Not Your Typical Thanksgiving Books for Kids

We all have our favorite Thanksgiving books to read to our kids each year. Most of them involve a turkey, some pie, and a cartoon character trying to figure out the true meaning of the holiday. But Thanksgiving is so much more than that and it’s time to dig deeper into America’s most grateful time of year. Instead of counting our runaway turkeys year after year, let’s take the time to explore some new traditions with a fresh set of voices and revisit the history behind Thanksgiving. These books will spark your kids’ curiosity and have them brimming with gratitude all year long.

Books to Grow Gratitude

Around the Table That Granddad Built by Melanie Heiuser Hill

Feast for 10 by Cathryn Falwell

Giving Thanks: More than 100 Ways to Say Thank You by Ellen Surrey

Thankful by Eileen Spinelli

The Thankful Book by Todd Parr

Thanks a Million by Nikki Grimes

Books to Celebrate Minority Voices

Auntie Yang’s Great Soybean Picnic by Ginnie Lo

Duck for Turkey Day by Jacqueline Jules

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble

Gracias the Thanksgiving Turkey by Joy Cowley

Milly and the Macy’s Parade by Shana Corey

Not This Turkey! by Jessica Steinberg

Rivka’s First Thanksgiving by Elsa Okon Rael

We are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorrel

Books to Appreciate our History

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of the Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet

Nickommoh! A Thanksgiving Celebration by Jackie French Koller

Squanto’s Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving by Joseph Bruchac

When We Were Alone by David Alexander

Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Que Rico! by Pat Mora

We hope you’ll add a few of these not-so-typical Thanksgiving books to your reading list this year. Looking for more great reads for kids? Check out Katie’s back-to-school list that includes many of our year-round favorites.

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