Thanksgiving Books for Kids

As soon as Halloween was over, the kids were ready to launch into Thanksgiving. I think my 5 year old even started talking about it at bedtime on Halloween :) One of our favorite ways to get excited for any holiday or special occasion is to read about it together and this year I realized that we don't have a very good selection of Thanksgiving books. I was on a mission to gather some but of course ten minutes after Halloween, the library was already completely cleaned out of Thanksgiving books! I found one turkey-related story. ONE. The book store has a great selection but I knew I could get them cheaper on Amazon so I did a little research and then chose a handful to order. All but one have arrived and we've been really happy with the selection.

'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey

This goofy spin on the original 'Twas the Night story is about a class field trip turned rescue mission at a turkey farm. The rhymes are reminiscent of the Christmas version, but the story is silly and both my kindergartener and almost 3 year old loved it. The illustrations are great but it's the hilarious antics of the school kids that really make this story fun.

A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman

Another silly story of turkey-related shenanigans, this one doesn't disappoint! I don't think we've read anything by Teresa Bateman, but I will definitely look for other stories because her writing is wonderful. The story revolves around a town in need of a Thanksgiving turkey for their annual feast and the lengths they go to lure what they believe to be an unknowing participant. It turns out the turkey might be on the clever side and the result is the townspeople learning that Thanksgiving is really about being thankful for what you have.

10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston

Silly stories seem to be our theme this year, but my little one especially enjoyed this one. Each of the turkeys in this story attempts some sort of stunt that doesn't go so well. It's great for counting (and especially counting backward.) And in the end you find out that all the turkeys are safe and sound.

The Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving by Ann McGovern

If you're looking for a more realistic portrayal of pilgrim life and the first thanksgiving, then I highly recommend this one. It's definitely for the older crowd, but my five year old daughter has a very inquisitive mind so it was perfect for her. It's on the longer side so it makes for a lengthy reading session, but the story is divided into sections based on the seasons so you could break it up into multiple story times. The illustrations are great and the story is full of rich detail painting a picture of those early Pilgrim times.

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Allison Jackson

Along the lines of the old lady who swallowed the fly, this story follows an old woman who manages to eat an entire Thanksgiving feast. It's pure silliness and my kids think it's hilarious. The only thing I wish was different was the "Perhaps she'll die" bit at the end of each segment. The consequence could easily be something a little less dire straits than death, although for the record, the old woman does not die and the end is pretty funny.

Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation by Diane Stanley

Another book for slightly older kids, this one is a more creative twist on the traditional Pilgrim story. The main characters are twins who time travel to Plymouth Plantation with their grandmother to learn first-hand about the early settlers and their harvest celebration. The illustrations are fantastic and there are plenty of details about Pilgrim history. My five year old enjoyed it but it was a little lengthy for my little guy's attention span. I definitely want to check out other stories by Diane Stanley after reading this one.

Happy reading!

Twaddle-free and Twaddle-full

Today I happened to read this old post from Simple Mom and it got me thinking about the quality of my own reading. I love to read and always have, and I very much hope to instill the love of books in my child(ren). I appreciate the challenge of high quality literature that pushes your mind with both language and content, but I also like to include the occasional fluff just because it's fun and gives your brain a little break. Simple Mom references Charlotte Mason's definition of twaddle as Dumbed-down literature; absence of meaning. I know that chick-lit isn't exactly fine literature but sometimes when I want to escape the world, a little twaddle goes a long way. Here are some of my recent favorite twaddle-full books and also some twaddle-free.

Twaddle-full:

With or Without You by Carole Matthews
Admittedly I hated the first book I read by Carole Matthews, but this one struck me for some reason. Probably because I was in a very wishy-washy time of my life and was inspired by the idea of marching of on a trek in Nepal by myself. It is cheesy and silly but also charming and funny. I've read it three times :)


Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
I love the entire Shopaholic series and I think Sophie Kinsella is a hoot. These books run in the same vein as Bridget Jones and they are full of ridiculous shenanigans and hilarious debacles. They are a great pool-side read that had me laughing out loud.




Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
Jennifer Weiner borders a little more closely to literature than the previous books but most definitely still falls in the chick-lit category. I've liked all her books that I've read, including In Her Shoes, which was far better than the movie version. A sequel to this book recently came out and I'm hoping to read it during a vacation this summer. Jennifer Weiner brings a little more realistic emotion to her books but still adds in the sillyness that make chick-lit heroines who they are.

Twaddle-free:

Ahab's Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund
The story in this novel comes from a tiny passage in Moby Dick when Captain Ahab references a young wife he left behind in Nantucket. Sena Jeter Naslund creates a beautiful tale of Una and how she came to be married to Ahab and living in Nantucket. It's one of my favorites.


Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Obviously most people consider Jane Austen's novels to be classics and Pride and Prejudice is one of the big ones in her collection, but I just read this book for the first time a couple years ago. The language is a challenge at first but once you get the feel of it, the story is lovely. I actually found myself still in suspense about the ending, even though most everyone in the free world knows how things turn out. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Most people have already read this one too but I just finally picked it up just before the movie came out. I tend to shy away at first from books that are strongly popularized in the media and then read them eventually. I was glad that I eventually read this one. I thought the story was both poignant and touching and I'm curious to see the film version. I don't expect it to live up, as few films do, but I'm still interested.

Here's to a summer of reading...