Wolfner :: Recommended Readings :: Youth Bibliographies :: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving

December, 2013

To order any of these titles, contact the library by email, mail, or phone. You may also request these titles online through WolfPAC. Identification numbers for braille books begin with BR, large print books begin with LP and audiobooks begin with DB. All audiobooks listed are linked to the Braille and Audio Reading Download site (BARD) for downloading. Happy Reading!

Preschool to Grade 2

Silly Tilly's Thanksgiving Dinner 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. LP 1006.

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. 1999. LP 1322. MDB 11129.
Download Thanksgiving Day, DB61432. Read by Kate Kiley. Reading time 5 minutes.

Kindergarten to Grade 3

Balloons over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet
Recounts the history of the giant helium-filled character balloons that float every year since 1928 in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Discusses Tony Sarg's love for puppets, which set the stage for his creations. Robert F. Sibert. Commercial audiobook. 2011.
Download Balloons Over Broadway: the True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade , DB 75815. Read by John McDonough. Reading time 17 minutes.

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. 1995. BR 50818.

Fluffy's Thanksgiving by Kate McMullan
After starring as an ear of corn in his school's Thanksgiving play, the classroom guinea pig enjoys his holiday at Maxwell's home, where he scares Grammy and battles a monster. 1997. BR 18965.

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. 1995. 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. 2004.
Download I Am the Turkey, DB59832. Read by Barbara Caruso. Reading time 11 minutes.

Know-Nothings Talk Turkey by Michele Spirn
The Know-Nothings have read that the way to celebrate Thanksgiving is to serve a turkey dinner. But how can they serve the turkey his dinner when he won't even sit down? Pictures by R.W Alley. I Can Read series, level 2. 2000. LP 2096.

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. Illustrated by Matt Faulkner. 2002.
MDB11179. Read by Mary Grace Newman. Reading time 24 minutes.

Thanks to Lucy by Ilene Cooper
Bobby Quinn has a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving--his grandmother's visit, an adopted baby brother or sister on the way--but what he's most thankful for is his beagle Lucy, who hasn't been acting like herself lately. Illustrated by David Merrell. Absolutely Lucy series, book 6. 2013. LP002344.

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. BR 2187.
Download Thanksgiving Story, DB 26489. Read by Mary O'Neal. Reading time 18 minutes.

Grades 2 to 4

Amber Brown Is Feeling Blue by Paula Danziger
Nine-year-old Amber Brown experiences new problems since her parents' divorce. Because Kelly Green arrives, Amber is regretfully no longer the only person in class with a "colorful" name. And Amber must decide which parent to spend Thanksgiving with because her father is returning from Paris. 1998.
Download Amber Brown Is Feeling Blue, DB58920. Read by Madelyn Buzzard. Reading time 1 hour 34 minutes.

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. 2005.
Download Gooney Bird and the Room Mother, DB61256. Read by Anne Hancock. Reading time 1 hour 30 minutes.

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. 1988. 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. 1982. BR 05451.
Download It's Thanksgiving, DB 20097. Read by Kay Bergen. Reading time 9 minutes.

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. 2002. BR 16201.
Download Lenny and Mel, DB61393. Read by Rick Wiseman. Reading time 34 minutes.

Molly's Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen
Told to make a pilgrim doll for the Thanksgiving display at school. Molly's Jewish mother dresses the doll as she herself dressed before leaving Russia to seek religious freedom in America. Molly is so embarrassed that she can hardly show the doll at school, but she learns that it takes all kinds of pilgrims to make a Thanksgiving. 1983. BR 13495.
Download Molly's Pilgrim, DB21685. Read by Mimi Bederman. Reading time 18 minutes.

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. 1988. 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". 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. 2001. BR 13914.
Download The Story of Thanksgiving, DB53181. Read by Mimi Bederman. Reading time 16 minutes.

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. BR 7257.
Download Henry and Mudge under the Yellow Moon, DB30725. Read by Mitzi Friedlander. Reading time 10 minutes.

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. 2002.
Download Thanksgiving, DB54375. Read by Laura Giannarelli. Reading time 19 minutes.

The 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. BR 50620.

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. 2002. BR 14513.
Download Thanksgiving on Thursday, DB55024.

Grades 3 to 6

1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving by Catherine O'Neill Grace
Discusses the facts of the 1621 harvest celebration shared by the colonists and the Wampanoag Indians who joined them in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Explains the evolution of the myths of the first Thanksgiving and the historical reality. 2001.
Download 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving, DB66401. Read by Judith Ann Gantly. Reading time 1 hour 10 minutes.

Boys against Girls by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
The Hatford brothers cannot imagine spending Thanksgiving dinner with the Malloy sisters as the practical jokes and rivalries between the two families continue. The Boys-Girls Battle series, book 3. LP 00108.

Kit Learns a Lesson--A School Story by Valerie
In this sequel to Meet Kit, Kit learns hard lessons about the Great Depression. At school, Kit fights with a boy who makes fun of her out-of-work father. But a Thanksgiving delivery to a soup kitchen teaches Kit to be thankful. 2000. BR 17175.
Download Kit Learns a Lesson--A School Story, DB64079. Tripp Read by Gillian Green. Reading time 1 hour 19 minutes.

Needle and Thread by Ann M. Martin
The girls are starting to feel settled in Camden Falls, but Flora is worried about their first Thanksgiving without their parents and Ruby is worried about trying out for the school play. Main Street series, book 2. 2007. BR 51976.

An 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. BR 08552.

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. 2003.
Download Turkey Monster Thanksgiving, DB57552. Read by Colleen Delany. Reading time 1 hour 50 minutes.

Grades 4 to 7

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. 1999.
 Download To Every Season: A Family Holiday Cookbook, 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. 2000. BR 13887.

Grades 5 to 8

The New York Public Library Amazing Native American History: A Book of Answers for Kids
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?" 1999. BR 12989.

Grades 6 to 9

Thanksgiving: The True Story by Penny Colman
Examines the origins and history of the Thanksgiving holiday as observed in the United States, including information about twelve locations that claim to have held the "first" celebration. Discusses traditional family gatherings, activities (sports and parades), food and menus, and Thanksgiving's broader meaning. 2008.
Download Thanksgiving: The True Story, DB69151. Read by Laura Giannarelli. Reading time 3 hours 48 minutes.

Junior and Senior High

Episodes: My Life as I See It by Blaze Ginsberg
Blaze, a high-functioning autistic teenager who was the subject of his mother's book Raising Blaze (RC 55558), describes his life as a series of episodes. Relates experiences like Thanksgiving family dinners and his crush on Hillary Duff. Strong language. Commercial audiobook. 2009.
Download Episodes: My Life as I See It, DB69969. Read by MacLeod Andrews. Reading time 8 hours, 30 minutes. 

Now Picture This by Robin Jones Gunn
As relatives gather at the Jensen household for Thanksgiving, Sierra wants privacy to reflect on Paul's recent letter. Sierra avoids the chaos by dreaming of being Paul's girlfriend, but then she begins to wonder if it's OK with God to ignore her family. 1998.
Download Now Picture This, DB60586. Read by Margaret Strom. Reading time 4 hours 24 minutes.