It’s time to create your holiday reading list, starting with some fun Thanksgiving books your students will love! Hit up the school library for these titles our teacher team here at Teach Starter recommends for an engaging and meaningful Thanksgiving season. Students will learn the meaning of gratitude, compassion and giving back.
Keep reading for a basic description of each teacher-favorite Thanksgiving book, a sample of the text and the most appropriate age group to enjoy these stories. Where applicable, we’ve also included some fun activities that will perfectly pair with these read-alouds.
Thanksgiving Books for Kids
I Am Thankful by Sheri Wall
This heartfelt rhyming story dives into the true meaning of Thanksgiving through the perspective of three different families. Each has its own way of celebrating and demonstrating generosity, which can open up conversations about different traditions in your classroom.
Wall’s book is a wonderful way to introduce diverse families to young kids and demonstrate the importance of sharing and giving. This lovely quote is a good example of the tone Wall sets:
“I go with my mom to our general store. We fill our cart full, but there’s still room for more.”
Best for Grades — K-1
Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey
You may recognize the illustrations in this story as they come from the author of the popular Captain Underpants and Dogman series — both big hits with elementary students. No doubt the name has already keyed you in, but this is indeed a Thanksgiving twist on the old favorite ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement Clark Moore.
‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving is a story of compassion as a group of children travel to a turkey farm (owned by Mack Nugget!) to meet some friendly turkeys with fun names like Wally, Beaver and Groucho. The kids leave the farm with a newfound sense of thankfulness, including their new feathered friends.
Best for Grades — Preschool – 3
A Turkey for Thanksgiving By Eve Bunting
The hosts of Thanksgiving dinner in this story are Mr. and Mrs. Moose, who invite all their animal friends to join them, including Turkey. Unfortunately, Turkey doesn’t realize Mr. and Mrs. Moose want him to join as a guest, not as the meal!
We suggest using this Thanksgiving book to practice prediction in the classroom! Read a portion, then challenge students to predict what will happen next, using information from the text to guess how the story will play out.
Best for Grades — Preschool-3
Turkey Trouble by Wendy Silvano
Not everyone will look forward to the holidays, including “Turkey” who is scheduled to be the main course at Thanksgiving dinner. After a series of hilarious attempts to disguise his feathered appearance, the protagonist of this Thanksgiving tale comes up with the perfect way to hide his identity.
This teacher’s pick is a fun story about problem-solving, and it’s the perfect book to read before introducing a persuasive writing assignment that challenges kids to come up with reasons the turkey should not be on the dinner table this holiday.
Best for Grades — Preschool – 2
Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet
A winner of the Robert Sibert Medal and a teacher favorite, reading Balloons Over Broadway to the class is a perfect way to introduce the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to your students. This beautifully illustrated book tells the true story of the puppeteer who invented the giant balloons of this iconic American tradition.
You can easily pair this popular read-aloud with a Balloons Over Broadway-themed bulletin board activity!
Best for Grades — Preschool-3
How to Catch a Turkey by Adam Wallace
Chaos overcomes a school as a turkey escapes its cage right before the beginning of a Thanksgiving play. Told from the perspective of the turkey, it runs around the school as staff and students try their best to catch it.
In addition to whimsical illustrations, this book also includes STEAM concepts in a festive way, and you can use it to practice WH questions with your class.
“Up next, there was a MAZE of books that stretched from wall to wall. But with a big hop and a mighty flap, I managed to escape it all!”
If your students take to Wallace’s imaginative tale, this is one of the books from the How to Catch Series, which includes How to Catch an Elf, How to Catch a Monster and How to Catch a Unicorn.
Best for Grades — K-6
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey by Lucille Colandro
We’ve all heard of the old lady who swallowed a fly, but this playful twist on the concept has her swallowing a turkey instead! In addition to this feathered mouthful, the little old lady also swallows a:
- Ball
- Hat
- Balloons
- Boat
and plenty of other inedible items! Colandro’s story is part of the There Was an Old Lady series, so if your students want to find out what happens when she swallows a shell, bat, chick, books, snow and more, there are plenty more books to be read.
Want a taste of what’s in store? This quote is sure to crack up your class:
“There was an old lady who swallowed a turkey. I don’t know why she swallowed the turkey, but she’s always been quirky!”
Best for Grades — Preschool-1
I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie by Alison Jackson
Speaking of old ladies eating, Jackson’s version has an old lady feasting on the entire turkey, a whole squash, salad and, of course, a Thanksgiving pie. The children in the story watch delightedly as the old woman grows in size with each bite while the parents stare in shock. The old lady makes a surprising contribution to the holiday festivities at the end.
Best for Grades — Preschool-Kindergarten
The Great Thanksgiving Escape by Mark Fearing
With fun illustrations and a favorite of many kids, The Great Thanksgiving Escape tells the story not of a turkey escaping Thanksgiving but of a little boy named Gavin who gets roped into a mission of escaping the house to the backyard swing set. Rhonda, Gavin’s cousin, is the instigator of the great escape, but they encounter a number of obstacles, like the overly affectionate aunts and the guard dogs in sweaters.
This playful holiday story is sure to resonate with many students who familiarize themselves with the hustle and bustle of a Thanksgiving gathering!
Best for Grades — K-3
Little Critter: Just a Special Thanksgiving by Mercer Mayer
If you’re a fan of the Little Critter books, this is a simple and sweet Thanksgiving addition to add to your classroom library. Little Critter and his family give thanks during the Thanksgiving festivities of Critterville, including a surprise dinner and the school play.
If you enjoy this story, explore the rest of the Little Critter series.
“That evening I got ready for the play. Mom helped me put on my costume. I was a turkey.”
Best for Grades — Preschool-3
Squanto’s Journey by Joseph Bruchac
A more serious perspective of the Thanksgiving season is Squanto’s Journey, a story of the First Thanksgiving. The Mayflower ship lands on the shores inhabited by the Pokanoket in 1620, where Squanto lives. He welcomes the travelers, teaches them to survive and ultimately starts the Thanksgiving tradition of eating the harvest together.
“My story is both strange and true. I was born in the year the English call 1590. My family were leaders of the Patuxet people and I, too, was raised to lead. But in 1614 I was taken to Spain against my will. Now it is 1621 and I am again in my homeland. My name is Squanto, I would like to tell you my tale.”
Best for Grades — Preschool-3
10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston
This playful rhyming story teaches kids how to count backward as ten silly turkeys swing from a vine, do a noodle dance and much more. With the disappearance of the turkeys one by one, students will be able to embrace the concept of backwards counting with a Thanksgiving theme!
“Looky!” says a silly turkey swinging from a vine. Gobble gobble wibble wobble. Whoops! Now there are nine.”
Best for Grades — Preschool-Kindergarten
Comments