Denise Kiernan is a multiple New York Times bestselling author of narrative nonfiction books including The Girls of Atomic City, the Last Castle, and We Gather Together. Throughout her career as a journalist and an author, she has explored underrepresented stories and characters and the impact they have had on history. These stories of the unsung offer fresh perspectives on historical tales we think we already know. At the heart of many of Kiernan’s nonfiction explorations are women from a variety of different backgrounds and time periods. She has devoted her last three books to the history of Thanksgiving and gratitude, writing separate books for all ages.
It’s really quite simple: if you focus on negative things, you’ll feel miserable. If you focus on the things that are wonderful in your life, you will feel better. And chances are, you’ve got plenty of wonderful things in your life.
The author of this book is a Maryland pastor, but I don’t think you need to be a Christian to enjoy or even grasp the message of the book. I like that he references the science that has brought gratitude to the masses, and written about it in such a straightforward manner.
Want to feel fully alive? You can feel your best right now by following the simple method laid out in this book. Your life is actually much better than you think it is. It all depends on what you focus on. Order now to find out how you can be your best every day by changing your focus. It is like having a magical set of glasses that you put on each morning. Your entire day will look different when you look at your life through the lens of gratitude. You will begin to notice the good that is already…
Early in my career, I was a federal prosecutor and moved to California to get involved in tech as a midlife career change. I became passionate about leadership and personal development because I worked alongside some outstanding leaders at companies like eBay and Airbnb for over 20 years. If I could take away one lesson, it would be this: you become what you surround yourself with. Want to be happy? Read books about happiness, spend time around people who are happy, focus on the positive each day. Want to be a great leader? Talk to other great leaders, read books about leadership. These books have each, in their way, helped me on the journey.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year, because it’s focusing on what really matters in life. Living a life filled with gratitude can change your entire perspective on the world…what would happen if you spent a few minutes each day writing a short thank you note to someone in your life, expressing gratitude for who they are or what they’ve done. Kralik was mired in a world of personal troubles when he decided to give it try, and the results will make you want to rethink how you look at the world. Every day, there are a dozen reasons to say it’s a good day, and a dozen reasons why it’s a bad day. You choose how to define it.
One recent December, at age 53, John Kralik found his life at a terrible, frightening low: his small law firm was failing; he was struggling through a painful second divorce; he had grown distant from his two older children and was afraid he might lose contact with his young daughter; he was living in a tiny apartment where he froze in the winter and baked in the summer; he was 40 pounds overweight; his girlfriend had just broken up with him; and overall, his dearest life dreams--including hopes of upholding idealistic legal principles and of becoming a judge--seemed to have…
My idea for a book about Thanksgiving was born in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. I was in downtown Manhattan that awful morning on my way to my office at the Wall Street Journal, directly across from the World Trade Center. I stood on the street and watched the towers fall. Two months later, as Thanksgiving approached, I found myself reading William Bradford’s first-person account of the First Thanksgiving. I wanted to learn more about this little kernel of history and how it grew into a cherished national holiday. I wrote several articles for the Journal about the holiday. Writing a book was the logical next step.
If you’re nervous about fixing Thanksgiving dinner—and who isn’t?—this book is for you. Veteran cooking teacher Rick Rodgers provides an array of excellent holiday recipes along with a step-by-step guide to preparing, cooking, and serving the meal. While his focus is the traditional feast—turkey, stuffing, cranberries, potatoes, pies—he also includes recipes for ethnic and vegetarian favorites. Plus there’s a welcome section on what to do with the leftovers. When it comes to preparing the holiday dinner, my personal Mount Everest has always been the gravy. No longer. Thanks to Thanksgiving 101, my gravy is now rich, smooth, and delicious.
Every fourth Thursday of November, Americans open their homes to friends and families. But when was the last time most of us made dinner for such a big crowd? With Thanksgiving 101 by your side, preparing for the holiday will be a pleasure. With step-by-step instructions for classic Thanksgiving dishes, as well as new twists on old favorites, this book will become gravy-stained in its first outing. Whether you're looking for new ways to cook turkey; traditional trimmings, chutneys, or chowders; a vegetarian entrée; or fresh ideas for regional classics, including Cajun-or Italian-inspired tastes, Thanksgiving 101 serves up a delicious…
I never knew Turkeys had so much personality—that is until I lived with a family high in the Andes Mountains of Peru, and met their turkey Pavito. When they scraped leftovers into a trough for their dogs, Pavito would come running too (certain that he was just “one of the dogs”). He would chase me around the courtyard or sit nearby making strange gurgling noises. He became the star character in my books. As a teacher and mother of 5, I have seen which picture books young readers respond to best—those they connect to, laugh at, remember, and which hold their attention.
Thanks for Nothing! Gets a big laugh on every page—and that is what makes this a big hit with young readers! If you aren’t familiar with Bruce, the grumpy bear, go meet him in his first book, Mother Bruce. In this book he is making a surprise fall feast for the mice, but, at every turn, his ingredients are ruined and when it’s time for the feast there is nothing to eat. But nevertheless, the whole crew (including a wet moose that joined the crowd), are grateful for that nothing (and a fun day)!
All of us bear the scars of emotional wounds, as complex psychology beats at the heart of all relationships. I’ve personally survived the betrayal of a parent, the loss of a child, emotional abuse, and life with an addict who could look me in the eye and lie. These themes resound in my stories. Literature is a safe place to explore and heal our own traumas through the dramatic interactions of our characters. My witch killer is not just “crazy” he’s unraveling a complex psychological past. In standing with our heroes as they meet and conquer evil, in its many guises, we find our way to healing our own trauma.
Once upon a time in the deep woods, a kind woman invited twelve family members and friends to Thanksgiving dinner. But not burning the turkey became the least of her worries. Wolf at the Dooris a kick-ass nightmare, a ghoulish debut novella that will keep you sitting rigid in bed with your eyes and ears wide, long after its done. You may never walk in the woods again. How will our hero save her dinner guests from becoming the main course for two brutally vicious werewolves who just happen to be the neighbors? How well do you know the couple next door?
All Charlotte Deerborn wanted was a nice Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends. Too bad for her no one else wanted to be there. By the time the turkey is carved, old grievances, bad behavior and crass remarks have transformed her dinner party into a disaster. And then a werewolf shows up to do some carving of its own.
Wolf at the Door, winner of the 2022 Global Book Award gold medal for horror, is a fast-paced, absurdist take on modern creature horror, levering humor and action to highlight how one family comes to grips with what really matters in…
A holiday classic from "one of the greatest writers and most fascinating society figures in American history" (Vanity Fair)!
First published in 1956, this much sought-after autobiographical recollection from Truman Capote (In Cold Blood; Breakfast at Tiffany's) about his rural Alabama boyhood is a perfect gift for Capote's fans young and old.
Seven-year-old Buddy inaugurates the Christmas season by crying out to his cousin, Miss Sook Falk: "It's fruitcake weather!" Thus begins an unforgettable portrait of an odd but enduring friendship and the memories the two friends share of beloved holiday rituals.
I never knew Turkeys had so much personality—that is until I lived with a family high in the Andes Mountains of Peru, and met their turkey Pavito. When they scraped leftovers into a trough for their dogs, Pavito would come running too (certain that he was just “one of the dogs”). He would chase me around the courtyard or sit nearby making strange gurgling noises. He became the star character in my books. As a teacher and mother of 5, I have seen which picture books young readers respond to best—those they connect to, laugh at, remember, and which hold their attention.
Pete the Cat the First Thanksgiving is on my list because I wanted to include a book that told the story of the origins of Thanksgiving. Sometimes a historical book like that can be a dry read that young readers tune out for. But add in a familiar character like Pete the Cat (who is loved by so many kiddos), give him a starring role in the school play, and the topic becomes something that holds their attention much better.
New York Times bestselling author and artist James Dean celebrates the true meaning of Thanksgiving with our favorite groovy cat—Pete!
Starring in your school’s Thanksgiving play would make even the coolest cat nervous, including Pete the Cat! But the show must go on….
With more than ten flaps that open to reveal hidden surprises, Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving is sure to be a holiday hit and a favorite for Pete the Cat fans.
I never knew Turkeys had so much personality—that is until I lived with a family high in the Andes Mountains of Peru, and met their turkey Pavito. When they scraped leftovers into a trough for their dogs, Pavito would come running too (certain that he was just “one of the dogs”). He would chase me around the courtyard or sit nearby making strange gurgling noises. He became the star character in my books. As a teacher and mother of 5, I have seen which picture books young readers respond to best—those they connect to, laugh at, remember, and which hold their attention.
Cold Turkey is a brand new book (just out in late 2021), and is great for Thanksgiving, as well as any other ch-ch-chilly time of year! Turkey is freezing and gets all bundled up. He heads out for a walk around the barnyard and ends up sharing his warm clothes with his chilly friends. This story has fun-to-read text, giggle-inducing illustrations and is a heartwarming story of kindness and generosity. (Don’t worry, Turkey ends up toasty in the end!)
The Mitten meets How to Catch a Turkey in this absurd-yet-heartwarming read-aloud that's perfect for Thanksgiving-or anytime you're feeling ch-ch-chilly!
Turkey woke up c-c-cold. He wheezed, "It's ten degrees!" I need to b-b-bundle up, before I f-f-freeze!"
Sheep is shivering, Chicken is chilly, and Cow is quivering! Lucky for them, bundled-up Turkey is generous and shares his warm clothes with each of his barnyard friends. But once he's down to just his birthday suit, what's a cold turkey to do? (Not to worry-his friends will have him toasty again in no time!)
With rollicking rhythm and giggle-inducing illustrations, this heartwarming…
My idea for a book about Thanksgiving was born in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. I was in downtown Manhattan that awful morning on my way to my office at the Wall Street Journal, directly across from the World Trade Center. I stood on the street and watched the towers fall. Two months later, as Thanksgiving approached, I found myself reading William Bradford’s first-person account of the First Thanksgiving. I wanted to learn more about this little kernel of history and how it grew into a cherished national holiday. I wrote several articles for the Journal about the holiday. Writing a book was the logical next step.
Of Plymouth Plantation is Governor William Bradford’s first-person account of the Pilgrims’ journey to America and the adventures, trials, and tribulations they encountered there. It’s a monumental story, and Bradford’s telling of it is thrilling. Only 53 Pilgrims survived their first winter in the New World, half the number of men, women, and children who had sailed on the Mayflower. But now, Bradford writes, everyone was “well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty.” That included “a great store of wild turkeys” and much more. Does that sound familiar? Happy Thanksgiving.
In honor of the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower's landing at Plymouth in 1620, a new edition of William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation -- a first person narrative account of the pilgrims' adventures, challenges, and triumphs during their early years in America. This edition is derived from the 1890 abridged version published by Effingham, Maynard & Co., which has been further lightly edited to make it more accessible to students and the modern reader. This edition also includes a brief account of the life of William Bradford from that edition.
William Bradford (1590 – 1657) originally hailed from Yorkshire in…
When I was eleven, I picked up a book about a girl and a boy who get lost on a backpacking trip in the Sierra Nevada. It’s the first book I can remember reading over and over and over again. I wanted to be in that tent and in that forest figuring out how to survive. Since then, I’ve been hooked on books about people facing grueling physical challenges, surviving in the wilderness, and finding out what they’re made of. They’re urgent and compelling and the stakes are high, and I’ll never stop loving the thrill of reading about people being pushed to their physical and mental limits.
This book had me at the premise. College sophomore Avery Delacorte is flying home for Thanksgiving when her plane goes down in the Rocky Mountains. She and Colin, a teammate from her college swim team, survive, along with three young boys. Avery and Colin have to keep themselves, and the boys, alive for five days in the mountains during a snowstorm. I love the way this book shows the struggle of surviving in the wilderness during the winter and explores the complicated feelings Avery has after rescue and the impact those feelings have on her relationships.
An adventurous debut novel that cross cuts between a competitive college swimmer’s harrowing days in the Rocky Mountains after a major airline disaster and her recovery supported by the two men who love her—only one of whom knows what really happened in the wilderness.
Nineteen-year-old Avery Delacorte loves the water. Growing up in Brookline, Massachusetts, she took swim lessons at her community pool and captained the local team; in high school, she raced across bays and sprawling North American lakes. Now a sophomore on her university’s nationally ranked team, she struggles under the weight of new expectations but life is…
