Squanto's Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving

Squanto's Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving

Written by: Joseph Bruchac
Illustrated by: Greg Shed

"Squanto, friend of the Pilgrims, who taught them how to survive in the New World, has been remembered every November in classrooms across America. Little is known, by most children or adults, of his life and sacrifice. Now Joseph Bruchac tells us the whole story in a beautifully illustrated picture book. He sets the record straight about those hats and the food we continue to eat on Thanksgiving Day, but, more importantly, he makes us aware of how close we came to losing the colony."

Children's Literature Review

Online Resources:
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=757

The First Thanksgiving

The First Thanksgiving

Written by: Jean Craighead George
Illustrated by: Thomas Locker

"George's consummate skill as a storyteller takes what could have been "just another" Thanksgiving book and raises it above the mundane. Beginning "in a time so long ago that only the rocks remember," she focuses on Plymouth Rock, a 200-ton boulder of Dedham granite, as the loom upon which to weave the heroic and tragic tales of the people who settled this land. The storytelling is direct, filled with details, and firmly grounded in place and time. Quickly drawn but very effective portraits of the times and the people heighten the presentation. Squanto's tragedy is movingly sketched. Readers will not miss the ironic contrast between the fate of the native population and those who came seeking a freer, more tolerant life, but George does not belabor the point, letting the events of history subtly underscore the irony."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://www.visit-plymouth.com/plymouthrock.htm
http://plimoth.org/kids/stories.php

Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving

Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving

Written by: Ann Mcgovern
Illustrated by: Elroy Freem

"The Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving lasted three whole days. The author's simple text introduces children to the struggles of the Pilgrims during their first year at Plymouth Colony and the events leading to the historic occasion we celebrate today - Thanksgiving."

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/

Thank you, Sarah! The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving

Thank you, Sarah! The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving

Written by: Laurie Halse Anderson
Illustrated by: Matt Faulkner

"We the people of the United States… almost lost Thanksgiving? Yes. That’s right!
Way back when “skirts were long and hats were tall” Americans were forgetting Thanksgiving, and nobody seemed to care! Thankfully, Sarah Hale appeared. More steadfast than Plymouth Rock, this lady editor knew the holiday needed saving. But would her recipe for rescue ever convince Congress and the presidents?

Join Laurie on a journey of a woman and a pen that spanned four decades, the Civil War, and five presidents, all so you could have your turkey and eat it too!"
1s
Product Description

Online Resources:
http://madwomanintheforest.com/youngreaders-thank-you-sarah/

Three Young Pilgrims

Three Young Pilgrims

Written by: Cheryl Harness

"When Bartholemew, Remember, and Mary Allerton and their parents first step down from the Mayflower after sixty days at sea, they never dream that life in the New World will be so hard. Many in their Plymouth colony won't make it through the winter, and the colony's first harvest is possible only with the help of two friends, Samoset and Squanto.

Richly detailed paintings show how the pilgrims lived after landing at Plymouth, through the dark winter and into the busy days of spring, summer, and fall. Culminating with the excitement of the original Thanksgiving feast, Three Young Pilgrims makes history come alive."

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/thanksgiving/lesson-plan/793.html

Pilgrim Voices: Our First Year in the New World

Pilgrim Voices: Our First Year in the New World

Written by: Connie and Peter Roop
Illustrated by: Shelley Pritchett

"This story gives a new twist to the familiar story of the Pilgrims' first voyage to North America and the original Thanksgiving celebration. Drawing on diaries and journals, they use the Pilgrims' own words to describe the voyage on the Mayflower; exploring the land and meeting the Indians; the hardships, illnesses, and hunger during the first winter; and the harvest festival. The diary format and first-person voice contribute authenticity and vitality to the text, with colorful paintings by Shelley Pritchett adding interest."

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/activity/plymouth/

Thanksgiving Mice

Thanksgiving Mice

Written by: Bethany Roberts
Illustrated by: Doug Cushman

"It’s Thanksgiving and four adorable mice are putting on a play for their woodland friends in this delightful read-aloud, the fourth book about the holiday mice. Lively verse introduces beginning readers to basic words and rhyming sounds and tells the story of the very first Thanksgiving, when the Pilgrim mice traveled across the sea and settled in America. The simple story-within-a-story format, accompanied by colorful, action-filled illustrations of mice in costume, also serves as a basic introduction to theater."

Publishers Description