One thing we can keep doing, much like our forebears, is passing down the stories of our history. As Americans, a thread of our American history are stories of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock and were able to survive due to the gracious generosity of the Native Americans who welcomed them. 

If you’re looking for books, this is a beautiful list of our favorite Thanksgiving books to read aloud and remember through.

While you’re reading, is there a family in your community that you can extend the same generosity to in this season, as the Native Americans did for the Pilgrims? 

Our Favorite Thanksgiving Books for Homeschool

If you're looking for a simple collection of books to anchor a Thanksgiving study, I would begin with these five. We feature these books in our First Thanksgiving Book Flood, coming soon!

1. The Story of the Pilgrims by Katharine Ross

This is a wonderful introduction to the Pilgrim story for younger children.

Children can learn why the Pilgrims left England, about their journey to America, and about their first difficult year at Plymouth.

After reading, try making a simple Mayflower craft or draw a picture of what you imagine the voyage might have been like.

2. On the Mayflower by Kate Waters

What was it really like to travel across the Atlantic on the Mayflower?

This book gives children an opportunity to imagine the experience through the details of daily life aboard the ship.

Talk about where the passengers slept, what they ate, what the voyage might have felt like, and what it would be like to spend weeks at sea.

Then make walnut-shell boats and see which ones float!

3. Squanto's Journey by Joseph Bruchac

A Thanksgiving book list isn't complete without including the perspective of the Native people who were already living in New England.

Squanto's Journey introduces children to Tisquantum, often called Squanto, and gives families an opportunity to learn more about the Wampanoag people.

This is a wonderful opportunity to remind children that Native communities had rich histories, cultures, families, and traditions long before the arrival of the Pilgrims.

Instead of presenting Thanksgiving as a simple story in which one group arrived and another group rescued them, we can help our children appreciate the people and events involved with greater historical care.

4. The First Thanksgiving by Linda Hayward

For younger children, this is a straightforward introduction to the traditional story of the first Thanksgiving.

After reading, make a Thanksgiving table together. Let your children draw pictures of foods they might have eaten and then compare them with the foods your family enjoys today.

5. Sharing the Bread by Pat Zietlow Miller

This beautiful, rhythmic book celebrates the preparation of a Thanksgiving meal.

I love books like this because they move naturally from reading into real life.

After reading Sharing the Bread, head into the kitchen and make something together. Bake bread, make cranberry sauce, prepare a pie, or let your children help set the Thanksgiving table.

Reading can become an experience rather than simply another homeschool assignment.

More Thanksgiving Books for Kids

Once you've read through your core Thanksgiving books, add a few of these to your November basket for afternoon reading.

Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson

Introduce children to Sarah Josepha Hale, who spent years advocating for Thanksgiving to become a national holiday.

This is a wonderful reminder that history is shaped by many different kinds of people—not only presidents and military leaders.

Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende Devlin

A charming Thanksgiving story with family, food, and a little mystery.

After reading, make something with cranberries together. Cranberry muffins or homemade cranberry sauce would make a fun November kitchen project.

In November by Cynthia Rylant

If you want a book that captures the feeling of November, add this one to your basket.

It celebrates the changing season, animals, food, family, and the warmth of home.

Thanksgiving in the Woods by Phyliss Alsdurf

This delightful story follows a community gathering outdoors for Thanksgiving.

It's a sweet reminder that family traditions don't have to look exactly the same from one family to another.

The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh

A historical Thanksgiving story that makes a good choice for children who are ready for a little more detail.

The Pilgrims of Plimoth by Marcia Sewall

A beautiful choice for elementary students who want to spend more time exploring the people and experiences surrounding Plymouth.

N.C. Wyeth's Pilgrims by Robert D. San Souci

For children who love art, this book offers a visually rich way to explore the Pilgrim story through N.C. Wyeth's dramatic illustrations.

Squanto and the Miracle of Thanksgiving by Eric Metaxas

A Christian retelling that focuses on Squanto and the providential themes often associated with his story.

When using historical picture books, I like to read several perspectives together and help older children distinguish between documented history, interpretation, and traditional retellings.

Thanksgiving Books for Preschool and Kindergarten

Younger children don't need long historical accounts to participate in your Thanksgiving homeschool.

They can listen to stories about family, gratitude, food, friendship, and giving thanks while older siblings study the history.

Try:

The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks by Mike and Jan Berenstain

Little Critter: Just a Special Thanksgiving by Mercer Mayer

Fancy Nancy: Our Thanksgiving Banquet by Jane O'Connor

Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson

Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland

A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting

Thanksgiving Books for Older Elementary Students

As children grow, you can move beyond picture books and introduce longer historical narratives and primary sources.

An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott

A classic family story filled with responsibility, family relationships, and Thanksgiving traditions.

The Landing of the Pilgrims by James Daugherty

A longer historical account for children who are ready to dig deeper into the Pilgrim story.

Pilgrim Voices by Peter Roop and Connie Roop

A wonderful choice for exploring different voices and experiences connected to the Pilgrims.

Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford

For middle school and high school students, selections from Bradford's writing provide an opportunity to encounter a primary source from someone who actually lived through the events.

Good News from New England by Edward Winslow

Another primary source that can enrich an older student's study of Plymouth and the early colonial period.

How to Use Thanksgiving Books in Your Homeschool

One of the things I love most about a literature-based homeschool is that one good book can lead to an entire day of learning.

Read On the Mayflower and build a boat.

Read Squanto's Journey and learn about the crops and natural resources of New England.

Read about the harvest and make a meal together.

Read Sharing the Bread and bake bread.

Read about the Pilgrims and make a simple map of their journey.

Read about Thanksgiving and start a family gratitude tradition.

You don't need a complicated Thanksgiving unit study to make November educational. Our Thanksgiving Book Flood offers five days of fun lessons centered around the Pilgrim journey. 

It will give you and your children a chance to bond over living books, activites, and recipes, making this a happy Thanksgiving season.

Try Our Thanksgiving Book Flood!

Bring Your Thanksgiving Books to Life

In our Pilgrim Journey Book Flood we include five days of engaging activities to make the Thanksgiving week especially memorable for your children with art, hymns, poetry, crafts, and recipes. Some fun examples are:

🛶 Make Walnut-Shell Boats

After reading On the Mayflower, make tiny boats from walnut shells, toothpicks, paper sails, and a little beeswax or play dough.

Float them in a bowl of water and have a boat race by gently blowing on the sails.

🌽 Explore the Three Sisters

Learn about corn, beans, and squash and how these crops were traditionally grown together by Indigenous peoples.

If you have space, plant a small Three Sisters garden.

🥖 Bake Bread

Read Sharing the Bread and then head into the kitchen.

Let your children measure ingredients, knead dough, and shape little loaves.

🗺️ Map the Mayflower Journey

Use a globe or map to trace the journey from England across the Atlantic to North America.

For younger children, simply trace the route with your finger. Older children can draw and label their own maps.

🍂 Take a November Nature Walk

Read In November and then head outside.

Collect fallen leaves, look for birds, notice changing trees, and observe the signs of the season.

❤️ Make a Gratitude Table

Place a jar or basket on your Thanksgiving table.

Throughout November, have family members write down things they are thankful for and add them to the basket.

Read them aloud at your Thanksgiving meal.

Looking for a Thanksgiving Homeschool Resource?

If you want to bring these books together into a simple, hands-on Thanksgiving study, our Peaceful Press Thanksgiving resources are designed to help you create a beautiful learning experience without adding a lot of busywork.

First Thanksgiving Book Flood- A Pilgrim Activity Guide

More Peaceful Press Resources for November

If you're planning a Thanksgiving homeschool unit, you may also enjoy:

Playful Pioneers Volume 2— The first month includes and in depth study of New England and the first Thanksgiving featuring The Landing of the Pilgrims.

Peaceful Preschool Volume 2— Engaging seasonal preschool lessons with many fun fall themes.

Nature Book Flood — A year of beautiful nature read alouds, science, art, and nature study to complement your fall walks and outdoor adventures.

If you’re looking for more ways to slow down over the Holiday Season don’t forget to check out our Christmas Guide 

Unearthing Wonder Gospel centered Advent Celebration for young children and families. 

Holiday Book Flood Create a 25 day picture book advent for all ages.

Create a Thanksgiving You'll Remember

Our children probably won't remember every worksheet they completed in November or the vocabulary words and dates they worked hard to memorize.

But they will remember sitting beside you while you read The Story of the Pilgrims and making tiny walnut boats.

They will remember flour on the kitchen counter and warm bread coming out of the oven, followed by a walk through the November woods.

This is why I love a literature-rich homeschool.

History becomes a story and these stories and experiences become happy memories that will make learning engaging for them for years to come.

This post includes Amazon affiliate links. Thanks for supporting our site! Post updated 9/29/26

Here are commonly asked questions you could add as an FAQ section to the Peaceful Press Thanksgiving blog post:

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best Thanksgiving books for homeschool?

A great starting collection includes The Story of the Pilgrims, On the Mayflower, Squanto’s Journey, The First Thanksgiving, and Sharing the Bread. These books provide a mix of history, Native perspectives, family traditions, and seasonal themes.

How can I teach Thanksgiving in a literature-based homeschool?

Choose several Thanksgiving books and let them become the foundation for hands-on learning. Children can make crafts, bake bread, create maps, explore nature, study crops, and practice gratitude alongside their reading.

What Thanksgiving books are good for preschoolers?

Try The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks, Little Critter: Just a Special Thanksgiving, Bear Says Thanks, Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks, and A Turkey for Thanksgiving.

How can I teach the First Thanksgiving accurately?

Read books that present different perspectives and help older children distinguish between documented history, historical interpretation, and traditional retellings. Include books about the Wampanoag people and Native history alongside traditional Pilgrim stories.

What is a Thanksgiving book flood?

A book flood means surrounding children with many books on one topic rather than requiring them to read one specific book. A Thanksgiving basket might include historical books, harvest stories, poetry, cookbooks, and books about gratitude.

What are some hands-on Thanksgiving homeschool activities?

Try making walnut-shell boats, baking bread, creating a Mayflower map, exploring the Three Sisters crops, taking a November nature walk, or keeping a family gratitude basket.

What Thanksgiving books are good for older elementary students?

Older elementary students can explore The Thanksgiving Story, The Pilgrims of Plimoth, An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving, The Landing of the Pilgrims, Pilgrim Stories, and Pilgrim Voices.

What primary sources can older students read about the First Thanksgiving?

Middle and high school students can read selections from William Bradford’s Of Plymouth Plantation and Edward Winslow’s Good News from New England to encounter firsthand accounts from the colonial period.

How can I make Thanksgiving homeschool simple?

You don't need a complicated unit study. Choose a handful of meaningful books and let each one lead naturally into an activity, conversation, recipe, art project, or history lesson.