The Homecoming, by Ray Bradbury, beautifully weaves together a lyrical writing style and a tale of longing. Bradbury uses a fantasy story about monsters to convey a feeling that is quite human–the desire to belong. The protagonist of the story, a young boy, waits eagerly for an expected family reunion. Much like all young children who have anticipated a large family reunion, he looks forward excitedly to the festivities and to finding out what his extended family are really like. The story is a brief one, but the author packs the few pages with colorful, unique characters and descriptive settings that feel immersive to the reader. The descriptions are further enhanced by the skillful art of the illustrator, Dave McKean. This story is a hauntingly memorable tale where the characters in the story, being vampires, can’t see their reflections, but the reader may very well see aspects of their humanity reflected in the tale.

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  4 mild obscenities.

Violence/Gore:  It is implied that characters drink blood, though this is not explicitly stated; a character drowns in mud; a character bites someone; report of a character shot with arrows.

Sex/Nudity:  An illustration shows characters dancing with their arms around each other, and one couple is kissing.

Mature Subject Matter:

None

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Characters drink wine; a character in an illustration is smoking a cigarette.