Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 08/08/2023 Like the 2020 adult title, this young readers edition of the history of Thanksgiving begins with a biography of Sarah Josepha Hale, the creator of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Hale campaigned for decades for a federally designated day for offering thanks. Abraham Lincoln finally signed a proclamation in October 1863, in the middle of the Civil War and just one month before delivering the Gettysburg Address. A history of nationally designated days of thanksgiving follows, beginning with George Washington and covering how different kinds of regional celebrations developed from the eighteenth into the twenty-first century (including football games, parades, pilgrims, and protests). Balanced coverage describes how some groups are marginalized by traditional Thanksgiving celebrations, especially Native Americans, and notes the subsequent development of parallel activities such as Friendsgiving. A final chapter addresses the importance of integrating gratitude into daily life. Most collections probably need to update their Thanksgiving holiday offerings, and this does offer considerable supplemental support for social studies units. - Copyright 2023 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 10/27/2023 Gr 5–8—This book follows the life of Sarah Josepha Hale and her quest for a nationally recognized Thanksgiving. Throughout the course of Hale's venture, Kiernan parallels the presidencies, wars, and conflicts of slavery in the United States. Hale is a lesser-known historical figure for young audiences, so this book brings some aspect of accessibility. But it is lacking finesse. The intended audience of this book is unclear; at times, the prose is advanced and lyrically complex, while at others, the sentences stagnate in short compositions and provide condescendingly overt definitions. Beyond style, Kiernan makes some bold comparisons between the abolition of slavery and the national recognition of a holiday, which seems more alarming when there is another day dedicated to the ending of slavery that has recently become a Federal holiday. By overemphasizing the holiday, the book loses focus on the trailblazing accomplishments Hale made as a writer, editor, and activist. VERDICT While Sarah Josepha Hale is an important woman in America's history who should be incorporated into more accessible literature, this young reader's edition falls flat.—Katrina Jost - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.