Recommended Books about Thanksgiving
Bruchac, Margaret M. (Abenaki), and Catherine Grace O’Neill, 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2001, grades 4-up
Hunter, Sally M. (Ojibwe), Four Seasons of Corn: A Winnebago Tradition. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 1997, grades 4-6.
Peters, Russell M. (Wampanoag), Clambake: A Wampanoag Tradition. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 1992, grades 4-6.
Regguinti, Gordon (Ojibwe), The Sacred Harvest: Ojibway Wild Rice Gathering. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 1992, grades 4-6.
Seale, Doris (Santee/Cree), Beverly Slapin, and Carolyn Silverman (Cherokee), eds., Thanksgiving: A Native Perspective. Berkeley: Oyate, 1998, teacher resource.
Swamp, Jake (Mohawk), Giving Thanks: A Native American Good Morning Message. New York: Lee & Low, 1995, all grades.
Wittstock, Laura Waterman (Seneca), Ininatig’s Gift of Sugar: Traditional Native Sugarmaking. Minneapolis: Lerner Publications, 1993, grades 4-6
“Books to Avoid” about Thanksgiving
Accorsi, William, Friendship’s First Thanksgiving. Holiday House, 1992, grades 1-2
Aliki, Corn is Maize: The Gift of the Indians. Harper & Row, 1976, grades 1-3
Anderson, Laurie Halse, Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving. Simon & Schuster, 2002, grades 1-4
Ansary, Mir Tamim, Thanksgiving Day. Heinemann, 2002, grades 1-3
Apel, Melanie Ann, The Pilgrims. Kidhaven Press, 2003, grades 3-5
Bartlett, Robert Merrill, The Story of Thanksgiving. HarperCollins, 2001, grades 3-5
Barth, Edna, Turkeys, Pilgrims, and Indian Corn: The Story of the Thanksgiving Symbols. Clarion, 1975, grades 2-4
Borden, Louise, Thanksgiving Is… Scholastic, 1997, grades 1-2
Brown, Marc, Arthur’s Thanksgiving. Little, Brown, 1983, grades 1-2
Bruchac, Joseph, Squanto’s Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving. Harcourt, 2000, grades 2-4
Buckley, Susan Washburn, Famous Americans: 15 Easy-to-Read Biography Mini-Books. Scholastic, 2000, grades 1-2
Bulla, Clyde Robert, Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims. Scholastic, 1990
Celsi,Teresa, Squanto and the First Thanksgiving. Steck-Vaughn, 1989, grades 1-2
Clements, Andrew, Look Who’s in the Thanksgiving Play! Simon & Schuster, 1999, preschool-2
Cohen, Barbara, Molly’s Pilgrim. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1983, grades 3-4
Conaway, Judith, Happy Thanksgiving! Things to Make and Do. Troll Communications, 1986, grades 1-3
Crane, Carol, and Helle Urban, P is for Pilgrim: A Thanksgiving Alphabet. Sleeping Bear Press, 2003, grades 1-4
Dalgliesh, Alice, The Thanksgiving Story. Scholastic, 1954, 1982, grades 3-4
Daugherty, James,The Landing of the Pilgrims. Random House, 1987, grades 4-6
Davis, Kenneth C., Don’t Know Much About the Pilgrims. HarperCollins, 2002, grades 2-4
DePaola, Tomie, My First Thanksgiving. Putnam, 1992, preschol
Donnelly, Judy, The Pilgrims and Me. Grossett & Dunlap, 2002
Dubowski, Cathy East, The Story of Squanto, First Friend to the Pilgrims. Dell, 1990, grades 3-4
Fink, Deborah, It’s a Family Thanksgiving! A Celebration of an American Tradition for Children and Their Families. Harmony Hearth, 2000
Flindt, Myron, Pilgrims: A simulation of the first year at Plymouth Colony. Interact, 1994, curriculum for grades 3-up
Fritz, Jean, Who’s That Stepping on Plymouth Rock? Putnam & Grossett, 1975, grades 3-5
George, Jean Craighead, The First Thanksgiving. Puffin, 1993
Gibbons, Gail, Holiday House, grades 1-2:
Thanksgiving Day. 1985
Thanksgiving Is… 2004
Greene, Rhonda Gowler, The Very First Thanksgiving Day. Atheneum, 2002
Hale, Anna W., The Mayflower People: Triumphs and Tragedies. Harbinger House, 1995
Hallinan, P.K., Today Is Thanksgiving! Ideals Children’s Books, 1993, grades 1-2
Harness, Cheryl, Three Young Pilgrims. Aladdin, 1995, grades 3-6
Hayward, Linda, The First Thanksgiving. Random House, 1990, grades 1-3
Hennessy, B.G., One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims. Viking, 1999, grades 1-2
Jackson, Garnet, The First Thanksgiving. Scholastic, 2000, grades 2-up
Jassem, Kate, Squanto: The Pilgrim Adventure. Troll Communications, 1979, grades 3-5
Kamma, Anne, If you were at…The First Thanksgiving. Scholastic, 2001
Kessel, Joyce K., Squanto and the First Thanksgiving. Carolrhoda, 1983, grades 3-5
Kinnealy, Janice, Let’s Celebrate Thanksgiving, A Book of Drawing Fun. Watermill, 1988, grades 1-2
Koller, Jackie French, Nickommoh!: A Thanksgiving Celebration. Atheneum, 1999, grades 2-4
Marx, David F., Thanksgiving. Children’s Press, 2000, grades 1-2
McGovern, Ann, The Pilgrims’ First Thanksgiving. Scholastic, 1973, grades 2-up
McMullan, Kate, Fluffy’s Thanksgiving. Scholastic, 1997, grades ps-2
Melmed, Laura Krauss, This First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story. HarperCollins, 2001
Metaxas, Eric, Squanto and the First Thanksgiving. Rabbit Ears Books, 1996, grades 1-3
Moncure, Jane Belk, Word Bird’s Thanksgiving Words. Child’s World, 2002, preschool-1
Ochoa, Ana, Sticker Stories: The Thanksgiving Play. Grosset & Dunlap, 2002, grades 1-2
Osborne, Mary Pope, Thanksgiving on Thursday. Random House, 2002, grades 3-5
Parker, Margot, What Is Thanksgiving Day? Children’s Press, 1988, grades 1-2
Peacock, Carol Antoinette, Pilgrim Cat. Whitman, 2004, grades 1-3
Prelutsky, Jack, It’s Thanksgiving. Morrow, 1982, preschool-2
Rader, Laura J., A Child’s Story of Thanksgiving. Ideals Children’s Books, 1998, grades 2-4
Randall, Ronnie, Thanksgiving Fun: Great Things to Make and Do. Kingfisher, 1994, grades 1-3
Raphael, Elaine, and Don Bolognese, The Story of the First Thanksgiving. Scholastic, 1991, grades 1-2
Rau, Dana Meachen, Thanksgiving. Children’s Press, 2000, grades 1-2
Roberts, Bethany, Thanksgiving Mice! Clarion, 2001, preschool-1
Rockwell, Anne, Thanksgiving Day. HarperCollins, 1999
Rogers, Lou, The First Thanksgiving. Modern Curriculum Press, 1962, grades 1-3
Roloff, Nan, The First American Thanksgiving. Current, 1980
Roop, Connie and Peter:
Let’s Celebrate Thanksgiving. Millbrook, 1999, grades 3-5
Pilgrim Voices: Our First Year in the New World. Walker, 1995, grades 3-5
Ross, Katherine, 1995, grades 1-3:
Crafts for Thanksgiving. Millbrook
The Story of the Pilgrims. Random House
Ruelle, Karen Gray, The Thanksgiving Beast Feast. Holiday House, 1999, grades 1-2
San Souci, Robert, N.C. Wyeth's Pilgrims. Chronicle, 1991, grades 1-3
Scarry, Richard, Richard Scarry’s The First Thanksgiving of Low Leaf Worm. Little Simon, 2003, grades 1-3
Schultz, Charles M., A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Simon & Schuster, 2002, grades 1-3
Sewall, Marcia, Atheneum, grades 1-3:
People of the Breaking Day. Atheneum, 1990
The People of Plimoth. Aladdin, 1986
Thunder from the Clear Sky. Atheneum, 1995
Siegel, Beatrice, Walker, grades 3-5:
Fur Trappers and Traders: The Indians, the Pilgrims, and the Beaver. 1981
Indians of the Northeast Woodlands. 1992
Silver, Donald M., and Patricia J. Wynne, Easy Make & Learn Projects: The Pilgrims, the Mayflower & More. Scholastic, 2001, grades 3-5
Skarmeas, Nancy J., The Story of Thanksgiving. Ideals Publications, 1999
Sorenson, Lynda, Holidays: Thanksgiving. Rourke, 1994, preschool-2
Stamper, Judith Bauer:
New Friends in a New Land: A Thanksgiving Story. Steck-Vaughn, 1993, grades 1-2
Thanksgiving Fun Activity Book. Troll, 1993, grades 1-4
Stanley, Diane, Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation. HarperCollins, 2004, grades 1-3
Stiegemeyer, Julie, Thanksgiving: A Harvest Celebration. Concordia, 2003, grades 2-4
Tryon, Leslie, Albert’s Thanksgiving. Aladdin, 1998, grades 1-3
Umnik, Sharon Dunn, ed., 175 Easy-to-Do Thanksgiving Crafts. Boyds Mills Press, 1996, grades 2-up
Waters, Kate, Scholastic, grades 3-up:
Giving Thanks: The 1621 Harvest Feast. 2001
Samuel Eaton’s Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Boy. 1993
Sarah Morton’s Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl. 1989
Tapenum’s Day: A Wampanoag Indian Boy in Pilgrim Times. 1996
Weisgard, Leonard, The Plymouth Thanksgiving. Doubleday, 1967, grades 1-3
Whitehead, Pat, Best Thanksgiving Book, ABC Adventures. Troll Communications, 1985, grades 1-2
Primary Sources from a Colonialist Perspective
Bradford, William, Of Plymouth Plantation, 1620-1647, originally published in 1856 under the title History of Plymouth Plantation. Introduction by Francis Murphy. New York: Random House, 1981.
Bradford, William, Mourt’s Relation: A Journal of the Pilgrims at Plymouth, first published in 1622. Introduction by Dwight B. Heath. Bedford, Mass.: Applewood Books, 1963.
Council on Interracial Books for Children, Chronicles of American Indian Protest. New York: CIBC, 1971
James, Sydney V., Jr., ed., Three Visitors to Early Plymouth: Letters about the Pilgrim Settlement in New England during its First Seven Years. [John Pory (letters 1622-23), Emmanuel Altham (letters 1623-25), and Isaak de Rasieres (letters c. 1628)] Applewood Books, 1963, 1997, grades 5-up
Winslow, Edward, Good News from New England: A True Relation of Things Very Remarkable at the Plantation of Plimoth in New England, first published in 1624. Bedford, Mass.: Applewood Books, n.d.
