What are your favorite November picture books? During this month we teach about the changing leaves, turkey trouble and all the ways we can be thankful. Here are some of the best read alouds for the month of November.
Books About Turkeys
1. A Turkey For Thanksgiving
In this adorable book, A Turkey For Thanksgiving, Mr. and Mrs. Moose want to invite all their friends for Thanksgiving – including Turkey. The only problem is, turkey is afraid they want him to be the main course! This book is perfect for teaching students about characters, setting, problem and solution and one of the best Thanksgiving read alouds!
2. A Plump And Perky Turkey
In this cute story, A Plump And Perky Turkey, the people of Squawk Valley try to lure the turkeys into town to catch them for Thanksgiving dinner. But the turkeys in this town are way to smart for that! We use this book each year when we disguise Turkeys and write about their adventures. We play a cute disguise a turkey game to incorporate a little math too!
3. Turkey Trouble
Turkey Trouble is another great book to use for your November writing prompts. This turkey is in BIG trouble. He's about to be the main course for dinner so he makes many hilarious attempts to disguise himself! Great to read with your disguise a turkey and other November turkey activities!
4. How To Catch A Turkey
Are you planning a procedural writing lesson in November? How To Catch A Turkey is the perfect book to use with your lesson! Students can write their own hilarious version of how to catch a turkey!
Thanksgiving Books For Kids
5. The Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving
The Pilgrims First Thanksgiving describes the Mayflower voyage and the struggles that the Pilgrims encountered as they begin their life in the new world. Head over here to see how we use this book when we compare our life today to life long ago. We make an interactive craft book depicting Pilgirm life and then we spend a day in the life of a pilgrim trying out different chores from long ago.
6. Sara Morton's Day
If you're looking for another great Thanksgiving read aloud for 1st grade, this is it! Sara Morton's Day is a fantastic book with photographs depicting the life of a pilgrim girl named Sara Morton. I use this book to take children on a journey through the day in the life of a pilgrim child as she does her daily chores. It's the perfect book to show children what life was like long ago for girls – building fires, feeding chickens, cooking breakfast, and milking the goats.
7. Samuel Eaton's Day
Another in this Scholastic series is Samuel Eaton's Day. This story will show the students the difference between the life of a pilgrim boy and a pilgrim girl. In the book, Samuel decides to prove to his father that he's up to the task of helping with the harvest. But is it more than he expected?
8. Tapenum's Day: A Wampanoag Indian Boy In Pilgrim Times
The third in the Scholastic series, Tapenum's Day, shows what life was life for a Wampanoag boy during pilgrim times. A great book to use when comparing the difference between the pilgrims and the Wampanoag.
9. The Night Before Thanksgiving
The Night Before Thanksgiving is one of the best November picture books to read with your students just before Thanksgiving break. It shows family traditions of preparing a big meal, greeting cousins and family and gathering around the table for their own Thanksgiving meal.
10. Balloons Over Broadway
Everyone's favorite holiday tradition is watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. But do you know the story behind the famous balloons? Balloons Over Broadway tells all about the puppeteer, Tony Sarg, who invented these famous balloons! You will love this story of how the beautiful balloons in the Macy’s parade came to be! A new and different story to add to your Thanksgiving picture books.
11. Thanksgiving In The Woods
This lovely November picture book is based on the true story of a family in New York that hosts an outdoor Thanksgiving in the woods each year. The pictures are beautiful and its a wonderful story of sharing a meal, singing songs and laughter. It's one of my favorite books to read in November.
12. Sharing The Bread
Love this book! Set at the turn of the century, Sharing The Bread is a cute rhyming book and a great way to compare long ago to today with our holiday traditions!
13. Thanksgiving Rules
In this cute story, a little boy tells the ten rules to follow to have a great Thanksgiving day. Thanksgiving Rules is perfect for generating some creative writing about your students Thanksgiving traditions!
Fall Picture Books
14. Leaves Fall Down
When you think about Autumn what's the first thing that comes to mind? Leaves – the changing colors, raking them up and jumping in the piles! We use the book, Leaves Fall Down, to learn about how leaves change and then we do the procedural writing activity How To Rake Leaves and we make a cute craft to go along with it!
15. Little Acorn
Little Acorn is the perfect November picture book to read when learning about the life cycle of trees. It shows how the little acorn grows to be a mighty oak!
16. Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter
Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter is a sweet book about a little brother and sister who explore nature and begin to notice all the signs that winter is on it's way! Another great November book!
17. In November
In November by Cynthia Rylant is a beautiful tale of how people and animals prepare for winter. A great book to read during the month of November.
18. The Roll Away Pumpkin
The Roll Away Pumpkin is a cute book that’s perfect for re-telling. Maria’s pumpkin is rolling away and she chases it all over town, enlisting help along the way.
Animals In Fall
19. Chipmunk At Hollow Tree Lane
I love using all of the Smithsonian Backyard Books during the fall. In Chipmunks At Hollow Tree Lane, we watch as chipmunk scampers around the yard searching for nuts to save for his long winter hibernation. We use this book to learn all about chipmunks and write reports about these cute little animals.
20. Owls
Whoot! Whoot! Who's that you hear on those chilly fall nights? Gail Gibbons is the master at realistic fiction and Owls is perfect for teaching about nocturnal animals. Click here to see how we use the book, Owls, when we learn about the life cycle of the owl.
21. Hibernation Station
Fall lends itself to so many great science topics and learning about animals as they prepare for winter. Hibernation Station is a cute rhyming book that will introduce children to some of the different animals that hibernate in winter.
22. The Secret Life Of Squirrels
What do squirrels do all day? You may think they just gather nuts but not in this adorable book of photos depicting real squirrels doing all sorts of daily chores – taking a bath, doing laundry and even mailing a letter! The Secret Life Of Squirrels is the perfect book for a creative writing lesson!
Gratitude Books For Children
23. Grateful – A Song Of Giving Thanks
Grateful is a beautiful story with a reminder of all the gifts and things we should be grateful for in life. Wonderful to read near the Thanksgiving holiday.
24. A Little Thankful Spot
A Little Thankful Spot will inspire children to be thankful as they follow a little yellow spot around who shows all the things he's thankful for! We read this book and then make a list of things we're thankful for in our own lives.
25. Thankful
November is a great time to talk about being thankful! This lovely book shares the many things that people can be thankful for each day.
Looking for more November activities? Check out these posts:
SAVE THESE IDEAS FOR LATER!
Take a minute to save these tips to your favorite November Pinterest board so you can remember them later!
