Nine-year-old Katie Jordan lives with her dad and three-year-old brother. This year, instead of celebrating Thanksgiving in their traditional way by eating pizza in their pajamas, Katie wants to create the perfect holiday and be just like a real family. But by Thanksgiving Day, Katie has invited guests Dad didn`t expect, festooned the house with what may be poison oak, set the sweet potatoes on fire, and forced her little brother to face a dreadful turkey monster by himself. At the end, however, Katie, her family, and her guests sit down to a most unusual dinner--one that succeeds because it comes more from the heart than from fancy decorations and elaborate menus.