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gabbysletsread's review against another edition
5.0
Fun kids read for Thanksgiving day! Quick read, loved the adventure back in time with Jack and Annie to the 1st Thanksgiving dinner.
gullerub's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
ricksilva's review against another edition
4.0
Jack and Annie travel back in time to the Plymouth colony in 1621, but the "First Thanksgiving" is not quite what they remember from grade-school Thanksgiving plays. A lot of things go wrong. Jack and Annie have to rely on some unexpected help to keep suspicious at bay. After all, they can't exactly just blend in when the colony has few children and almost no strangers simply showing up. They also prove to be hopelessly inept at all of the chores they try to help out with.
However, some really good interactions with Priscilla and Squanto save Jack and Annie, and also provide very interesting character and story moments.
Mary Pope Osborne works hard to present a realistic view of the 1621 harvest feast that would not receive the "Thanksgiving" designation until more than 200 years later. She does choose to keep keep the focus on the positive interactions between the Pilgrims and Wampanoag, but she does well with the details, and includes some good thematic elements with the final conversation Jack and Annie have with Squanto.
However, some really good interactions with Priscilla and Squanto save Jack and Annie, and also provide very interesting character and story moments.
Mary Pope Osborne works hard to present a realistic view of the 1621 harvest feast that would not receive the "Thanksgiving" designation until more than 200 years later. She does choose to keep keep the focus on the positive interactions between the Pilgrims and Wampanoag, but she does well with the details, and includes some good thematic elements with the final conversation Jack and Annie have with Squanto.
bookworm_baggins's review against another edition
4.0
Read aloud to Emma and Will. One of the better ones, somewhat surprising because usually "holiday" themed books rely more on gimmick and less on plot.
collen_vargas's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
readdragon's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
pussreboots's review against another edition
2.0
Thanksgiving on Thursday by Mary Pope Osborne was the book that killed my son's interest in the series. It seems that every series feels the temptation to do an issue, book or episode for the major holidays. This book sends Jack and Annie to experience a thanksgiving feast with the Pilgrims.
Yes, there were pilgrims. Yes they got help from the local indigenous population. But the holiday we celebrate now on the fourth Thursday of November evolved over time and except for sentimentality has nothing to do with that first feast.
So Jack and Annie go back the pilgrims and make a dogs breakfast out of trying to help prepare for the meal. I get that they are children but they were completely useless, more so than usual. My son who was going on seven at the time that we read the book was shocked at how little they know. He's grown up in an urban setting his entire life but he has more domestic life skills than both children combined.
Frankly it would have been more interesting, unique and educational to have sent Jack and Annie back to 1941 when Congress designated the fourth Thursday as a national holiday of Thanksgiving. I bet most kids don't know that part of the story. It would certainly be refreshing compared to yet another rehashing of the same old Pilgrim story.
Yes, there were pilgrims. Yes they got help from the local indigenous population. But the holiday we celebrate now on the fourth Thursday of November evolved over time and except for sentimentality has nothing to do with that first feast.
So Jack and Annie go back the pilgrims and make a dogs breakfast out of trying to help prepare for the meal. I get that they are children but they were completely useless, more so than usual. My son who was going on seven at the time that we read the book was shocked at how little they know. He's grown up in an urban setting his entire life but he has more domestic life skills than both children combined.
Frankly it would have been more interesting, unique and educational to have sent Jack and Annie back to 1941 when Congress designated the fourth Thursday as a national holiday of Thanksgiving. I bet most kids don't know that part of the story. It would certainly be refreshing compared to yet another rehashing of the same old Pilgrim story.