Thank You Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson illustrated by Matt Faulkner

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints. Did you know we didn’t always celebrate Thanksgiving? It’s true. Oh sure, some states in the Northeast celebrated Thanksgiving but they didn’t necessarily celebrate on the same day. Well, Sarah Hale thought this was wrong. She felt all Americans should have a day of thanks and for families that could be shared together. There was just one HUGE problem. In the 1800s only men were in charge of the country and no one was interested in listening to a woman. But that didn’t stop Sarah. She just worked harder. You obviously know the ending but you should still read this book. Sarah Hale is a fascinating figure from American history that more students should know about. She wasn’t just concerned with Thanksgiving; she was also concerned with rights for women, public education for children, and the treatment of slaves. Sarah was a very busy woman who didn’t like to slow down. This book is wonderful and not just for the information on Sarah. The pictures are great too. They are full of details and if you look closely you will realize you can learn a lot even though some of the pictures are supposed to be very funny. If you want to see Sarah’s letter to Abraham Lincoln then visit http://lcweb2.loc.gov/learn/features/thanksgiving/timeline/1863.html.
921 Hal