See, the awesome thing about writing every day is that I have had a stack of books that I’ve needed to talk about and since I’ve committed to talking to y’all daily, NOW is the chance to tell you about some super cute books for children that celebrate the autumn season and some that celebrate Thanksgiving. And hey, I’m even telling you about ’em kind of early enough that if you want to pick up these books for Thanksgiving you STILL can.
Or you can just get a jump on next year.
As always, these books were provided to me for review and the opinions about them are solely my own. Well, fine – mine and my kids’. I have the kids check out every book I review — because sure, it’s fine if I like it, but you also want to know if your kids will like them too.
Fancy Nancy: Apples Galore! (I Can Read Book 1)
I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned the Fancy Nancy books here before — because I love this series. I love Nancy and can appreciate a kid who wants add a bit of flair to what she does. I also love the way these books manage to integrate newer “fancy” vocabulary words in a way that is informative, fun and not at all heavy handed. This book finds Nancy on a class trip to an apple orchard, with a trip buddy who is a bit of a boy who cried wolf (seriously, practical jokers? BOO). It’s a fun book, and you’re early readers might enjoy it.
Filled with facts about the origins of Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving facts, this book focuses on Sam the bear and his animal classmates as they discuss the first Thanksgiving, what they’re thankful for, and creating Thanksgiving day projects. Sam struggles a bit – in thinking of what he’s thankful for, as well as determining what his project would be. Of course, he figures it out in the end. This book is cute – and gives a bit of the historical background for the holiday (hey parents, it’s okay if you’ve forgotten the stuff you learned in elementary school history – I know a lot of people are gonna disagree with that, but hey, I remember Algebra, so sometimes a little history has to disappear for that to happen).
Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving
I guess children’s book authors were counting on us old folks needing a reminder for how to explain Thanksgiving and the pilgrims and the Native Americans to our kiddos. I kind of love how it’s done in this book, one of the many in the Pete the Cat series (Don’t know Pete the Cat? We sure do love Pete around here. The only way we could love him more is if he was a dog). Pete the Cat is a pilgrim in his class play – and Pete acts out the journey to the New World, the difficulties the pilgrims faced that first winter in what became Massachusetts and the eventual meeting with the Native Americans and celebration of the first Thanksgiving. It’s a short, easy-to-read book (and easy to read out loud, meaning you’re not going to be recounting history lessons for forty minutes when all you wanted was to read a bedtime story to your kids). Nicely done, and as typical for most Thanksgiving books, gives you the opportunity to lead into a conversation with your kids about what they’re thankful for (the answers are always fun… and sometimes surprising).
Fancy Nancy: Budding Ballerina
More Fancy Nancy! (Whut?) Though this book doesn’t have anything to do with fall or Thanksgiving, really, it’s a fun short read that has Fancy Nancy in ballet class (ideal because just think of all the fancy words in ballet — don’t worry, you’ll learn a bunch here — you’ll even learn how to pronounce some of ’em). Nancy decides to teach her dad how to do ballet in this cute story. I love the illustrations, I love how Nancy is a really genuine and enthusiastic kid. And I love that this demonstrate, and pirouette.
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That’s it for now, but I just received a box of holiday books waiting to be read and shared with you. I’ll try to get those up before the end of the month (writer’s block will kick in and I will be SO HAPPY to have something to talk about. There are some cute new holiday books so be on the look out for that!).
I love this time of year and everytime I think about Thanksgiving I get really hungry. And then I think of all the amazing things that I’m thankful for. It’s always a good reminder to count our blessings.
If you have kiddos in the three to eight years old age range, be sure to check these books out. Note, all links are affiliate because it’s my blog and sometimes it’s nice to make a few cents from Amazon (and I’m not exaggerating – I’ve made 89 cents so far this quarter. That’ll get me…not much).
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