Thanksgiving Themed Fiction for Children

Parents, teachers, and librarians are often asked to find books related to upcoming holidays or season. Sometimes finding a book with more than a mere mention of the holiday, or that does more than focus on particular parts of the holiday can be a serious challenge, particularly when you want the book to be a good read that continues the drive to read, or even better excites a child to read even more. Here are some of my favorite children's chapter books that have a Thanksgiving theme for children between nine and twelve years of age.

Molly's Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen is about Molly, a young Russian immigrant instructed to make a pilgrim doll for part of a school display for Thanksgiving. Molly is embarrassed when her mother dresses the doll in clothes like those her mother had worn when coming to American in search of religious freedom. Her classmates regularly tease Molly because of her accent and clothing, but with the help of her mother and an understanding teacher, Molly is able to gain happiness and class recognition. A great discussion started about the wide variety of people that have come to America as pilgrims, tolerance, bullying, and being thankful for the things you have.

The Hoboken Chicken Emergency by Daniel Manus Pinkwater is a lighthearted holiday story. Arthur is charged with the huge responsibility of buying the Thanksgiving turkey. He is given sixteen dollars for the purchase, but comes home with a 266-pound chicken named Henrietta instead of the expected turkey. Henrietta has a mind of her own, and soon feathers are flying. This is a fun story that will bring smiles to the whole family regardless of the season.

Three Young Pilgrims by Cheryl Harness is the story of Mary, Remember, and Bartholomew. The three children are among the early pilgrims that survive to see New Plymouth grow into a prosperous colony. The book is all about the first Thanksgiving celebration. Readers see the struggles of the pilgrims in 1620 to 1621 for religious freedom and survival. The portrayal is realistic, including illness sand death in the colony and family. Three Young Pilgrims offers historical fact and fantastic dramatic narrative to entertain and inform readers. Maps, charts, and diagrams are included in the book, which help solidify the actual locations and details in young minds.

An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott is a classic Thanksgiving story that I suggest every family read at least once. The book follows seven siblings in nineteenth-century New Hampshire as they get ready for Thanksgiving holiday while their parents are away caring for their ill grandmother. They do their best to continue making the holiday meal, in order to surprise their parents when they return. While not everything goes as planned, and dinner is not all that they hoped, their attempts are appreciated. In the end, the family shares a wonderful holiday dinner. An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving is entertaining and full of high-spirited children.

The First Thanksgiving by Jean Craighead George describes how the colonists celebrated their first harvest with a feast of thanksgiving. The storytelling is rich with detail, grounded firmly in historical fact. An effective portrait of the time and the people are sketched out quickly but well. The ironic contrast between the tolerance and freedom pilgrims came for, and the fate of the native population will be evident to readers, but it is not a point that becomes belabored. The historic events subtly underscore the irony. This is a great choice for those interested in learning the story of Thanksgiving with a strong narrative and voice.

The Thanksgiving Visitor by Truman Capote is the story one twelve-year-old boy and the lessons he learned from an elderly cousin in rural Alabama during the 1930s. Buddy's cousin, Miss Sook, helps him understand and deal with a bully on Thanksgiving. She convinces him to invite Odd Henderson to Thanksgiving dinner, even though he torments Buddy regularly at school. The holiday does not go quite as planned, and Buddy learns about how complex life can be. This is a touching and timeless tale. Although the book is a great read for all ages, I do suggest reading this one aloud because of the Capote's elegant voice. Reading aloud gives the story an extra flavor that is priceless.

The Peterkins' Thanksgiving by Elizabeth Spurr is an entertaining story. The Peterkin family is very eccentric. Just as they sit down to eat Thanksgiving dinner the problems begin. They discover that the turkey and the rest of their dinner is stuck in the dumbwaiter. The family decides that the solution is simply to eat in the kitchen rather than the dinning room. However, no matter what direction they try to move the dumbwaiter, it does not want to move. It is then decided that a carpenter is the only solution, but he cannot come to the house because of the holiday. Despite the problems, the family does get to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner together. This is a companion to The Peterkins' Christmas .

Thanksgiving at the Inn by Tim Whitney focuses on one family that does not seem to have much to be thankful for. Heath Wellington the Third's mother left, his father (Junior) is struggling with alcoholism and literary rejection, and Heath has been suspension from school wrongfully. When Heath's estranged grandfather Senior, passes away they are in line to inherit a life-changing fortune. However, that inheritance comes with a catch. Heath and Junior need to spend three months in the town Junior struggled to escape, in order to run a bed and breakfast. Therefore, Heath has to leave behind his friends behind and spend his next few months in a place where everyone loved the grandfather that he cannot remember. Junior needs to deal with the loss of his father, and the past that he has tried to remove himself from for so long. Thanksgiving at the Inn is an absolutely touching tale about family, friendship, and forgiveness.

The Thanksgiving Treasure by Gail Rock is the story of one eleven year old girl, her family, and one cranky old man on Thanksgiving. Addie is a skinny girl, a little in gangly with glasses and braided hair. Addie's grandmother is very understanding, but also very busy. Addie's father is focused on his work and life; while he loves his daughter, his is not demonstrative in his affection. Addie learns all about the first Thanksgiving at school, and how it brought people that had once been enemies to the same table. She wants to follow that original intent behind thanksgiving; however, her chosen guest is a man that cheated her father at work. Along with her best friend, Carla Mae, Addie is determined to close the riff between her family and the lonely recluse. Addie's thoughtful Thanksgiving efforts enrich everyone's lives, reminding readers that heartfelt kindness is a gift that is never wasted. If they characters sound familiar, that is because this is the sequel to the beloved The House Without a Christmas Tree .