My Thanksgiving Favorites

Did you know that a lady named Sarah Hale helped make Thanksgiving a national holiday?

Did you know that a baby boy was born on the Mayflower and his parents called him Oceanus?

Did you know that children drank beer aboard the Mayflower? (Only after the drinking water in the barrels spoiled)

Today I am going to share my 3 favorite Thanksgiving holiday books.

Thank you Sarah! by Laurie Halse Anderson
I always think of this book as the I listen to all of the stores who open earlier and earlier every year for Black Friday deals. I bet Sarah Hale is rolling over in here grave! I LOVE to read this to my first grade students every year. We have a discussion about today's modern pens and the type of feather quill pen Sarah did her writing with. It makes Sarah all the more admirable! My favorite quote from the book, "It took Sarah thirty-eight years, thousands of letters, and countless bottles of ink, but she did it. That bold, brave, stubborn, and smart lady saved Thanksgiving...for all of us."

Molly's Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen
The third graders in Molly's class must create a pilgrim to display at school. Molly's mother, a Russian immigrant, helps Molly decorate hers. When the assignment is due at school Molly's classmates ridicule her pilgrim. This endearing story teaches students that pilgrims didn't just arrive in America via the Mayflower.

I had a teacher ask me for some good read aloud chapter books. With the upcoming holiday I immediately thought of Molly's Pilgrim. The teacher who is reading it to her second grade students said that her kids have developed such empathy for Molly that they are very concerned about how her classmates treat her and they have been asking her all types of questions. There is also a short video out there. I had to borrow it from another school. The class that I leant the book to is coming into the library tomorrow to watch it. I can't wait to see it for myself.

If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 by Ann McGovern
An oldie but a goodie! This little question and answer book is filled with a goldmine of information. Even though it has an older copyright date I can't bring myself to weed this little gem! I love reading this book as a "filler" when you have a few minutes of class time left. I am choosy and sometimes watch what I read (as a K-2 librarian). I don't tell students that the pilgrim children drank beer on the Mayflower. It's one of those interesting tidbits that would definately make it home to mom and dad's ears! It was only because their water supply which was stored in barrels went bad...but do you think they'll remember to tell their parents that part!?!