The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh

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Title: The Thanksgiving Story
Genre: Historical Fiction
Author: Alice Dalgliesh
Illustrator: Helen Sewell
Major Awards: Caldecott Award
Age group: 2nd-4th

Summary
This is a story of the origin of Thanksgiving and how it became a tradition.  The story starts off with a bunch of pilgrims setting sail on the Mayflower to find the new land.  The boat have very crowded and dirty conditions.  So they are more than exciting to finally be off the boat.  Unfortunately worse challenges come to light.  The pilgrims face thirst and hunger and sickness if they cannot find shelter and food.  Luckily they are found by native people of the land they have just arrived on.  The natives give them food and show them how to farm that way they can survive the new land.  And then harvest day arrives both groups get together to celebrate all the food and growth that has happened and that is what we know today as Thanksgiving.
Evaluation
This story is a classic origin story of Thanksgiving and it really took me back.  I remember reading it in the 2nd grade, well my teacher reading it aloud to me but you catch my drift!  I vividly remember going into assignment afterward about what we were thankful for, we made a cornucopia and on each of the fruits or veggies we put something we were grateful on.  I think that was a wonderful experience because even to this day about 12 years later I still remember it.  Unfortunately since I will be teaching older grades  do not think I'll use this exact story but maybe try to find more age appropriate stories of union and thankfulness.


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