Week of Nov. 11 - Nov. 15

NOVEMBER IS A MONTH FOR GIVING THANKS

It was a short week with the Veterans Day holiday.  I aim to read books with themes of thankfulness and generosity during the month of November.  Also, fourth graders have begun their research for their animal projects.  We began last week by finding resources in the library to help with the project.

THANKSGIVING BOOKS

There is a wonderful book called Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora. In Nigeria, "Omu" (pronounced AH-moo) is the Igbo term for "queen," and it was the word Mora used to refer to her Grandma. In the story, Omu is preparing a delicious thick red stew, and the lovely aroma wafts outside and attracts several people from the neighborhood. Because she is so generous, Omu shares her stew with every person who knocks on her door.  But when it is her dinner time and she prepares to fill her own bowl, she is saddened to realize she has given it all away.  The ending is very heartwarming and a perfect example of gratitude.

Mora uses cut-paper designs to create her colorful and fun illustrations.

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Gracias Thanks by Pat Mora is a beautiful bilingual book, written in both English and Spanish. Each page depicts something that the boy is thankful for, such as the bees not stinging him when his uncle plays the guitar and his dogs sing along.  I love that it is all small, everyday things that the boy is thankful for.  Of course we should be thankful for family, friends, a home, food, etc., but when a ladybug flies onto your finger it can make your day.

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Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson tells the true story of a woman named Sarah Hale, who wanted Thanksgiving to become a national holiday.  She wrote magazine articles and thousands of letters to politicians asking them to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. Each time, she was rejected, but she never gave up.  It took her thirty-eight years, but she did it!  In 1863, President Lincoln agreed that our country needed to celebrate a day of thanks, and made the fourth Thursday of each November the national holiday that we know as Thanksgiving.  We agreed that Sarah epitomized persistence, our character trait of the month.

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Thanksgiving in the White House by Gary Hines was a natural followup to Thank You Sarah, considering the setting is the time of the first Thanksgiving after President Lincoln approved the national holiday.  The story's main character was Tad, Lincoln's son, who tended to get himself into a bit of mischief.  Tad did some crazy things, like bringing everyone's clothes onto the White House lawn to sell them, charging people a nickel to see his father, and letting loose his toy cannon in the White House during a cabinet meeting.  Although he loved pranks, Tad also loved animals, and he became very fond of the turkey that came to the white house around the time of the first holiday.  He thought that the turkey was a pet and named him Jack, and he was horrified when he overheard that Jack was intended to be the main course at the Thanksgiving celebration.  Tad begged and pleaded with his father to give the turkey an official reprieve, and Lincoln obliged. So ham it was for dinner!

NEW BOOK IN THE LIBRARY

Landry with one of his fans.

There's a new book in the library called The Book of Dangerous Things.  It was written by first grader James Landry. We look forward to seeing what else this young new author will write next!