5 Diverse Thanksgiving Books for Kids

For many people, Thanksgiving doesn't look like the idealistic turkey dinner that is often portrayed in the media.

Maybe this rings true for some of the students in your room.

On top of that, the common narrative of the "first Thanksgiving" isn't exactly accurate. (You can read more about that here.)

To shift the narrative of Thanksgiving and to celebrate your students where they are, check out this round-up of 5 diverse Thanksgiving books that you can share with your students to spark conversation and develop a greater appreciation of diversity.

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1 - We are Grateful by Traci Sorell

Tragically, the narrative of the “first Thanksgiving” is what many students will think of when the holiday is mentioned. You can share more about the “other side of the Thanksgiving story” by using these free differentiated reading passages with your students. But, another way you can shift the narrative is by helping students see that gratitude is not limited to Thanksgiving or sharing a meal with family for many Native people. Cherokee author Traci Sorrels’ beautiful book shares specific examples of things that many Cherokee people are grateful for in every season. Reading this story will give students a taste of the heart of gratitude that is part of their way of life all year long, not just around Thanksgiving when it is emphasized in American culture today.

Publisher’s summary: “The Cherokee community is grateful for blessings and challenges that each season brings. This is modern Native American life as told by an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation.

The word otsaliheliga (oh-jah-LEE-hay-lee-gah) is used by members of the Cherokee Nation to express gratitude. Beginning in the fall with the new year and ending in summer, follow a full Cherokee year of celebrations and experiences. Written by a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, this look at one group of Native Americans is appended with a glossary and the complete Cherokee syllabary, originally created by Sequoyah.”

Lesson Idea:

Before reading aloud We are Grateful, share the author’s book talk. You can hear the lovely author Traci talk about the book here! Have students answer these questions after listening to the author share:
- What nation is Traci a member of today? (Answer: Cherokee)
- Why did Traci write this book? (Answer: Because she wanted to hear and share stories from her people of today, not just of the past.)
- What new words did you learn? (Answers will vary: Fall, strawberries.)
- What image is hidden on each page? (Answer: A woodpecker)
Read the book aloud to students. After reading, discuss what they learned. (Answers will vary. Sample answer: The author shared specific things that her Cherokee people are grateful for in every season.)
Then, have them divide a piece of paper into 4 sections. Have them label each section with the Cherokee name for the 4 seasons (Uligohvsdi - Fall, Gola - Winter, Goyegi - Spring, Gogi - Summer). Have students write down one thing they are grateful they are able to do during each season.
Read aloud another one of Traci Sorrell’s books We are Still Here. It pairs well with We are Grateful.

2. Duck for Turkey Day by Jacqueline Jules

When most people think of Thanksgiving, they think of a turkey dinner. In fact, some people even call Thanksgiving “turkey day”. Duck for Turkey Day is the story of a Vietnamese girl named Tuyet who learns that every family can celebrate in its own way on Thanksgiving - with or without turkey. Tuyet’s family enjoys duck for Thanksgiving, which Tuyet initially doesn’t understand and is embarrassed to tell her friends about at school. In the end, Tuyet learns through sharing about her family’s way of celebrating that many of her friends celebrate in their own ways also.

Author’s summary: “It's almost Thanksgiving, and Tuyet is excited about the holiday and the vacation from school. There's just one problem: her Vietnamese American family is having duck for Thanksgiving dinner -- not turkey! Nobody has duck for Thanksgiving -- what will her teacher and the other kids think?

To her surprise, Tuyet enjoys her yummy Thanksgiving dinner anyhow -- and an even bigger surprise is waiting for her at school on Monday. Dinners from roast beef to lamb to enchiladas adorned the Thanksgiving tables of her classmates, but the celebrations all had something in common -- family!

Kids from families with different traditions will enjoy this warm story about "the right way" to celebrate an American holiday.”

LESSON IDEA:

After reading Duck for Turkey Day, share these short songs by the author Jacqueline Jules.
Then, give each student a blank piece of paper. Have students draw on the paper what their family serves for the Thanksgiving meal or at typical family and holiday gatherings if they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. Allow students to share.
Recommended next read: Fry Bread is a poetic book written about the tradition of fry bread that is meaningful to many Native American families. This book shares another sweet example of the power and beauty in diverse family traditions centered around food.

3. Molly’s Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen

I stumbled upon this book in a local little free library and shared it with my two older girls. It reads like a chapter book because our copy did not have any full-page color illustrations, but there are no chapter divisions. We spread it across three days, and my girls couldn’t wait to get back to it each day.

Publisher’s summary: “A modern Thanksgiving classic about an immigrant girl who comes to identify with the story of the Pilgrims, as she seeks religious freedom and a home in a new land. Now with a gorgeous new cover and lovely interior illustrations.

As Molly nears her first Thanksgiving in the New World, she doesn't find much to be thankful for. Her classmates giggle at her accent and make fun of her unfamiliarity with American ways.

And Molly’s mother only makes things worse when she creates a doll for a school Thanksgiving project that looks more like a Russian refugee than a New England Pilgrim. But the tiny modern-day pilgrim just might help Molly to find a place for herself in America.

The touching story tells how recent immigrant Molly leads her third-grade class to discover that it takes all kinds of pilgrims to make a Thanksgiving. Originally published in 1983, Molly's Pilgrim inspired the 1986 Academy Award-winning live-action short film.”

Lesson Idea:

After reading Molly’s Pilgrim, share the Academy Award-winning short film on Amazon (with commercials for the free version).
Have students locate Russia on a map. Ask students to recall what they learned from reading about Molly’s life in Russia. Discuss what the word “immigrant” means and how it is different from the word “pilgrim”. Talk about how, when many people think of the word “pilgrim”, they think of the pilgrims of Plymouth Colony (which are connected to the “first Thanksgiving” narrative). However, these pilgrims are not the only pilgrims. There are many other stories of pilgrimages of the past and present.
Ask students to respond to this question: What does Molly mean when she says “I’ve decided it takes all kinds of Pilgrims to make Thanksgiving.”? Allow students to share their responses.
Recommended next read: Sharing Mayflower 1620 will help students understand the reality of the difficulties that the pilgrims of Plymouth Colony faced.

4. Milly and the Macy’s Parade by Shana Corey

One my family’s favorite traditions is watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thanksgiving morning. Before reading this story, I had no idea that the Macy’s Parade had European roots. While the story of Milly herself is fictional, the message of the story is factual (which you can read a summary of here) - the idea of the beloved annual Macy’s Parade originated with first-generation European immigrants who worked at Macy’s in the 1920s. They wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving in ways that were similar to their celebrations back home. This beautiful historical fiction book helps students see how this now American tradition is really rooted in diversity.

Publisher’s summary: “Treat your child to a festive story of how one small person makes a big difference. It's Thanksgiving, and spirited Milly sees that the whole town is in need of some cheer, so she comes up with a way to blend her family's old country traditions with their new American heritage, and thus the Macy's Day Parade is born.

Inspired by the true story behind the first Macy's Parade in 1924. Bright paintings and easy-to-follow text will captivate your child. Milly's story provides a glimpse into immigrant life in America in the 1920s and shows the value of a child's ideas and dreams.”

Lesson Idea:

Ask students to share what they know about the Macy’s Parade. Share a video overviewing the history of the parade and take a sneak peek at the balloons for 2021.
Read aloud Milly and the Macy’s Parade.
Have students research the history of the parade to learn more about its origin. Have them research how the parade has changed over the years.
Work together as a class to organize information from the book in a T-chart collecting facts on one side and elements of fiction on the other.
Recommended next read: Balloons over Broadway is another well-loved book sharing a bit about the history of the Macy’s Parade. It pairs well with Milly and the Macy’s Parade.

5. Thanks a Million by Nikki Grimes

The true heart of Thanksgiving isn’t about the narrative of the first Thanksgiving story (which is often inaccurate), but rather it is a reminder to give thanks. This beautiful book points to some of the many reasons that people have to be thankful and expresses these gratitudes in poetic form.

Author’s summary: “What makes you thankful? A book? Weekends? Your family? How do you say Thanks? In sixteen extraordinary poems that range inform from a haiku to a rebus to a riddle, Nikki Grimes reminds us how wonderful it is to feel thankful and how powerful a simple “thank you” can be.”

Lesson Idea:

Brainstorm as a class different ways that students can show they are thankful. Challenge students to think of ways to show their gratitude without words.
Read aloud the collection of poems in Thanks a Million.
Have students add to the brainstormed list any different ideas they have for ways to show gratitude that they learned from the book.
Have students choose their favorite poems and share with partners why they chose what they chose.
Challenge students to write their own poem to show thanks. They can write to a specific person or write about a specific thing they’re grateful for.
Recommended next read: Thank You, Omu is a fun story about a grandmother who shares her soup with her neighbors. In the end, her neighbors respond to her generosity by thanking her in a special way. Students will enjoy the repetitive tale and meeting the characters who visit Omu. This story connects well with the poem “The Good Neighbor” from Thanks a Million.