In this season of giving thanks, instill in your child a spirit of gratitude and generosity. Books are a great way to do that! Follow these characters as they learn to appreciate the gifts of family, friends, community, pets, and nature, and how giving to others brings happiness to the giver as well as the receiver.
YOUTH
Little ones love to help! Encourage their kindness with these sweet picture books.
Thank You, Neighbor! by Ruth Chan
Follow little Ruth as she walks around her neighborhood and greets her neighbors. From firemen rescuing a kitty stuck in a tree to helping elderly neighbors, she watches neighbors thanking each other and realizes that her neighborhood is a big family that makes her feel at home.
Our Little Kitchen by Jillian Tamaki
A group comes together to prepare a meal for their neighborhood. From gathering vegetables in the garden to sharing tasks in the kitchen, this book shows that community is built around a shared table.
Clifford’s Good Deeds by Norman Bridwell
Clifford loves helping others. But every time he tries to help someone, it backfires! Will Clifford be able to show he has a big heart, or will his big paws keep getting in the way?
Experienced readers will enjoy these chapter books about being grateful.
Thanks to Lucy by Ilene Cooper
It’s the week of Thanksgiving! Bobby has a lot to be grateful for: his grandmother is coming to visit, and he’s going to be a big brother soon! But his dog Lucy hasn’t been her normal frisky self. Suddenly, Bobby isn’t feeling so thankful. Will Bobby and his family be able to figure out what’s wrong with Lucy in time for Thanksgiving Day?
Trouble At Table Five: Countdown to Disaster by Tom Watson
When Molly accidentally overhears her parents planning a big move (in just a few days!), she recruits her friends to help send her parents on a crazy scavenger hunt to remind them of all the wonderful things and people that she (and they) love and are grateful for! Will they change their minds and let Molly stay at her school and with her friends?
Discover the rich blessings of the Cherokee people in this unique non-fiction title.
We Are Grateful by Traci Sorell
Join the Cherokee people as they celebrate all the things that they are grateful for throughout each season. This book was written by a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and contains a glossary of terms and
a syllabary.
TWEENS AND TEENS
Inspire teens to give back and make a positive difference in the world!
Nowhere Better Than Here by Sarah Guillory
For 13-year-old Jillian Robichaux, three things are sacred: bayou sunsets, her grandmother Nonnie’s stories, and the coastal Louisiana town of Boutin that she calls home. But as her town is slowly being destroyed by rising tides, one girl must fight to find a way to keep her community’s spirit from drowning.
Positive: Surviving My Bullies, Finding Hope, and Changing the World by Paige Rawl and Ali Benjamin
Paige Rawl was a typical teenager until she disclosed that she was HIV positive. In this memoir, she shares how she survived the bullying and found the strength to become a force for positive change in this world.
Haven Jacobs Saves the Planet by Barbara Dee
Twelve-year-old Haven channels her anxiety about the climate crisis into a fight against the factory suspected of polluting the river that runs through her town.
