More Thanksgiving Favorites to Share

We’re back with more Thanksgiving Book favorites to share. Are you enjoying this special time with your children? We hope you can use these suggestions to make some memories together!

 

Family Read Alouds:

My Name is America: The Journal of Jasper Jonathan Pierce, A Pilgrim Boy, Plymouth 1620(Dear America), by Ann Rinaldi.  
 

In 1620, an indentured servant named Jasper Jonathan Pierce sets sail with his master and 100 others on the Mayflower, seeking adventure, freedom from the rules of King James's church, and a new way of life in America.

While many people are familiar with the history of the Pilgrims, popular historical novelist Ann Rinaldi delves far deeper into the day-to-day life of these brave pioneers. Beleaguered by internal strife and sickness, the passengers and crew of the Mayflower arrived in Plymouth ill-equipped to last the winter. With the help of several Indians who befriended the settlers, many survived, although a number of them died. Viewed through the eyes of 14-year-old Jasper, who records the events of his first 15 months in America in his journal, the Pilgrims' experiences take on a fresh, current feel. Although Jasper is a fictional character, the other characters in the story were real people, and the events are soundly based on factual accounts. Ages 9 to 12.

  

A Journey to the New World: The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple, Mayflower 1620(Dear America), by Kathryn Lasky.  

 

In this entry in the Dear America series, subtitled ``The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple,'' Lasky demonstrates how vigorous historical fiction can enliven the facts found in most textbooks. The Pilgrims, as they came to be known, traveled in a small cargo ship, the Mayflower, for two miserable months of bad food, unfit drinking water, vicious storms, and sheer boredom on a leaky old vessel that had never been intended for human cargo and lacked even the most basic amenities.

Mem, one of the 34 children among the 102 people on board, tells the story in diary entries. Almost as bad as the journey was what the travelers found when it was over. Mem's story is one of incredible courage in the face of almost insurmountable obstacles, but it is also a story of real people with all their foibles, who refuse to give up no matter what happens. In the course of these inspiring events, Mem herself almost gives up, but a sense of humor and her hopes for the future carry her through the worst of them.  Ages 9-12.

Younger Students:

…If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620, by Ann McGovern.  

 Written in a question and answer format, this delightful book keeps readers busy with all kinds of information about the Pilgrims and their journey – perfect for the inquisitive child filled with questions! Ages 5 and up.

 

Older Students:

Land Ho! 1620: A Seaman’s Story of the Mayflower, Her Construction, Her Navigation, and Her First Landfall, by W. Sears Nickerson.

 

For those interested in the Mayflower and sailing ships, this book has been written by an expert in sailing and navigation. Using tide and sunrise tables, along with other information, the author traces the voyage of the Mayflower to the New World. Ages 14 and up.

 

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