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The 329th Friend
Bored with his life, Emery Raccoon decides to throw a party, inviting 328 guests to lunch, but when the day of the party arrives, Emery finds only disappointment and must learn to live alone with himself. Reissue.
- GenresChildrensPicture Books
Library Binding
First published January 1, 1979
2 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Marjorie Weinman Sharmat
249 books116 followersMarjorie Weinman Sharmat was an American children's writer. She wrote more than 130 books for children and teens and her books have been translated into several languages. They have won awards including Book of the Year by the Library of Congress or have become selections by the Literary Guild.
Perhaps Sharmat's most popular work features the child detective Nate the Great. He was inspired by and named after her father, who lived to see the first Nate book published. One story, Nate the Great Goes Undercover, was adapted as a made-for-TV movie that won the Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival Award. Sharmat's husband Mitchell Sharmat expanded Nate's storyline by creating Olivia Sharp, his cousin and fellow detective. Husband and wife wrote four Olivia Sharp books published 1989 to 1991. During the 1990s, their son Craig Sharmat (then in his thirties) wrote three Nate books with his mother. In the late 2010s, their other son Andrew Sharmat co-wrote the last two Nate books written while Marjorie Weinman Sharmat was alive. With Marjorie Weinman Sharmat's passing in 2019 Andrew has continued writing the series with Nate the Great and the Earth Day Robot (2021).
In the mid-1980s Sharmat wrote three books published in 1984 and 1985 under the pseudonym Wendy Andrews.
Sharmat also wrote the Sorority Sisters series, eight short novels published in 1986 and 1987. They are romantic fiction with a sense of humor. They are set in a California public high school (day school for ages 14 to 18, approximately).
Perhaps Sharmat's most popular work features the child detective Nate the Great. He was inspired by and named after her father, who lived to see the first Nate book published. One story, Nate the Great Goes Undercover, was adapted as a made-for-TV movie that won the Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival Award. Sharmat's husband Mitchell Sharmat expanded Nate's storyline by creating Olivia Sharp, his cousin and fellow detective. Husband and wife wrote four Olivia Sharp books published 1989 to 1991. During the 1990s, their son Craig Sharmat (then in his thirties) wrote three Nate books with his mother. In the late 2010s, their other son Andrew Sharmat co-wrote the last two Nate books written while Marjorie Weinman Sharmat was alive. With Marjorie Weinman Sharmat's passing in 2019 Andrew has continued writing the series with Nate the Great and the Earth Day Robot (2021).
In the mid-1980s Sharmat wrote three books published in 1984 and 1985 under the pseudonym Wendy Andrews.
Sharmat also wrote the Sorority Sisters series, eight short novels published in 1986 and 1987. They are romantic fiction with a sense of humor. They are set in a California public high school (day school for ages 14 to 18, approximately).
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 7, 2020
In this one, Emery is a raccoon with a problem involving self worth: he doesn't feel any. He's always in his tree home eating huge piles of cold mashed potatoes, piled up like in Close Encounters, the classic film from 1978. Emery needs friends, and lots of them. (This means something, this is important.) So he sends invite cards to 328 forest critters to a nice sit down dinner. 328 friends arrive, eat, and chat pleasantly, though not with Emery. So Emery heads back, has a solo meal and figures wow, he's his own best friend, the 329th friend. He comes back out and, wouldn't you know it, the other 328 are waiting for him asking where their new friend Emery raccoon is. Hidden moral: people only love you when you love yourself. This is exactly the wrong message, and not based on any truth whatsoever. It's the same bullshit driven into my head in dozens of mental health facilities I've been in. Fortunately I never listened. I have ideas of my own. Eat THOSE potatoes!
Three stars (for effort)
....though the book is as cold as those potatoes.
Three stars (for effort)
....though the book is as cold as those potatoes.
December 14, 2017
A decent book. It could easily be titled, "How Emery Discovered How to Love Himself: The Tale of a Raccoon Who Didn't Know He Was an Introvert". But the author went with a more creative title, and it's quite good.
Not particularly exciting to read or discuss with children, unless maybe you have a child who is particularly interested in this particular book. It definitely is still a good read, but taken out from the library so you can return it. It's not the sort of book to read over and over again.
Not particularly exciting to read or discuss with children, unless maybe you have a child who is particularly interested in this particular book. It definitely is still a good read, but taken out from the library so you can return it. It's not the sort of book to read over and over again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2023
A favorite of mine growing up, it was delightful to re-read so many years later. I admit I'm trying to remember what was the most engaging about this -- I know I was enamored with the idea of bringing so many people together like Emery does here. So charming.
(Rating based largely on sentimentality)
(Rating based largely on sentimentality)
June 19, 2024
He didn't have any friends so he invited lots of people over. But then he got sad and went by himself. Sometimes it's good to be by yourself/ and talk to yourself too. But then his friends came. He didn't have a family. What happened to his family?What happened to this family? His friends were happy to see him. He was ok by his lone and with his friends too. - Khi 3
April 10, 2023
A lonely racoon invites 328 friends over for a meal and learns about how much others care for him. A book about friendship and math. Okay but overly long.
December 28, 2022
Emery Raccoon learns to love himself!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews