Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson, Matt Faulkner (Illustrator)

From Barnes & Noble

For most of us, the story of Thanksgiving evokes thoughts of Pilgrims and Native American enjoying a colonial feast. But the story and the celebration might be unknown to us but for the tireless efforts of a little-known woman. For 38 years, persistent patriot Sarah Hale tirelessly wielded her pen, writing public office holders in support of a national holiday for Thanksgiving. Finally, in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation making this day of Thanksgiving a national holiday. Written by a National Book Award finalist, Thank You, Sarah! pays tribute to a letter-writing heroine.

From the Publisher

Yes. That's right!

Way back when "skirts were long and hats were tall" Americans were forgetting Thanksgiving, and nobody seemed to care!

Thankfully, Sarah Hale appeared. More steadfast than Plymouth Rock, this lady editor knew the holiday needed saving. But would her recipe for rescue ever convince Congress and the presidents?

Join acclaimed author Laurie Halse Anderson on a journey of a woman and a pen that spanned four decades, the Civil War, and five presidents, all so you could have your turkey and eat it too!

Publishers Weekly

This tale of a little-known historical heroine touts the power of the pen and persistence. With an irreverent tone ("You think you know everything about Thanksgiving, don't you?") and caricatures that play up past Americans' laissez-faire attitude, Anderson (Speak) and Faulkner (The Amazing Voyage of Jackie Grace) chart the progress of Sarah Hale, whose relentless letters and 38 years of petitioning presidents, secured Thanksgiving's status as a national holiday. A hilarious spread of presidents Taylor and Filmore passing the buck to Pierce (Lincoln finally makes the day official in 1863) typifies the balance of humor and history in this snappy volume. An afterword offers additional delectable facts (e.g., FDR tried moving up the holiday in 1939 and '40 to extend the holiday shopping season; Hale also wrote "Mary Had a Little Lamb"). Ages 5-10. (Oct.)

School Library Journal

Gr 1-4-Anderson turns a little-known historical tidbit into a fresh, funny, and inspirational alternative to the standard Thanksgiving stories. Alarmed that the observance was dying out since many states did not observe it at all and those that did had no agreement as to date, Sarah Hale began 38 years of letter writing in support of making it a national holiday. Ignored or refused by administration after administration, she persisted until at last, President Lincoln, possibly persuaded by her argument that it would help to reunite the union, declared the fourth Thursday in November as a national holiday in 1863. The writing sparkles and is well matched by the spirited and irreverent caricatures (including Native people and pilgrims with feathers in their headbands and hats). Lively and provocative sentences involve readers. Anderson doesn't state the facts; she reveals them, unveils them, and celebrates them, and her text certainly shows that persistence and eloquence can succeed. Faulkner takes every opportunity to provide visual humor. He draws Sarah and other ladies storming the doors of the state house with a giant quill pen as a battering ram. His busts of recalcitrant presidents and his graphic depiction of the "other things" President Buchanan had "on his mind" convey complex historical concepts while adding to the humorous tone of the book. A "Feast of Facts" gives more information on Thanksgiving, Hale, and the year 1863, and ends with the exhortation: "Pick up your pen. Change the world."-Louise L. Sherman, formerly at Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

The impish Faulkner (The Monster Who Ate My Peas, 2001, etc.) illustrates this rousing account of Sarah Hale's campaign to make Thanksgiving a national holiday with crowds of caricatured celebrants in buckskins, football equipment, and every style of dress in between. ("Thanksgiving Canceled-No Football Today.") Anderson (Catalyst, p. 1300, etc.), in a really silly mood, tells the tale with wide open theatricality: trumpeting, "WE ALMOST LOST . . . THANKSGIVING!" across a spread of dismayed diners and relieved looking turkeys, she introduces "a dainty little lady" as the holiday's champion. An unlikely hero? "Never underestimate dainty little ladies," the author warns, launching into a portrait of a 19th-century supermom-novelist, educator, magazine editor, widowed mother of five, eloquent supporter of many social causes and, yes, author of "Mary Had a Little Lamb"-who took on four Presidents in succession before finding one, Lincoln, who agreed with her that Thanksgiving, which had been largely a northeastern holiday, should be celebrated nationwide. "When folks started to ignore Thanksgiving, well, that just curdled her gravy." Dishing up a closing "Feast of Facts" about the day and the woman, Anderson offers readers both an indomitable role model and a memorable, often hilarious glimpse into the historical development of this country's common culture. Thank you, Anderson and Faulkner. (bibliography of sources) (Picture book/biography. 6-9)

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