Thanksgiving with Kids: Two Great Holiday Books

It's almost Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays. I also like to think of it as a holiday with a feminist bent, even if that seems a bit of a stretch. However, it's not that far-fetched.

In fact, it was thanks to Sarah Hale that Thanksgiving ever became a national holiday to begin with. It took her 38 years to make this happen, with the first "official" Thanksgiving taking place in 1863. To share this fascinating story with your kids, read Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving written by Laurie Halse Anderson and illustrated by Matt Faulkner (Simon & Schuster, 2002). The book is $17.99 hardcover and $6.00 paperback, and is recommended for ages 5 to 10.

I'm also a big fan of  the classic Thanksgiving children's book Over the River and Through the Wood: The New England Boy's Song About Thanksgiving Day.

It's a great read for kids ages 4-9 who will enjoy seeing how things once were - they're taking a horse and carriage ride to Thanksgiving dinner, that's so cool!  Even better given for our feminist theme, there are historical notes at the end of the book that tell more about the author's commitment to issues surrounding women's rights. You can also read a biography of Lydia Maria Child here, which goes into more detail about her life, and her activism on issues related both to women and Native Americans.

For even more about the fascinating connection between the suffragette movement and Thanksgiving, read this post from last year.

Happy Thanksgiving!