up to unobtrusively blow his nose. He told me (somewhat accusingly), "I didn't know this was going to be a *sad* book." Me either! Sad in a sweet way, and probably not a tear-jerker if you aren't already a bit raw from family with failing health.
While venturing into Nebraska's late autumnal countryside in search of "winter bouquet" components, Addie and her best friend Carla Mae stumble upon a crotchety elderly man named Mr. Rehnquist whom Addie finds out owes her father money for a job that's hotly contested by both parties. After learning about the spirit of friendship in the historical Thanksgiving at school, Addie decides that she will mend fences with her father's enemy by sneaking him a Thanksgiving meal lifted from her own table. A surprising friendship springs up as Addie continues to visit Mr. Rehnquist and help exercise his horse, Treasure, that she also dearly loves. Addie is shocked by her elderly friend's death and breaks the news to her father, who does not take her sneakiness in helping an "enemy" well. Mr. Rehnquist's lawyer arrives to surprise them all with two last gifts that are a balm to both Addie and her father.
Content concerns: mild occasional swearing mostly from the father (h*ll), children disobeying parental rules for safety and being sneaky about it so they don't have to lie (this eventually comes to light and is dealt with), natural non-graphic death of an elderly person, absent mother due a long ago death.
This was a sweet and an unexpectedly sad book. I read it aloud to our 10 & 13 yo, and my voice got husky on the last page. My husband was listening in too, and had to get up to unobtrusively blow his nose. He told me (somewhat accusingly), "I didn't know this was going to be a *sad* book." Me either! Sad in a sweet way, and probably not a tear-jerker if you aren't already a bit raw from family with failing health.
While venturing into Nebraska's late autumnal countryside in search of "winter bouquet" components, Addie and her best friend Carla Mae stumble upon a crotchety elderly man named Mr. Rehnquist whom Addie finds out owes her father money for a job that's hotly contested by both parties. After learning about the spirit of friendship in the historical Thanksgiving at school, Addie decides that she will mend fences with her father's enemy by sneaking him a Thanksgiving meal lifted from her own table. A surprising friendship springs up as Addie continues to visit Mr. Rehnquist and help exercise his horse, Treasure, that she also dearly loves. Addie is shocked by her elderly friend's death and breaks the news to her father, who does not take her sneakiness in helping an "enemy" well. Mr. Rehnquist's lawyer arrives to surprise them all with two last gifts that are a balm to both Addie and her father.
Content concerns: mild occasional swearing mostly from the father (h*ll), children disobeying parental rules for safety and being sneaky about it so they don't have to lie (this eventually comes to light and is dealt with), natural non-graphic death of an elderly person, absent mother due a long ago death.
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March 8, 2020A children's book given to me by a male friend of my age. These were the type of stories we grew up reading. These did not shelter us from the hard lessons of life but contained moral teachings to prepare us for life's journey. How different from so many of the children's book of today of fantasy and silliness. Of what value are these?
December 9, 2019
Finally got around to finishing a Thanksgiving read. Sweet story about befriending the "unloveable." I'll have the kiddos read it next year.
October 29, 2020
Sixth grader Addie finds out the true meaning of Thanksgiving when she takes a Thanksgiving meal to an elderly town outcast.
November 13, 2021
I loved it when I was a kid and reading it again now I still love it.
December 12, 2021
Not bad, but not a favorite. Predictable. Two 11 yr old girls bring Thanksgiv dinner to their arch enemy, who croaks soon after, and wills his horse to the one girl who became his friend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2024
These books are like a warm hug. Somehow, I never knew this one existed as a kid when I read 2 of the other Addie books. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous.
December 11, 2025
This was a good story, and I loved the horse.
December 13, 2019
The language was not expected and was disappointing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews