Squanto’s Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving

Although the story of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving has been a staple in schools for decades, the Native American version of this event is far less familiar. Told in the first person from Squanto’s point of view, Bruchac’s book begins with the brutal hardships Squanto endured at the hands of the English. After being kidnapped and enslaved in Spain, he works desperately hard to sail back to New England, only to find that his family and many other Patuxet people have died from disease brought by the white man. In spite of all this, Squanto is unaltered in his belief that “these men can share our land as friends.” He acts with dignity as an ambassador between the Native Americans and the English and helps the Pilgrims survive in their new world. Shed’s full-page, earth-tone illustrations add warmth and historical detail to this Thanksgiving story.