This book has two short stories, one that happens at Thanksgiving, and one that happens the night before Christmas. The first story has Derek, a 12 year old boy that lives on a farm. He is told by his father that he must watch the Thanksgiving Turkey be killed. It will make him "grow up". Derek was given this turkey in March of the year, and he grew to call him Tom, and think of him as his best friend. As his father goes out to the barn to get things ready, Derek's father is hit by a horse shoe, and is knocked out. He wakes up into a nightmare, where the turkey comes after him. (everything works out), they have pizza for thanksgiving.
The Christmas story takes place the night before, Jimmy a 12 year old that lost his father in the war, is selfish and only thinks about himself. A small Asian boy is on his doorstep as he gets home from the Christmas Eve service with his mom. He learns that there are some worse off than him. There is a snow storm and the phones are dead.
The boy gets worse, and in the end Jimmy learns that the boy is not who he seems. It ends with a verse about what you do to the least of these... you do to God.