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     Thoreau’s quote gives us food for thought. We should all be grateful for what we have and teach our children to be thankful each and every day and not just one day a year. This is not to say that we shouldn’t encourage our children to reach higher and strive for a bit more, but we should remember that there is always something in our life to be thankful for and that the experiences we go through in our lives, ultimately make us who we are. So spend some time with loved ones around the table or walking among the leaves and think about all that you are thankful for.

     It‘s rather fitting that November is National Sweet Potato Awareness month because that is often the vegetable of choice at Thanksgiving and National Stuffing Day is celebrated with Thanksgiving right around the corner. Try out some new recipes for the holiday but also share your old family favorites. Allow children to help out with the preparation of the family meal and when possible, bring the generations of your family together to build lasting memories. A story to consider might be Sweet Potato Pie by Kathleen D. Lindsey.

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November
National Peanut Butter Lovers, Pepper, Pomegranate, Raisin Bread & Sweet Potato Awareness Month

1st: National Calzone Day

     We couldn’t find any storybooks featuring calzones specifically, so we suggest you choose a pizza story  to read aloud instead.

1st: National Deep Fried Clam Day

3rd: National Sandwich Day

4th: National Candy Day

6th: National Nachos Day

14th: National Pickle Day

21st: National Stuffing Day

4th Thursday: Thanksgiving

     Take a look back at our previous blogs, Save a Turkey! Gobble up a good book! and Give Thanks for Books This November!, to see our favorite books to read aloud for Thanksgiving.

26th: National Cake Day

28th: National French Toast Day

     Josh Funk's captivating series, Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast, can be read on a number of special days as each title features an entire cast of food characters.

Happy reading and baking!

-Kate @ BTBL

     The last month of fall is the month in which we give thanks for all that we’ve been blessed with. Consider yourself very fortunate indeed if you can read. Pass on this skill along with a love and appreciation of books to your children. Thanksgiving titles to read include ‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey, Arthur’s Thanksgiving by Marc Brown, A Snowman Named Just Bob by Mark Kimball Moulton and the classic Over the River and Through the Wood by Lydia Maria Child.

     Instead of just being thankful on Thanksgiving, we at BTBL advocate teaching children (and adults) to be thankful or grateful each and every day to help reinforce the positive. Unfortunately, we as humans are programmed by nature to recognize and even dwell on the negative.  The survival of our ancestors depended upon their recognizing danger and responding to it. It is believed that the brain developed systems that would make it unavoidable for us not to notice danger and thus, hopefully, respond to it. Being aware of danger is necessary for children to remain safe but it seems that today we have become focused on every negative aspect of day to day life, which only seems to be fueled by social media. We suggest you try to start each day by asking your children what they are grateful for and then teach them to be aware of their thoughts and actions during the day and to look for the good in people and situations. Perhaps at the end of the day, ask them again what good things happened throughout their day to make them more aware of the positive. One way to begin is to read the book Thankful by Eileen Spinelli. You can make a “thankful” or “grateful” board where you write down what every member of the family is grateful for or keep a “grateful” box or for older children, a “grateful” journal. To continually reinforce the concept, don’t preach but consider reading books that espouse thankfulness or gratefulness. Some titles to consider include Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson, Apple Cake: A Gratitude by Dawn Casey, Just So Thankful by Mercer Mayer, Giving Thanks: More than 100 ways to say thank you by Ellen Surrey, Grateful: A Song of Giving Thanks by John Bucchino and All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon.

1st: National Family Literacy Day - Find time now and throughout the year to sit down as a family and read together.

First Tuesday (after the first Monday) is Election Day - Teach your children the importance of being informed and exercising their right to vote. Fun books to consider include Monster Needs Your Vote by Paul Czajak and Madame President by Lane Smith.

First Saturday is Book Lovers Day - Another celebration for those who love to read. Choose a favorite book, get cozy and read aloud with those you love.

11th: Veterans Day - Honor our military veterans by reading with a Vet or donating a book to a Veteran’s organization. Consider reading with your child H is for Honor: A Military Family Alphabet by Devin Scillian, Hero Mom or Hero Dad by Melinda Harden and Veterans: Heroes in Our Neighborhood by Valerie Pfundstein.

15th: Author Marc Brown’s Birthday - Introduce your child to the famous aardvark Arthur. There are numerous books from picture books to chapter books as well as a PBS series.

29th: Author Louisa May Alcott’s Birthday - Author of the well-known books Little Women and Little Men. Introduce your child to the classics by reading them aloud (you judge the age of appreciation.) Remember that listening comprehension is greater than reading comprehension.

          Author Jon Klassen’s Birthday - Get out your favorite hat or make one and read I Want My Hat Back, This is Not My Hat or We Found a Hat.

Fourth Thursday is Thanksgiving - Give thanks for books this holiday by sharing a Thanksgiving story from our list of Holiday Books. Also, take a look at our previous blog: Save a turkey! Gobble up a good book!.

30th: Author L. M. Montgomery - Another classic that was once a staple of every child’s literary education was Anne of Green Gables. Be sure to include classics in your child’s reading library.

Be grateful and read!

-Kate @ BTBL

     Thanksgiving is fast approaching and November is universally recognized as the month of giving thanks and so, we would like to take a moment to give thanks for books! And not just any books. We are especially thankful for picture books (it is Picture Book Month after all). Below is a list of books celebrating Turkey Day and also a smattering of titles all about being thankful.

A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman
     The townspeople of Squawk Valley need a plump and perky turkey for their Thanksgiving feast, but turkeys have gotten too clever and won’t jump into their pots anymore. What are the townspeople to do? They hatch a plan, but things don’t go quite as they had planned…

Over the River and Through the Wood: A Thanksgiving Poem by Lydia Maria Child
                There are many versions available of this classic poem and song, but our favorites are a version illustrated with woodcuts by Christopher Mason and a slightly wacky one illustrated by David Catrow. The words of the poem remain the same in both versions, but the illustrations are markedly different and offer two very unique reading (and singing, if you are so inclined) experiences that just have to shared!

Llama Llama Gives Thanks by Anna Dewdney
      Llama Llama and his family are preparing a Thanksgiving feast to enjoy with their good friends the Gnus. Young children especially will love this sweet, rhyming board book that highlights the familiar, simple joys of the season.

This Little Turkey by Aly Fronis
     Following the tune of the popular nursery rhyme, “This Little Piggy,” This Little Turkey follows a family of turkeys as they prepare for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is Here! By Diane Goode
     At grandma’s house on Thanksgiving morning the turkey goes in the oven and then the doorbell rings and the guests arrive. This story perfectly captures all of the fun and craziness of a family gathering.

One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims by B. G. Hennessy
     Count along with this story about the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags as they prepare for the harvest feast. Then at the end of the story learn a bit more about the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags in the section titled, “A Note from the Author.”  

10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston
     A variation on the “and then there were none” rhyme, this book follows ten silly turkeys as they go about their hilarious escapades: doing a noodle dance, attempting to roller skate, swinging from a vine…so much goofiness! Children will especially enjoy the repetitive phrase, “Gobble, gobble, wibble, wobble.”

A Very Thankful Prayer by Bonnie Rickner Jensen
     Through moving rhymes and beautiful illustrations, this book reminds the reader of the everyday things that we should all be grateful for.

This First Thanksgiving Day: A Counting Story by Laura Krauss Melmed
     A great companion to One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims, this counting story once again introduces readers to the Pilgrims and Wampanoag as they prepare for their Thanksgiving feast. This story has added bonus of hidden pictures within the illustrations, including a turkey somewhere in each spread, as well as countless other little creatures throughout the book for the reader to find.

Sharing the Bread: An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving Story by Pat Zietlow Miller
     Celebrate the timeless tradition of a family working together to prepare their Thanksgiving meal with this rhyming story. The illustrations are a visual feast and open the door for a discussion of life in the 19th century. 

A Snowman Named Just Bob by Mark Kimball Moulton
     This beautiful story of one magical Thanksgiving Day and the formation of a lasting friendship will definitely make you feel all the feels and is sure to become a family favorite. Moulton’s rhyming text flows smoothly and the illustrations are enchanting!

Thankful by Eileen Spinelli
                Similar to A Very Thankful Prayer, this story is also a reminder of all the little things there are in life to be thankful for. It is a touching story that will make you appreciate the blessings that you have.

The Night Before Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing
     As we have all come to expect of her, Wing offers up a Thanksgiving tale set to the well-known rhythm of Clement C. Moore’s A Visit from St. Nicholas (also known as The Night Before Christmas) that highlights all of the excitement of preparing for and enjoying Thanksgiving Day.

Turk and Runt: A Thanksgiving Comedy by Lisa Wheeler
     Turk is the biggest, strongest, most graceful bird on Wishbone Farm and his parents couldn’t be more proud. Runt, Turk’s little brother, is the scrawniest bird on the farm, but also the smartest. As folks begin to arrive to pick out a plump, juicy turkey for their holiday feasts, Runt is the only one wise to their plans and comes to his brother’s rescue again and again. No one will listen to him! That is, until a little old lady decides she wants Runt for her Thanksgiving Day feast. This story is so much fun and children will love the Runt’s master plan at the end!

Share your favorites with us in the comments!

Happy reading!