As the holidays return, Alive! publishes recommendations from our favorite Library – Los Angeles Public Library – for your seasonal reading pleasure and to remember the point of Thanksgiving: gratitude.
These suggestions are available through the LAPL, either as hard-cover loans or digital downloads.
Thanks to the LAPL Librarians who took the time to make these recommendations to Club Members.
For Adult Readers
A Catered Thanksgiving, Isis Crawford
After a client is killed by an exploding turkey, caterers Bernie and Libby Simmons must absolve themselves of the gruesome crime and find out who used their delicious food as a murder weapon.
We Gather Together, Denise Kiernan
Both a history of the Thanksgiving holiday and a celebration of gratitude, Denise Kiernan’s We Gather Together asks us to rethink what giving thanks means in this day and age.
Thanksgiving Hookup, Eleanor Sterling
After a snowstorm strands them on Thanksgiving, two flight attendants are stuck sharing the last available hotel room. Eleanor Sterling’s enemies to lovers Thanksgiving Hookup is a fun and quick holiday read.
For Teen and Young Adult Readers
Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories, Cynthia Leitich Smith
Set at a classic drive-in restaurant that seems to exist in every Native community, this anthology unites the stories of teens from all kinds of backgrounds through the shared theme of Native joy, with stories and poems reflecting hope, healing, humor, love, friendship, romance and joy. This collection of interconnected stories serves up laughter, love, Native pride, and the world’s best frybread.
Ours to Tell: Reclaiming Indigenous Stories, Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger
This is a wide-ranging anthology that shines a light on untold Indigenous stories as chronicled by Indigenous creators, compiled by the acclaimed team behind Turtle Island and Sky Wolf’s Call. For too long, stories and artistic expressions from Indigenous people have been written and recorded by others. In Ours to Tell, 16 Indigenous creators relate traditions, accounts of historical events, and their own lived experiences. Novelists, poets, graphic artists, historians, craftspeople, and mapmakers chronicle stories on the struggles and triumphs lived by Indigenous people, and the impact these stories have had on their culture and history.
Indiginerds: Tales from Modern Indigenous Life, Alina Pete
Graphic Novel. This is an anthology of short memoir comics about modern indigenous life, with some fiction or fictionalized memories mixed inches.
Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States: Graphic Interpretation, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Graphic Novel. In stunning full color and accessible text, this is a graphic adaptation of the American Book Award winning history of the United States as told from the perspective of Indigenous peoples.
Fantastic Vegan Recipes for the Teen Cook: 60 Incredible Recipes You Need to Try for Good Health and a Better Planet, Elaine Skiadas
Cookbook. This offers delicious vegan recipes by teens, for teens. With her fresh, friendly voice and easy-to-follow instructions, recipe developer Elaine Skiadas shares helpful vegan cooking tips, tricks and techniques and mouthwatering recipes for showstopping vegan dishes.
Billy Buckhorn and the Book of Spells, Gary Robinson
Series: Thunder Child Prophecy. Book 1. After Billy Buckhorn survives being struck by lightning, he is left with extraordinary visions and psychic insights. When his deceased grandmother conveys a message to him, Billy realizes that his special powers will be used to defeat the ancient evil threatening his Cherokee Nation.
For Young Readers
Humpty’s Great Fall, Amy Moore
Humpty Dumpty and his nursery rhyme friends enjoy the delights of fall (including a fall – into a pile of leaves!) in this seasonal Mother Goose mash-up.
At Our Table, Patrick Hulse; illustrator Madelyn Goodnight
Warm and inviting, At Our Table depicts the joys of sharing a meal together, be it at Thanksgiving or family dinner. Thoughtful inclusions of Native Americans past and present, as well as to the farmers who put food on our tables, make this a lovely title to share with children this fall.
A Great Fall, Ame Dyckman; illustrator Mark Teague
Rat, Cat and Bat get up to some mischief in three short stories about some of our favorite fall activities.
Cousins! A Big Family Story, Laura Lavoie; illustrator Luisa Leal
With several major holidays on the horizon, Cousins! is perfect for any child who is preparing for a big family gathering. From playing together before a shared meal to the last moments before falling asleep, this sweet title celebrates the best of being a cousin.
We Give Thanks, Cynthia Rylant; illustrator Sergio Ruzzier
Rabbit and Frog have so much to be thankful for! In this rhyming story, they hop around town sharing their gratitude with friends, and then they make a feast for all to share!
Dino-Thanksgiving, Lisa Wheeler; illustrator Barry Gott
Dinosaurs, both carnivorous and vegetarian, gather with family and friends in the rhyming celebration that hits all the major traditions of the day!
Recommendations by:
Literature and Fiction Dept., Los Angeles Public Library
Teen’Scape, Los Angeles Public Library
Children’s Literature Dept., Los Angeles Public Library
Compiled by: Susan Lendroth, Los Angeles Public Library