Tru & Nelle: A Christmas Tale

Gr 4–7—As in Neri's first book about the real-life Truman Capote and Harper Lee, middle grade readers will laugh, cry, and be surprised by the many unlikely situations these preteens seem to find for themselves and their families. Neri uses real events from the Christmas seasons of 1935, 1937, and 1956 to weave his tales. In 1935, Tru is given the choice to stay in Monroeville, AL, or return to New York with his mother. Two years after choosing the latter, Tru finds himself running away from military school to return to his relatives in Monroeville, only to find their house in flames. Tru and his friends have a run-in with a bully over a Christmas tree and watch a murder trial unfold that could end in a lynching by the Ku Klux Klan. They ultimately celebrate the holidays in jail with the men convicted of murder. By 1957, Truman and Nelle, now adults, are both living in New York City. With the Great Depression as a backdrop, this title will be most enjoyed by readers of historical fiction.