THANKSGIVING BOOK LIST
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MY TOP FIVE
MY TOP FIVE
My heart for this book list is to focus on the true meaning of Thanksgiving - gratefulness for the blessings God has given us and the history behind why we celebrate.
by Phyllis Alsdurf
Every year a family and their friends gather in the woods to celebrate Thanksgiving among the trees. Everyone brings something to share and the day becomes a long celebration of family, faith, and friendship.
by Eileen Spinelli
Focus on the blessings that we tend to take for granted. Appreciate essential workers and what people in our everyday lives provide: “Like the gardener thankful for every green sprout, and the fireman, for putting the fire out.”
by Dawn Casey
A child says thank you for the gifts nature provides, from hazelnuts in the hedge to apples from the tree, eggs from the hens to milk from the cow. Eventually, the family has enough ingredients to make something special… a delicious apple cake!
Thanksgiving is for...
by Margaret Sutherland
Thanksgiving is about pilgrims and history--and turkey, of course!--but most importantly, it's a holiday all about everything that we are thankful for.
by Eileen Spinelli
Thanksgiving is always a big day at the Tappletons'. But this Thanksgiving each task is interrupted by calamity and hilarity.
by Wende Devlin
Every year Grandmother invited a guest for Thanksgiving dinner and allowed Maggie to do the same. "Ask someone poor or lonely," she always said.
by Abby Levine
Max is excited about the big turkey he has picked out for his family's Thanksgiving dinner. He and his sister help prepare the fixings, and soon his friends and relatives bring their own dishes and merriment.
by Elizabeth Spurr
As the eccentric Peterkin family sits down to Thanksgiving dinner, they learn that their turkey and the rest of the food has become stuck in the dumbwaiter.
by Bonnie Jensen
From watching the autumn leaves fall to picking pumpkins from the patch, from sharing a Thanksgiving meal with loved ones to learning how to give--there's so much to be thankful for!
by Kathy-jo Wargin
Most days, Mary loves her new home in America. But now it's Thanksgiving time, and her family has little food. Mary begins to wish she could go back to Ireland. Life isn't fair.
by Anne Kamma
Written from a child's perspective, an addition to a popular series answers questions about this historic harvest festival, life in the new settlement of Plymouth, and the Pilgrims' friendship with Squanto, Samoset, and more.
by Diane Shore
"This is Thanksgiving, a time to remember the friendships and freedoms we all share together."
The Pilgrims embarked on their legendary Mayflower voyage in 1620 in search of religious freedom and a better life.
by Rhonda Gowler Greene
This is the food, gathered and blessed,
the corn and sweet berries, and wild turkey dressed, shared on the very first Thanksgiving Day.
by Folliott S. Pierpoint
The lyrics of For the Beauty of the Earth, originally written in 1864, celebrate creation, family, music, and community. Illustrations bring the words to life, capturing the rich imagery of the song. The book includes the written music and lyrics so families can sing the song together.
by Oge Mora
Everyone in the neighborhood dreams of a taste of Omu's delicious stew! One by one, they follow their noses toward the scrumptious scent. And one by one, Omu offers a portion of her meal. Soon the pot is empty. Has she been so generous that she has nothing left for herself?
Pat Zietlow Miller
In this spirited ode to the holiday, set at the turn of the twentieth century, a large family works together to make their special meal. Mama prepares the turkey, Daddy tends the fire, Sister kneads, and Brother bastes. Everyone—from Grandma and Grandpa to the littlest baby—has a special job to do.
by P.K. Hallinan
From helping prepare the meal to counting blessings, children will identify with the familiar aspects of the holiday. 'I'm grateful for blessings that just never end, but mostly I'm thankful. . . for family and friends.'
by Mark Molton
When a young boy wonders whether there will be enough food for everyone, Grandma gently reminds him: "The more you love and care, the more there always seems to be."
by Lisa Bergren
As Mama and Lil Pup explore, she reminds him that God is the giver of all good things. Lil Pup learns that even when something fun comes to an end; his heart can be thankful when he sets his mind on the best things in his life.
by Charlotte Herman
For Katie, nothing compares to Thanksgiving at Grandma's. There are the aunts and uncles, whom Katie loves to see each year. But a cherished object is broken at dinner, and Katie blames herself for spoiling the day.
by Sheri Wall
I Am Thankful is an adorable, rhyming storybook that follows three different families as they celebrate the holiday with their own traditions, acts of kindness, and ways of giving back.
by Margaret Willey
Pressed against the windowsill in breathless anticipation, a little girl cannot wait for her beloved uncles to arrive for Thanksgiving dinner. She begs her mother to tell her about each and every one of them.
by Alice Dalgliesh
Giles, Constance and Damaris Hopkins are all passengers aboard the crowded Mayflower, journeying to the New World to start a new life. Things get a little more cramped when their baby brother Oceanus is born during the passage.
by Eric MeTexas
This entertaining and historical story shows that the actual hero of Thanksgiving was neither white nor Native American, but God.
by Carol Ryrie Brink
Goody O'Grumpity's spice cake is so chocked full of wonderful things that ""the children flocked by the dozens and tens"" just to lick the bowl.
by Karma Wilson
Bear has come up with the perfect way to say thanks—a nice big dinner! When Bear decides to throw a feast, his friends show up one by one with different platters of delicious food to share. There’s just one problem: Bear’s cupboards are bare! What is he to do?
by Mark Molton
When a young boy wonders whether there will be enough food for everyone, Grandma gently reminds him: "The more you love and care, the more there always seems to be."
by Melissa Sweet
​Meet the master puppeteer who invented the first balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Melissa Sweet brings to life the inspirational story of the puppeteer who invented the giant balloons floating in the sky during the annual parade celebrating Thanksgiving.