How We Almost Lost Thanksgiving (and the Superwoman Who Saved It)

I found a new book yesterday—it has been in my classroom for years, unnoticed! (To be VERY honest, I thought it was a book about Betsy Ross and the American flag; apparently, I didn’t even read the title). But on the last school day before Thanksgiving I wanted to read a Thanksgiving story to my students. I flipped through my holiday books, and there it was: Thank You, Sarah by Laurie Halse Anderson. It is a great feeling, reading a book for the first time, not to mention reading it out loud to a gaggle of 8 year olds. I never know how they are going to react to a story—with interest, disinterest, giggles, or insight, or a mix of it all. They loved this book. And I was shocked that I owned it all this time and was only just discovering it. I loved sharing with my group of bright-eyed chatterboxes the story of Sarah Hale, a “dainty little lady” born in 1788. The list of things she accomplished in her lifetime is phenomenal. Makes me tired just thinking about it! Here are a few:

• Wrote and published novels and children’s books
• Edited the Ladies’ Magazine (which published works by some of the most famous authors of her time, such as Poe, Hawthorne, Stowe, Longfellow, and Dickens)
• Raised five children
• Wrote Mary Had A Little Lamb
• Advocated for schools for girls and opposed slavery
• By night, she made hats and wrote thousands of letters

I’ve been trying to teach my class this year how to take action and not wait for someone else to solve their problems. It’s been an ongoing struggle—as I read this book to them, I could tell they were digesting the idea of a “bold, brave, stubborn, and smart” person who had an idea and worked hard to bring it about. This dainty little lady loved Thanksgiving-- and it was being forgotten by a lot of Americans, especially in the new states forming in the West. What did she do? Sarah Hale picked up her pen. She wrote letters by the thousands, urging Americans to make Thanksgiving a nationally recognized holiday. Imagine, the ENTIRE country celebrating and giving thanks on the same day. For a country embroiled in a civil war, that idea was powerful. We needed a little more coming together and a little less falling apart. Sarah appealed to FIVE consecutive presidents of the United States (that is some stubborn waiting!) before Abraham Lincoln made our Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863, thirty-eight years after Sarah began her quest. I want the girls and guys in my class to have heroes like this lady. This book was a great find, just at the right moment too. The illustrations are witty and fun, and the story is inspiring. In the spirit of giving thanks, here are the things that have been on my mind:

• I am grateful that my husband doesn’t get annoyed when I read the Kindle over his shoulder (currently “we” are reading Catching Fire). You know how food tastes better when it is snitched from someone else’s meal? It just might be the same with books.
• I give thanks for a break from the children, so I can go back with renewed energy and patience.
• I give thanks for cinnamon & hibiscus herbal tea with cream.
• I give thanks for family.
• I give thanks for the beautiful DIY wreath made of ribbons that one of my students made for me. It is the first decoration to go up! Many more to follow.
• I am grateful that I am not sick with a cold or fever! Bring on the holidays. 

What are YOU thankful for?

Picture Book Picks for Halloween

The Stranger & The Widow's Broom
This is a throwback to the 1990’s—I remember pouring over all of Chris Van Allsburg’s books, reading them one more time just to make sure I had the story right, totally wrapped up in the mystery of it all. There is something nicely strange about ambiguous endings, which Chris Van Allsburg has in abundance. Most stories end up happily ever after, or even miserably ever after, but the author at least TELLS you outright how things end up. When I first read these two stories, it was altogether new to encounter a story whose ending was up to my own interpretation & insight. I used to ask my dad to just tell me what it meant and he was wise enough to resist.

The Stranger, first published in 1986, is as full of compassion and warmth as it is with mystery. Farmer Bailey and his family take in a man who has lost his memory. As the season should be shifting from summer to autumn, the stranger stays with them, and the leaves aren’t changing. The clues are there on every page—what name would you give to the stranger?

Another Van Allsburg classic, The Widow’s Broom, published in 1992, has plenty of Halloween elements: witches, pumpkins, ghosts at night, and tough kids trolling the neighborhood. The black-and-white illustrations are rich with detail, and even the plain broom stick shows emotion. This story, like The Stranger, has undertones of compassion (the widow and the abandoned broom form an unlikely friendship) as well as a clever twist to save the day.

In this spooky season, curl up with some stories that will leave you with a healthy dose of mystery!

More Picture Books for Halloween: they’re a scream :)

• The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone (my first and favorite)
• How to Mash Monsters by Catherine Leblanc (also useful when dealing with coworkers/relatives . . . )
• I Need My Monster by Amanda Noll
• Leonardo, the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems
• A Monster Followed Me Home by Mercer Mayer
• PLUS a bonus Chapter Book: The Witches by Roald Dahl

Happy Reading!

Review #50: Counting by 7s

#50 Counting by 7s  
by Holly Goldberg Sloan

378 pages

4 Cheers

I could not put this book down. 

This book is an open window into loss and learning differences. It is a powerful glimpse into the heart & mind of a child who processes the world differently.

I was swept into Willow Chance’s mind, her observations, her heartache, her slow reconstruction. The characters in this book are crafted with power and depth—they stay with you. I loved that you never know if the next chapter will be the narrator giving insight into what is going on, OR Willow herself taking the narrative.

I will be reading this book again and again. 

Share your thoughts below :)

Find more books here:

7 New Poetry Books

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 Fortunately the Milk

 And some fun learning ideas:

Getting Into Poetry

Make Your Own Battle Bunny

Review #49: The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas

#49 The Boy Who Swam with Piranhas by David Almond

Illustrated by Oliver Jeffers

3 Cheers!

This book has the quirky manner of A Series of Unfortunate Events, full of sharp turns and a wonderful storytelling feel. I highly recommend it!

Find more books here:

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Review #48: Better Nate Than Ever

#48 Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle

275 pages

 3 Cheers

I listened to the audio book on this one, read by the author—it was fantastic! Like watching a particularly funny episode of Modern Family. :) His voice infuses the story with life and humor.

 Better Nate Than Ever takes in the highs and lows of big Broadway dreams, with a hugely relatable hero and a deliciously ambiguous ending.

It was great as light, summer reading material for me.

Proceed with caution with younger readers: profanity used throughout, and discussions of sexuality. More appropriate for middle & high school readers.

Enjoy!

Find more books here:

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Review #47: Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel

#47 Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel by Diana Lopez

324 pages

 

 3 Cheers

When Erica’s mom is diagnosed with breast cancer, the whole family travels to the shrine of the Virgin de San Juan to make promesas. 

But fulfilling her promesa may be harder than Erica thought . . .

This young adult novel deals with grief, fear of the unknown, and the relationships that really matter.

Find more books here:

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Review #46: Africa is My Home

#46 Africa Is My Home by Monica Edinger

59 pages

3 Cheers

Illustrations and words reveal the ins-and-outs of this true story of a girl’s journey on the slave ship The Amistad. You can feel the depth of research that author Monica Edinger poured into her writing. I loved the insight it gave into the life of one otherwise unknown girl. Not only is this book based on true events, it feels true as you read it. 

Enjoy!

Find more books here:

7 New Poetry Books

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8 More Picture Books to Share

8 New Folktales and Fairytales

 Fortunately the Milk

 And some fun learning ideas:

Getting Into Poetry

Make Your Own Battle Bunny