Here are 14 top pick for Thanksgiving books for kids. This list was compiled from many educators who shared their favorites last year with us.
You can click on the Thanksgiving books for elementary kids for more information about the author, publishing company, and description. There is a good range of books suitable for kindergarten through fifth grade.
These are affiliate links to books on Amazon that we, or other teachers recommend.
Realistic Fiction Thanksgiving Books
Clever and well written for older grades – get your hands on You Wouldn’t Want to Sail on the Mayflower!: A Trip That Took Entirely Too Long to bring the Mayflower voyage to life.
Whisk your students back to 1621 for the first Thanksgiving in Thanksgiving on Thursday (Magic Tree House #27).
Non-fiction Thanksgiving Books for Kids
Teach how Thanksgiving became a national holiday with Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving.
Answer over 52 curious kids questions with If You Lived In Colonial Times. Help students understand what life was like during the first Thanksgiving.
Cover the entire Thanksgiving story – starting with the Pilgrims leaving England in The First Thanksgiving with historically accurate illustrations.
Thanksgiving Themed Books
Told in rhythym and rhyme like the Christmas poem, ‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving is a fun and wacky Thanksgiving story. It involves kids going on a field trip to a turkey farm.
This fun and clever book Run, Turkey, Run! will have young students laughing as the turkey attempts to hide with other farmyard animals.
10 Fat Turkeys is a countdown story that is less about Thanksgiving and is more about turkey fun.
This Thanksgiving version of There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly, I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie ends up creating a parade balloon spectacle after eating a Thanksgiving feast.
The author of the Bear Books writes Give Thanks to the Lord which references Psalm 92.
Leave it to this bear family to remind us of what’s important. In The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks teaches full circle how God provided for the pilgrims and all that we have to be thankful for.
Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks is a classic “feel good” read aloud about being thankful for family, friends and the holiday itself.
Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving is a newer Thanksgiving book on the classroom reading circuit. I’ve dug up a free printable Pilgrim Pete the Cat activity you can use too.
This short book – Thank You, Thanksgiving is designed for kindergarten and is about being Thankful for the little things. Children can relate to the simple message.
There you have a great list of Thanksgiving books for kids. I hope that can come in handy as you plan your November read alouds.
More Thanksgiving
- 54 Fantastic Fall and Thanksgiving Freebies
- 13 Thanksgiving Games and Worksheets for Kids
- Free Printable Kindergarten Game: Turkey in the Pot
Leslie {aka the original Teach Junkie} loves learning new things to make teaching easier and more effective. She enjoys featuring creative classroom fun when she's not designing teacher shirts, making kindergarten lesson plans or planning her family's next trip to Disney World.