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A Pioneer Story #2
A Pioneer Thanksgiving: A Story of Harvest Celebrations in 1841
A unique hybrid of fact, fiction and activities lets you join a pioneer family as they celebrate Thanksgiving in 1841.
48 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1999
3 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Greenwood
23 books8 followersInspired by her own early fascination with historical tales, author Barbara Greenwood specializes in writing historical fiction and biographies for children and young people. When she was young she couldn't find novels about Canada's past. Now she immerses herself in the subject: reading old diaries, journals, and letters, visiting museums, doing in-depth research at libraries, visiting the areas where her books are set. The information gleaned from her research becomes grist for the background details and settings of novels which emphasize character development and the human side of history. The stories she creates are those she would have liked to read at age ten or twelve or fourteen. The reams of research "left-over" from her first two books was used in A Pioneer Story, an award-winning book which mixes fact, fiction, and hands-on activities as it delves into Ontario's past. Barbara Greenwood studied at the University of Toronto. She taught elementary school for many years and, later, taught creative writing to high-school and adult students. She has been president of CANSCAIP (Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators, and Performers) and has edited many CANSCAIP publications. Many of her short stories and articles have been published in the Canadian Children's Annual and educational anthologies.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 22, 2018
Although Barbara Greenwood's A Pioneer Thanksgiving: A Story of Harvest Celebrations in 1841 describes 1841 harvest celebrations in what is now the province of Ontario (then of course still known as Upper Canada), the information, the storyline presented could just as easily have taken place in the northeastern areas of the United States, and thus A Pioneer Thanksgiving: A Story of Harvest Celebrations in 1841 could and perhaps should be used interchangeably with regard to either Canadian or American Thanksgiving (or perhaps more to the point harvest) traditions. With the same combination of fiction/non-fiction that has made made and continues to make the author's A Pioneer Story: The Daily Life of a Canadian Family in 1840 such an informative and engaging reading pleasure (accompanied once again by Heather Collins' warm and detailed sepia illustrations, and interspersed with Thanksgiving holiday themed acitivities and projects throughout), Barabara Greenwood tells of the Robertsons's preparations for the Thanksgiving feast (engagingly and informatively, from Sarah's fear when little sister Lizzie almost drowns in the bog while they are collecting cranberries, to the final scene, where the Robertsons and their German Canadian neighbours, the Burkholders, finally sit down at the table, a table literally groaning with delicious food, including Sarah's special cranberry sauce). A sweet, engaging, informative story for both young and old (and while there might be a bit too much text to recommend this book to the very young, if some or even most of the non-fiction parts were left out, or simply redacted a bit, A Pioneer Thanksgiving: A Story of Harvest Celebrations in 1841 could easily work as a read aloud even with and for younger children).
The historical information presented in and by A Pioneer Thanksgiving: A Story of Harvest Celebrations in 1841 seems for the most part to be accurate (and I have to stipulate that it "seems" historically accurate because, once again, there is no bibliography, no list of works cited, which, at least in my opinion, rather limits the teaching amd learning value of A Pioneer Thanksgiving: A Story of Harvest Celebrations in 1841). And while I do very much appreciate that Barbara Greenwood has remembered to point out that First Nations, that Native Americans and Canadians had and still have their own diverse autmnal celebrations (the sacred wild rice harvest of the Ojibwa in late August, the Iroquois Green Corn Festival in September, and the October days of thanksgiving to mark the gathering in of the harvest are described, including some of the counting/dicing games played during these festivals), I also have to wonder and question why the author, in her section on Thanksgiving Then and Now, while describing harvest festival traditions of Europe, the 1578 Labrador celebration of Martin Frobisher and the 1621 Plymouth Colony so-called "first" American Thanksgiving, has then failed to mention the 1606 French Canadian harvest celebrations held by Jacques Cartier, to which he also invited his First Nations neighbours. Was this a deliberate oversight, or simply an unfortunate omission? And indeed, that is a question that does need to be asked, for the historic (and even at times still current) animosity between French and English Canada is a sad but true scenario of Canadian history and culture (and it certainly would be at best a bit problematic had Barbara Greenwood omitted the 1606 French Canadian harvest celebrations not because of an oversight but because she deliberately had chosen not to include this).
The historical information presented in and by A Pioneer Thanksgiving: A Story of Harvest Celebrations in 1841 seems for the most part to be accurate (and I have to stipulate that it "seems" historically accurate because, once again, there is no bibliography, no list of works cited, which, at least in my opinion, rather limits the teaching amd learning value of A Pioneer Thanksgiving: A Story of Harvest Celebrations in 1841). And while I do very much appreciate that Barbara Greenwood has remembered to point out that First Nations, that Native Americans and Canadians had and still have their own diverse autmnal celebrations (the sacred wild rice harvest of the Ojibwa in late August, the Iroquois Green Corn Festival in September, and the October days of thanksgiving to mark the gathering in of the harvest are described, including some of the counting/dicing games played during these festivals), I also have to wonder and question why the author, in her section on Thanksgiving Then and Now, while describing harvest festival traditions of Europe, the 1578 Labrador celebration of Martin Frobisher and the 1621 Plymouth Colony so-called "first" American Thanksgiving, has then failed to mention the 1606 French Canadian harvest celebrations held by Jacques Cartier, to which he also invited his First Nations neighbours. Was this a deliberate oversight, or simply an unfortunate omission? And indeed, that is a question that does need to be asked, for the historic (and even at times still current) animosity between French and English Canada is a sad but true scenario of Canadian history and culture (and it certainly would be at best a bit problematic had Barbara Greenwood omitted the 1606 French Canadian harvest celebrations not because of an oversight but because she deliberately had chosen not to include this).
November 4, 2022
Here's the ultimate crafting/homeschool mom's Thanksgiving book! It's a treasure trove of stories, followed up by recipes and activities that are sure to delight your children. Set in the Canadian pioneering days of 1841.
Ages: 6 - 12
Cleanliness: A girl doesn't want her sister going with her on an errand and she doesn't heed her parents advice - she is later repentant. "Thank goodness" is said four times. "For heaven's sake!" is said. Mentions petticoats. Some of the Indian's customs are referenced, such as their dances, prayers and believing in spirits.
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Ages: 6 - 12
Cleanliness: A girl doesn't want her sister going with her on an errand and she doesn't heed her parents advice - she is later repentant. "Thank goodness" is said four times. "For heaven's sake!" is said. Mentions petticoats. Some of the Indian's customs are referenced, such as their dances, prayers and believing in spirits.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
November 1, 2018
Part holiday family-story, part craft compendium, Barbara Greenwood's A Pioneer Thanksgiving is a lovely introduction to the idea of harvest festivals, particularly as they would have been celebrated by mid-nineteenth-century North American Pioneers. Following the story of the Robertson family, who also appeared in Greenwood's
A Pioneer Sampler: The Daily Life of a Pioneer Family in 1840
, the book alternates between very brief chapters which advance the story - Sarah and Lizzie's misadventure in the cranberry bog, young Willy's visit with his Ojibwa friend, Nekeek - and descriptions of how to make whatever food or game is mentioned in that part of the story, from harvest bread to conkers.
This approach works fairly well, resulting in a book that is both engaging and informative. The geography is general enough that the story could take place either in Canada, or the northern American mid-west, making this a book with cross-border appeal. The illustrations, done in soft pencil by Heather Collins, are also very appealing, drawing the reader into the story. I did wish that more detail had been given, as to the influence that Native American harvest celebrations had, on Euro-American ones, but that is essentially my only criticism. All in all, a lovely little book, recommended to anyone looking for a historical, pioneer-oriented Thanksgiving tale.
This approach works fairly well, resulting in a book that is both engaging and informative. The geography is general enough that the story could take place either in Canada, or the northern American mid-west, making this a book with cross-border appeal. The illustrations, done in soft pencil by Heather Collins, are also very appealing, drawing the reader into the story. I did wish that more detail had been given, as to the influence that Native American harvest celebrations had, on Euro-American ones, but that is essentially my only criticism. All in all, a lovely little book, recommended to anyone looking for a historical, pioneer-oriented Thanksgiving tale.
November 20, 2025
The story takes place in 1841 and focuses on a pioneer family, the Robertson's, in what is now Ontario, Canada.
The narrative follows the Robertson family as they prepare for Thanksgiving. Granny is unwell and Mrs. Robertson worries she might die. Granny says that she would love to taste Mrs Robertson's cranberry sauce, prompting her granddaughter Sarah to go cranberry picking. This prompts Sarah to head to the cranberry bog to make that wish come true but gets stuck having to take her little sister with her, Sarah ends up saving her sister Lizzie from drowning when she falls into and sinks down under the water in a cranberry bog while gathering cranberries for the feast. The girls brother Willie's excursion leads him to search for chestnuts for stuffing, which he stole out of a squirrels stash for the winter but being a nice kid he returned the smaller nuts to the stash.
In addition to the story, each chapter provides background information on pioneer life, harvest customs, and superstitions. Historical context is woven throughout the narrative as each chapter is enhanced with non-fiction sections that teach readers about pioneer life, harvest superstitions, and how the First Peoples celebrated the harvest.
Beyond the story, the book is a resource for understanding historical life, featuring:
Hands-on activities and crafts like making a corn dolly or a weather vane.
Recipes for items like cranberry sauce and pioneer-style bread.
Descriptions of games, including instructions for playing Conkers with chestnuts and a traditional Native American game with peach stones. There is also an historical section at the back of the book detailing the history of Thanksgiving as a holiday in North America, including how the Canadian date for Thanksgiving was eventually fixed in October.
The narrative follows the Robertson family as they prepare for Thanksgiving. Granny is unwell and Mrs. Robertson worries she might die. Granny says that she would love to taste Mrs Robertson's cranberry sauce, prompting her granddaughter Sarah to go cranberry picking. This prompts Sarah to head to the cranberry bog to make that wish come true but gets stuck having to take her little sister with her, Sarah ends up saving her sister Lizzie from drowning when she falls into and sinks down under the water in a cranberry bog while gathering cranberries for the feast. The girls brother Willie's excursion leads him to search for chestnuts for stuffing, which he stole out of a squirrels stash for the winter but being a nice kid he returned the smaller nuts to the stash.
In addition to the story, each chapter provides background information on pioneer life, harvest customs, and superstitions. Historical context is woven throughout the narrative as each chapter is enhanced with non-fiction sections that teach readers about pioneer life, harvest superstitions, and how the First Peoples celebrated the harvest.
Beyond the story, the book is a resource for understanding historical life, featuring:
Hands-on activities and crafts like making a corn dolly or a weather vane.
Recipes for items like cranberry sauce and pioneer-style bread.
Descriptions of games, including instructions for playing Conkers with chestnuts and a traditional Native American game with peach stones. There is also an historical section at the back of the book detailing the history of Thanksgiving as a holiday in North America, including how the Canadian date for Thanksgiving was eventually fixed in October.
October 11, 2009
Reason for Reading: Next in the series and it was the week before Thanksgiving.
Summary: Follows the Robertson family as they gather together the ingredients for their meal from the wild and prepare the meal and Sarah realizes all she has to be thankful for.
Comments: While only a fraction of the size of the first book, A Pioneer Story, this book keeps to the same format with chapters of the story followed by non-fiction sections that carry factual information plus crafts and recipes. Again the crafts are simple to make though will require a gathering of 'not just laying around the house' supplies. The book again is illustrated with Heather Collins lovely sepia and dark brown pencil drawings which draw attention to the time period of the story.
The story is very much Canadian with the whole story focusing on the harvesting and remembrances of the Old Countries' (Europe) harvest customs. The book finally ends with a brief but very enlightening explanation of how our Thanksgiving is in Oct. and the US's is in November and why our Thanksgiving doesn't involve a single Pilgrim. Did you know Canada didn't even officially call the holiday 'Thanksgiving Day' until 1957?!
I also am pleased with how the secular publisher dealt with the Christian aspect of the Pioneer's lives and role it would have played in their Thanksgiving. Rather than ignoring it as is often the case with history books aimed at the secular public, it is briefly, factually woven into the story. Sarah reads to her sickly Grandmother from the Bible and at the end of the book when the family sits down to eat Pa says grace. Then there is a brief non-fiction page explaining grace, giving some examples of different ones the pioneers may have said, even one in German that the Robertson's German neighbours may have used.
A wonderful book for Canadian children to learn the true meaning and history of Thanksgiving in Canada.
Summary: Follows the Robertson family as they gather together the ingredients for their meal from the wild and prepare the meal and Sarah realizes all she has to be thankful for.
Comments: While only a fraction of the size of the first book, A Pioneer Story, this book keeps to the same format with chapters of the story followed by non-fiction sections that carry factual information plus crafts and recipes. Again the crafts are simple to make though will require a gathering of 'not just laying around the house' supplies. The book again is illustrated with Heather Collins lovely sepia and dark brown pencil drawings which draw attention to the time period of the story.
The story is very much Canadian with the whole story focusing on the harvesting and remembrances of the Old Countries' (Europe) harvest customs. The book finally ends with a brief but very enlightening explanation of how our Thanksgiving is in Oct. and the US's is in November and why our Thanksgiving doesn't involve a single Pilgrim. Did you know Canada didn't even officially call the holiday 'Thanksgiving Day' until 1957?!
I also am pleased with how the secular publisher dealt with the Christian aspect of the Pioneer's lives and role it would have played in their Thanksgiving. Rather than ignoring it as is often the case with history books aimed at the secular public, it is briefly, factually woven into the story. Sarah reads to her sickly Grandmother from the Bible and at the end of the book when the family sits down to eat Pa says grace. Then there is a brief non-fiction page explaining grace, giving some examples of different ones the pioneers may have said, even one in German that the Robertson's German neighbours may have used.
A wonderful book for Canadian children to learn the true meaning and history of Thanksgiving in Canada.
November 12, 2012
A Pioneer Thanksgiving: A Story of Harvest Celebrations in 1841 by Heather Collins, is the fictional story, in chapters, of a pioneer Thanksgiving for the Robertson family, each chapter followed by a hands-on craft activity related to the chapter.
The story tells of danger in the cranberry bog, Harvest Home suppers outside in Scotland, following a squirrel to find its hoard, native Americans giving thanks to Mother Earth, the value of the wild harvest, harvest superstitions, a terrible hungry year, watchig the weather, and the Thanksgiving table. Readers learn how to make cranberry sauce, play conkers, play the peach stone game, weave a nutting basket, make festival bread, create a corn dolly, make a weather vane, and say a grace of the time. A final chapter tells of Thansgiving in the past and now in the United States and Canada.
Collins' soft pencil drawing add much to this story and craft directions. This is an effective look at a pioneer Thansgiving for grades two to four, with useful crafts and information. 3.5 stars. This was a Picture Book Club selection on Goodreads for Fall 2012.
For ages 7 to 9, Thanksgiving, holidays, pioneers, cooking recipes, historical fiction, autumn, harvest, and fans of Barbara Greenwood and Heather Collins.
The story tells of danger in the cranberry bog, Harvest Home suppers outside in Scotland, following a squirrel to find its hoard, native Americans giving thanks to Mother Earth, the value of the wild harvest, harvest superstitions, a terrible hungry year, watchig the weather, and the Thanksgiving table. Readers learn how to make cranberry sauce, play conkers, play the peach stone game, weave a nutting basket, make festival bread, create a corn dolly, make a weather vane, and say a grace of the time. A final chapter tells of Thansgiving in the past and now in the United States and Canada.
Collins' soft pencil drawing add much to this story and craft directions. This is an effective look at a pioneer Thansgiving for grades two to four, with useful crafts and information. 3.5 stars. This was a Picture Book Club selection on Goodreads for Fall 2012.
For ages 7 to 9, Thanksgiving, holidays, pioneers, cooking recipes, historical fiction, autumn, harvest, and fans of Barbara Greenwood and Heather Collins.
October 29, 2012
The format for this book was somewhat unusual. The book contains several short stories alternating with crafts and/or recipes, all wrapped up in the larger context of a family preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving after a bountiful harvest.
The stories are entertaining and informative, telling the reader about life in Canada in 1841. the crafts are a mix of complicated and simple projects that children can make with their parents. The illustrations are sparse and in black and white and I would not consider this a picture book. Still, it was an interesting book that we read slowly, one or two stories at a time, in order to fully appreciate the tale (and so our girls didn't get too bored.) We enjoyed reading this book together.
This story was selected as one of the books for the October 2012 - Harvest-Time and Pumpkins reads at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
The stories are entertaining and informative, telling the reader about life in Canada in 1841. the crafts are a mix of complicated and simple projects that children can make with their parents. The illustrations are sparse and in black and white and I would not consider this a picture book. Still, it was an interesting book that we read slowly, one or two stories at a time, in order to fully appreciate the tale (and so our girls didn't get too bored.) We enjoyed reading this book together.
This story was selected as one of the books for the October 2012 - Harvest-Time and Pumpkins reads at the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Books Group here at Goodreads.
October 10, 2016
A PIONEER THANKSGIVING: A STORY OF HARVEST CELEBRATIONS IN 1841
Written by Barbara Greenwood
Illustrations by Heather Collins
1999; 48 Pages
Kids Can Press
Genre: nonfiction, activities, cooking, children, holiday, thanksgiving
★★★
A good book to get into the spirit of the holiday! Greenwood provides you some history on how pioneers celebrated the Harvest. You also get some activities and recipes from that time. This book would work with younger kids as it is not very long and is easy to understand.
Written by Barbara Greenwood
Illustrations by Heather Collins
1999; 48 Pages
Kids Can Press
Genre: nonfiction, activities, cooking, children, holiday, thanksgiving
★★★
A good book to get into the spirit of the holiday! Greenwood provides you some history on how pioneers celebrated the Harvest. You also get some activities and recipes from that time. This book would work with younger kids as it is not very long and is easy to understand.
October 14, 2012
This book was one chosen for the Goodreads children's picture book topic in October. Besides an informative story of a family in 1841 preparing for their Thanksgiving, it includes recipes for the foods they prepared and directions for toys the children used. Interactions between the Native Americans and the family is woven into the story too. This book would give 7-9 year olds an appreciation for this holiday.
November 11, 2014
The story of the Robertson family's 1841 Thanksgiving holiday is interspersed with recipes and craft projects for children. I learned that Thanksgiving didn't become a national holiday in the US until 1941 and 1957 in Canada. In the US, it's the 4th Thursday in November; it's the 2nd Monday in October in Canada. This book is beautifully illustrated by Heather Collins.
November 27, 2015
Sweet story. Fits perfectly with our theme this year! Nonfiction excerpts sprinkled throughout the book as well as a few activities sprinkled throughout the book coordinate with what is happening in the story. My kids enjoyed it!
Want to read
November 10, 2010Thanks for the recommendation, Gundula! :)
January 7, 2013
We really enjoyed this book! It has the historical fiction narrative plus crafts, recipes and activities integrated into the text. The illustrations are lovely, too! Great read for this holiday.
November 23, 2015
Combines fiction, nonfiction and how to elements (such as how to make a corn dolly or how to play the peach-stone game) to describe Thanksgiving and harvest celebrations in 1841.
November 12, 2024
I really loved this book. It was very engaging and we learned a lot. I liked that it had activities, recipes, etc relating to the chapter at hand. It definitely brought a sense of thankfulness as we remember how difficult life was for the people in those days
December 7, 2010
Fun little stories with activities in between.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews