Read Aloud Picks - Thanksgiving

Alright educators, we made it November. We're staring down wacky weekly schedules as holidays begin, and we're juggling report cards, conferences, and our own holiday mayhem. To help you make it to winter break, I've got a few November Book Picks for you.

Thanksgiving can be a difficult holiday to navigate in the classroom. Here are three picture books that make for great November read alouds that encourage students to delve deeper into Native American language and history, The second two open the door for discussion about Native American history in the United States, European colonization, and why Thanksgiving is considered a day of mourning among many.

My Heart Fills With Happiness/sâkaskinêw nitêh miywêyihtamowin ohci by Monique Gray Smith, illustrated by Julie Flett

This lyrical picture book with sparse text and gorgeous illustrations is bilingual - written in English and Plains Cree (there are other version of the book, in English only, Spanish only, and in Spanish/English). Inside, the author shares the simple joys of food, nature, and family.

My Heart Fills With Happiness is a beautiful book to share with young people. I especially enjoyed reading it with my K-2 multilingual learners because of the bilingual aspect. I have this book in hard copy, and cherish it, but I actually use Youtube videos to share it with students. This link will bring you to a reading in English done by the author, Monique Grey Smith. This link will bring you to a bilingual reading of the story in English and Plains Cree. I simply can't do the reading justice with these video resources available :)

Before reading:

• Learn where the Plains Cree people live in Canada and the United States and explain that author Monique Gray Smith is Cree.

During reading:

• Learn what bannock is (there are tons of youtube videos showing how to bake bannock)

• Pause on each (or some) pages to discuss the ideas with students. Do they love the same things as the author?

After reading:

• Use the PDF below to have students share what fills their heart with happiness. Use lines from the story, or have students come up with their own ideas. The sheet is available in English only, or as a bilingual version.

My Heart Fills With Happiness Reading Response.pdf

Download PDF • 123KB

At Our Table written by Patrick Hulse, illustrated by Madelyn Goodnight

"A fresh and inclusive portrayal of Thanksgiving that celebrates sharing, community, family, food, and respect for America's first inhabitants. Here is a lyrical, vibrant tribute to the diversity of America coming together as one rich tapestry of gratitude, elegantly penned by debut author Patrick Hulse and illustrated in joyful colors by Chickasaw artist Madelyn Goodnight." - from Books of Wonder website

The text in this story honors both Thanksgiving traditions, and the important contributions made by Native Americans to American culture. It does not overtly delve into the concept of colonization, however the artist's note at the end of the book gives a more nuanced understanding of how she, as a First Nations artist, grapples with the idea of Thanksgiving. I appreciated her note just as much as the story, and I hope you don't skip it at the end.

Before reading:

• Learn about the Chickasaw people and where they live. Explain that the illustrator is a First American of the Chickasaw nation

During reading:

• Pause at certain illustrations to discuss how different characters in the illustrations have different experiences

After reading:

• Encourage students to think about our "classroom table." What do we welcome at our classroom table? Do we welcome our uniqueness and our differences? Do we welcome mistakes? Silliness? Creativity? Challenges? Difficult conversations?

Keepunumuk: Weeâchumun's Thanksgiving Story by Danielle Greendeer, Anthony Perry, and Alexis Bunten / Illustrated by: Garry Meeches Sr.

"Written and illustrated by four Indigenous creators, this beautiful picture book honors both the history and tradition that surrounds the story of the first Thanksgiving. 

Discover the first Thanksgiving through Wampanoag eyes, as the Native Americans teach the Pilgrims to grow the three sisters—corn, beans, and squash—for a successful harvest." - from the Charlesbridge website

This creative telling of the first Thanksgiving will open discussion about the Native experience of Thanksgiving, a day that many consider to be a day of mourning. Elevate Native voices in your discussion of the book, and be prepared to lead students through a conversation that may challenge perspectives.

These three stories are personal picks of mine. However, a much more comprehensive list of stories that cover Thanksgiving or are Thanksgiving-adjacent can be found on this ALSC Blog post. Also, here is the list of the American Indian's in Children's Literature best books by or about Native American people.

After Thanksgiving comes Giving Tuesday! Here are literacy-based organizations that you can donate to this season:

The Immigrant Learning Center - Among other initiatives, this national organization provides free literacy classes for immigrant adults, as well as family literacy programming. This organization receives 4/4 stars from CharityNavigator.com.

Reading Is Fundamental - A national organization that works to give children choice and access to age-appropriate books, especially in low-income communities. This organization receives 4/4 stars from CharityNavigator.com.

Room To Read - An international organization that provides literacy instruction, child-friendly libraries, and local language children's books to under-resourced communities. This organization receives 4/4 stars from CharityNavigator.com.

There are also incredible organizations serving individual states or cities. One of my favorite Philly-based literacy organizations is Mighty Writers, which serves PA and NJ. It receives 4/4 stars from CharityNavigator.com.

I also LOVE BookSmiles, a NJ based nonprofit that collects book donations and redistributes them to classrooms throughout the region, with a focus on Title I schools (I personally have donated to them, and used books from them in my classroom!).

I also recently learned about Our Bridge for Kids, a Charlotte-based organization providing English literacy support to immigrant children in the Charlotte area.

Google literacy organizations in your own city/state to find out what's available!

To rally against current trends of book-banning, consider donating to these organizations:

Unite Against Book Bans - "With more than 200 partner organizations... Unite Against Book Bans connects, equips, and mobilizes the public to advocate in their communities for the right to read..."

The American Library Association - Their mission is to empower and advocate "for libraries and library workers to ensure equitable access to information for all." This organization receives 4/4 stars from CharityNavigator.com.

PEN America - This organization works to "ensure that people everywhere have the freedom to create literature, to convey information and ideas, to express their views, and to access the views, ideas, and literatures of others." This organization receives 4/4 stars from CharityNavigator.com.