Thanksgiving Books Available from Wolfner Library
Not all titles are available in all formats. At the end of each annotation you will find the call number or numbers for each title. BR means braille. LP means large print. RC and WOC mean recorded cassette. MOD is a recording in cassette format made by Wolfner Library volunteers.
To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail or phone. You may also request these titles online through our OPAC. Happy Reading!
Books for Preschool-Grade 2
Silly Tilly’s Thanksgiving Day by Lillian Hoban.
Forgetful Silly Tilly Mole nearly succeeds in ruining her Thanksgiving dinner, but her animal friends come to the rescue with tasty treats. An I Can Read Book, Level 1. For grades K-3.
LP 1006 (and MOD 47 which is in production and can be reserved).
Thanksgiving Day by Anne Rockwell.
After their teacher, Mrs. Madoff, reads a story about the first Thanksgiving, the class acts out the story in a play. For preschool-grade 2. LP 1322 (and RC 61432 which is currently in production and can be reserved).
Books for Kindergarten-Grade 3
Don’t Eat Too Much Turkey by Miriam Cohen.
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, Jim and his friends in the first grade are busy preparing for a special holiday, painting a mural, writing a play, and creating a giant turkey costume. For grades K-2. BR 50818.
Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp.
Adapted especially for children by a Mohawk chief who has shared this inspiring vision of Thanksgiving all over the world, these words originated with the Native people of upstate New York and Canada and are based on the belief that the natural world is a precious and rare gift that should be cherished. Print/Braille book. For grades K-3. BR 50744.
I Am the Turkey by Michele Sobel Spirn.
Mark does not look forward to being the turkey in his second grade class's Thanksgiving play, but at the performance he ends up saving the day. Easy chapter book. I Can Read Book, Level 2. For grades K-3. RC 59832.
Little Bear’s Thanksgiving by Janice.
Little Bear's friends work hard to wake him from his winter sleep so he can eat Thanksgiving dinner at Goldie's house. For grades K-3. RC 11594.
Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson.
Relates how Sarah Hale, a magazine editor and author, persuaded President Lincoln to transform Thanksgiving Day into a national holiday. LP 1282 and MOD 39.
The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh.
This story follows the Hopkins family from the time they leave England through their difficult voyage on the Mayflower to the first Thanksgiving feast at Plymouth, Massachusetts. For grades K-3.
BR 2187 and RC 26489.
Books for Grades 2-4
Daisy’s Crazy Thanksgiving by Margery Cuyler.
Daisy usually spends Thanksgiving helping out in her parents' restaurant. Wanting something different this year, Daisy decides to have her holiday meal with her grandparents. Though her mother warns Daisy to expect a zoo, Daisy is unprepared for the frolicsome encounter. For grades 2-4. RC 43795.
Gooney Bird and the Room Mother by Lois Lowry.
In November, Gooney Bird's second-grade class begins work on their Thanksgiving pageant, but they still don't have a room mother to provide refreshments. For grades 2-4. RC 61256.
Henry and Mudge Under the Yellow Moon by Cynthia Rylant.
It's fall! Henry and his big dog Mudge love to walk in the woods to watch the leaves turn colors. They love to dress up for Halloween and listen to spooky stories, and they enjoy sharing Thanksgiving dinner. Easy reading for grades 2-4. BR 7257 and BR 51281 (Print/Braille) and RC 30725.
How Many Days to America?: A Thanksgiving Story by Eve Bunting.
Refugees from a Caribbean island embark on a dangerous boat trip to America where they have a special reason to celebrate Thanksgiving. For grades 2-4. LP 50142.
It’s Thanksgiving by Jack Prelutsky.
Twelve original, humorous poems about Thanksgiving feature the traditional family dinner, the first Thanksgiving, turkey thoughts, Dad's disastrous carving job, and too many turkey leftovers. For grades 2-4 and older readers. BR 5451 and RC 20097.
Kit Learns a Lesson: A School Story by Valerie Tripp.
In 1934, Kit finds she has hard lessons to learn about the Depression both at home, where she is helping her mother run a boarding house while her father looks for a new job, and at school, where a fight spoils the preparations for the Thanksgiving pageant. For grades 3-6. BR 50963.
Lenny and Mel by Erik P. Kraft.
Twin brothers Lenny and Mel celebrate holidays in some unusual ways. After eating Thanksgiving turkey for a week, the boys put the remains under Mel's pillow for the Leftover Fairy to exchange for money. Beginning chapter book. For grades 2-4. BR 16201 (and RC 61393 is currently in production and may be reserved).
Millie Cooper, 3B by Charlotte Herman.
The frustrations and joys of a third grader as she gets ready for Thanksgiving and prepares an essay on why she is special. Millie's 1946 experiences are not highly unlike those of contemporary third graders. For grades 2-4. BR 6613 and RC 24720.
Molly’s Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen.
Molly is an immigrant Jewish girl from Russia. Molly's mother helps her make a Pilgrim doll for a Thanksgiving school assignment, but dresses it as she dressed in Russia before fleeing religious persecution. Molly is at first embarrassed about the doll, but learns there are many kinds of pilgrims. For grades 2-4 and older readers. BR 5741 and BR 13495 and RC 21685.
Peanut-Butter Pilgrims by Judy Delton.
All the Pee Wee Scouts love to celebrate the holidays, but Thanksgiving is not Molly Duff's favorite one. In fact, Thanksgiving is big trouble for Molly. For grades 2-4. BR 50732.
Squanto and the First Thanksgiving by Joyce K. Kessel.
The Thanksgiving story begins before the pilgrims landed--with an Indian named Squanto. Text and braille book with no pictures. An easy reader. For grades 2-4.
BR 50149.
The Story of Thanksgiving by Robert Merrill Bartlett.
Traces the history and customs of Thanksgiving, from the harvest festivals of the ancient world to American traditions in the twenty-first century. Tells how the Pilgrims spent their first few years in the New World and describes their thanksgiving celebrations with the Wampanoag Indians. For grades 2-4. BR 13914 and RC 53181.
Thanksgiving by Alice K. Flanagan.
Discusses harvest festivals in other times and places leading to the Pilgrims' and Wampanoag Indians' American Thanksgiving in 1620. Explains why Thanksgiving is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. Suggests ways to show thanks on this national holiday. For grades 2-4. RC 54375.
Thanksgiving Day Parade Mystery by Marion M. Markham.
When twins Kate and Mickey Dixon arrive downtown for the Thanksgiving Day parade, they discover that the entire marching band and the president of the bank have vanished, and the bank has been robbed. They soon figure out that Amos, a lock salesman, is somehow responsible. For grades 2-4. BR 50620 and RC 26082.
Thanksgiving on Thursday by Mary Pope Osborne.
The magic tree house takes Jack and Annie back to the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving celebration with the Wampanoag Indians. Preparing for the feast is harder than Annie and Jack realize and makes them even more thankful for living in modern times. For grades 2-4. BR 14513 and RC 55024.
Thanksgiving: Stories and Poems edited by Caroline Feller Bauer.
"Be thankful for noses on Thanksgiving Day" is just one of the many thoughts in this bountiful book of poems, stories, and even two recipes celebrating the all-American holiday. "The Ballad of the Mayflower" sets the scene of Pilgrims and Indians, "The Thanksgiving Day Parade" sends the giant balloons aloft, and "To Friendship" toasts those near and dear. For grades 2-4. RC 41604.
Books for Grades 3-6
Old-fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott.
Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women, first published this story in St. Nicholas magazine in 1881. It tells of the Thanksgiving dinner that the seven Bassett children prepare when Mrs. Bassett is called away to care for her ailing mother. For grades 3-6 and older readers. BR 8552 and RC 9773.
The First Thanksgiving by Lena Barksdale.
A warm story of a truly American feast in a truly American home. A little girl who lives in Maine travels by boat to Massachusetts to celebrate Thanksgiving with her grandparents, who took part in the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth forty years before. For grades 3-6. RC 12429.
Hoboken Chicken Emergency by D. Manus Pinkwater.
Arthur Bobowicz goes to pick up his family's Thanksgiving turkey at the butcher's and finds it's not there because of a mix-up. But resourceful Arthur ends up with a choice chicken--it just happens to weigh 266 pounds and cannot be returned. For grades 3-6.
RC 49681.
Turkey Monster Thanksgiving by Anne Warren Smith.
Fourth grader Katie accidentally invites her teacher over for Thanksgiving dinner, even though Katie, her three-year-old brother, and their dad usually only watch football in their pajamas and eat pizza. The motherless household's cooking is a disaster but everyone still has fun. For grades 3-6. RC 57552.
Wild Turkey, Tame Turkey by Dorothy Patent Hinshaw.
The turkey that has become a symbol of Thanksgiving is a big, dumb creature, but only as a result of domestication. The wild turkey is an intelligent, cunning, powerful bird whom Benjamin Franklin preferred over the bald eagle as a symbol of our nation. The author examines the history of the native North American turkey and compares it with its domesticated cousin. She also discusses the welfare of both populations. For grades 3-6.
RC 34496.
Books for Grades 4-7
Thanksgiving by Margaret Baldwin.
Describes the Thanksgiving holiday from the initial search of the Pilgrims for religious freedom, through the first winter and first Thanksgiving, to the national harvest festival that it is today. Includes games and recipes. For grades 4-7. RC 26068.
Thanksgiving Poems selected by Myra Cohn.
A rich collection of poems of Thanksgiving by authors such as Valerie Worth and David McCord, as well as selections from Native Americans and the Bible. For grades 4-7 and older readers.
RC 26292.
To Every Season: A Family Holiday Cookbook by Jane Breskin Zalben.
Presents a brief history of holidays throughout the calendar year with recipes for traditional favorites. Covers New Year's, Valentine's, St. Patrick's, April Fools', Easter, Passover, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Father's Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and Christmas. For grades 4-7 and older readers. BR 14146.
Turkeys, Pilgrims, and Indian Corn: The Story of the Thanksgiving Symbols by Edna Barth.
Explains why Americans give credit to the Pilgrims of Plymouth for the first Thanksgiving in 1621 and why it is celebrated by feasting. Discusses Pilgrim beliefs and customs. Describes some of the traditional foods associated with this national holiday. For grades 4-7. BR 13887 and RC 16319.
Books for Young Adult Readers
The New York Public Library Amazing Native American History: A Book of Answers for Kids by Liz Sonneborn.
Questions and answers present information on the history and culture of various Native American tribes. Provides brief responses to such questions as "Where did the first Indians come from?" "Did Indians celebrate Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims?" "How were totem poles made?" and "What is a powwow?" For grades 5-8. BR 12989.
Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote.
Eight-year-old Buddy--polite, neat, and small--was constantly being bullied by rough Odd Henderson, so it was a surprise to him when Odd, with neatly combed hair and an embarrassed look on his face, appeared at Buddy's door on Thanksgiving. For junior and senior high and older readers. RC 31284.