In the United States, November marks the end of the harvest season and is a time for everyone to reflect on the many, many things they have to be thankful for: our lives, our freedom, our families, and living in a land of plenty, where even in hard times the shelves in the grocery stores are always full.

In my family, we always start baking and cooking with anticipation of the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday. November is an appropriate month to focus on all aspects of food: trying new foods, humorous books about turkeys (and their obsession with avoiding being the main course), the Thanksgiving Holiday, and manners. Since the Thanksgiving holiday comes from the Native American tradition of giving thanks, and traditionally we focus on teaching young children the story of Native Americans sharing their bounty with the hungry English settlers, I have also included some of my favorite books about sharing. I hope you enjoy my book list, and check back often to my other hubs about reading, starting a library story hour, and how to find any book you need to fit your curriculum theme. 

• The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman and Marla Frazee (ISBN 0152024409, Kindergarten and up). A house full of picky eaters creates mayhem for mother.
• Gregory, The Terrible Eater by Mitchell Sharmat, Jose Aruego, and Ariane Dewey (ISBN 0590433504, Ages 4-8). Gregory the goat's parents are aghast: he actually likes to eat healthy food instead of the usual goat fare.
• Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, (ISBN 0545002850, Ages 4 and up). The boy in this rhyming children's classic will not try green eggs and ham, until finally, he decides maybe, he just might like them a lot!
• No Peas for Nellie by Chris L. Demarest (ISBN 978-0689714748, Ages 4-8)
• I Will Never Not Ever Eat a Tomato by Lauren Child (Charlie and Lola series) (ISBN 0763621803, Ages 4-8) Lola's interest in everyday foods increase when her sister invents clever new names for them.

   

• Thanksgiving Is for Giving Thanks by Margaret Sutherland and Sonja Lamut (ISBN 978-0448422862, Ages 4-8)
• The Most Thankful Thing by Lisa McCourt and Cyd Moore (ISBN 0439650836, Ages 4-8)
• I'm Thankful Each Day by P. K. Hallinan, (ISBN 0824953975 Ages 4-8
• Feeling Thankful (Shelley Rotner's Early Childhood Library) by Shelley Rotner (ISBN 0761314377, Ages 4-8) Full color-pictures and easy-to-understand text make this concept book appropriate for teaching gratitude
• Joseph Had a Little Overcoat by Simms Taback (ISBN B001I8I9II, Ages 4-8) Joseph the Tailor shows gratitude for his belongings by reinventing his overcoat into a variety of colorful and creative garments. Caldecott Winner.

• 10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston and Richard F. Deas (ISBN 0439459486,ages 4-8) A rhyming read-aloud.
• Five Silly Turkeys by Salina Yoon (ISBN 0843114169, Ages 4-8)
• All About Turkeys by Jim Arnosky (ISBN 0590697803, Ages 6-9) This nonfiction book describes wild turkeys in their habitats.
• A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman and Jeff Shelly (ISBN 0761451889, First Grade and up) A canny turkey outwits the townspeople who are trying to make him their next meal.
• Run, Turkey, Run! by Diane Mayr and Laura Rader (ISBN 0802796303, Ages 5-8
• Over the River: A Turkey's Tale by Derek Anderson (ISBN 0689876351, Ages 4-8) This unusual twist on a familiar song features a turkey family and their adventures on their way to Grandmother's house on Thanksgiving day.

• Gracias The Thanksgiving Turkey by Joy Cowley and Joe Cepeda. (ISBN 0439769876, Ages 5-8). A multicultural story about Jose and his pet turkey Gracias.
• Twas The Night Before Thanksgiving by Dav Pilkey (ISBN 0439669375, Ages 4-8) Parody of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas featuring 8 tiny turkeys
• How to Bake an American Pie by Karma Wilson and Raul Colon. (ISBN 0689865066 Ages 6 and Up) Reviewers say "syrupy text" but "sweet illustrations" celebrate the ingredients that make America beautiful.
• Thanksgiving by Haugen, Brenda, Ouren, and Todd (ISBN 1404804870, ages 9-12
• Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White (ISBN 1591128315, Ages 5 and up)
• The Perfect Thanksgiving by Eileen Spinelli and JoAnn Adinolfi (ISBN 0312375050, Ages 4-8)

   

Public domain image from the Karen's Whimsy Website.

• Excuse Me! by Lisa Kopelke (ISBN 0689851111, ages 4-8)
• This Little Piggy's Book of Manners by Kathryn Madeline Allen and Nancy Wolff (ISBN 978-0805067699, Ages 4-8)
• Monster Manners by Bethany Roberts and Andrew Glass (ISBN 978-0395866221, Ages 4-8)
• Dude, That's Rude!: Get Some Manners by Pamela Espeland, Elizabeth Verdick, and Steve Mark (ISBN 978-1575422336, Ages 9-12
• Oops! Excuse Me! Please!: And Other Mannerly Tales by Bob McGrath (ISBN 978-0764150838, Ages 4-8

• Oops, Sorry! A First Book of Manners by Richard Morgan (ISBN 076412287, Toddler & Up)

• Stone Soup by Marcia Brown (ISBN 0689878362, Ages 4-8) This version of the Stone Soup folktale won the author a Caldecott Medal in 1947.
• Stone Soup by Heather Forest (ISBN 0874836026, Ages 4-8). This 1998 version of the Stone Soup folktale depicts a multi-cultural village and two beggars who trick the villagers into sharing.