Examines th history and lore of Thanksgiving from A for "across the Atlantic Ocean" to Z for " the "zeppelin-like" balloons in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Once a year at Thanksgiving, we encounter Pilgrims as folksy people in funny hats before promptly forgetting them. In the centuries since America began, the Pilgrims have been relegated to folklore and children's stories, fairy-tale mascots for holiday parties and greeting cards.The true story of the Pilgrim Fathers could not be more different. Beginning with the execution of two pastors deviating from the Elizabethan Church of England, the Pilgrims...

Describes how the Indian Squanto, an English-speaking Christian and former slave, whose village had been wiped out by smallpox, taught the Pilgrims the skills they needed to survive the harsh Massachusetts winter.

Twelve-year-old Mem presents a diary account of the trip she and her family made on the Mayflower in 1620 and their first year in the New World.

Squanto's name is legend in American history, but behind the legend was a real man who lived an exciting life of kidnap, escape, exploration, and diplomacy. One of the last of his people and one of the first to travel the world, Squanto was so much more than just a translator to the Pilgrims. Through accessible text, full color illustrations, and direct quotes, young readers will learn about the fascinating man and his crucial role in American history....

Presents the history of the Mayflower Compact, discussing why the document was written, troubles the Pilgrims encountered in Plymouth Colony, and why relations between the colonists and the Native Americans soured.

"The first Thanksgiving was a celebration. The pilgrims were thankful for the harvest they planted. Find out what the pilgrims ate for the first Thanksgiving"--From the publisher's web site.

"Wampanoag children listen as their grandmother tells them the story about how Weeâchumun (the wise Corn) asked local Native Americans to show the newcomers how to grow food to yield a good harvest--Keepunumuk--in 1621"--

Text and photographs of Plymouth Plantation follow a Pilgrim girl through a typical day as she milks the goats, cooks and serves meals, learns her letters, and adjusts to her new stepfather.

"Mary Elizabeth Chapman boards the Speedwell in 1620 as a Separatist seeking a better life in the New World. William Lytton embarks on the Mayflower as a carpenter looking for opportunities to succeed-and he may have found one when a man from the Virginia Company offers William a hefty sum to keep a stealth eye on company interests in the new colony. The season is far too late for good sailing and storms rage, but reaching land is no better as food...