Do you ever feel like the world’s gone mad? All the bad news and angry people out there can sure take their toll. That’s why Thanksgiving is such a wonderful break from it all. Who doesn’t love a holiday that is all about food and gratitude?

At Lawrence Public Library, we are grateful for YOU. You have created a public library that is the heart and soul of this community. It is a place of defining moments, where kids learn to read, where teens connect with friends, where adults change their lives, and where seniors find their purpose.

You make the library magic happen through your tax support, your private gifts to the Library Friends and Foundation, your volunteer hours, your attendance at library programs and community meetings, and yes—checking out books! You help keep the library a strong and vibrant community anchor where everyone belongs.

In honor of the upcoming holiday, Lawrence Public Library staff members have assembled a list of books for you that explore thanks, giving,—and turkey.

Happy reading. Happy eating.

For kids...

Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora

Everyone in the neighborhood dreams of a taste of Omu’s delicious stew! One by one, they follow their noses toward the scrumptious scent. And one by one, Omu offers a portion of her meal. Soon the pot is empty. Has she been so generous that she has nothing left for herself? Debut author-illustrator Oge Mora brings to life a heartwarming story giving and community founded in Nigerian culture. —From the publisher, LBYR

Thanks to the Animals by Allen Sockabasin

Little Zoo Sap and his family are moving from their summer home on the coast to the deep woods for the winter, traveling on a big bobsled pulled by big horses. When Zoo Sap falls off of the sled unnoticed, the forest animals hear his cries and come to shelter him, keeping him warm and safe until his father comes back to find him. This classic story was named one of the Top 10 Native American Books for Elementary Schools by American Indians in Children's Literature. —From the publisher, Tilbury House

For adults...

Thanks A Thousand by A.J. Jacobs

Jacobs, who is famous for his quests to become the smartest person in the world (The Know-It-All), follow the Bible literally (The Year of Living Biblically), and be as healthy as humanly possible (Drop Dead Healthy) writes about his gratitude journey in Thanks a Thousand. The goal of his newest quest is to thank every single person involved in producing his morning cup of coffee. This takes him across the globe, transforms his life, and reveals secrets about how gratitude can make us all happier, more generous, and more connected. —From the publisher, Simon & Schuster

Gratitude by Oliver Sacks

“My predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved. I have been given much and I have given something in return. Above all, I have been a sentient being, a thinking animal, on this beautiful planet, and that in itself has been an enormous privilege and adventure.” Author Oliver Sacks wrote these words just months before he died in 2015. Gratitude is a set of essays in which he explores his feelings about completing a life and coming to terms with his own death. —From the publisher, Alfred A. Knopf

Help, Thanks, Wow by Anne Lamott

In Help Thanks Wow, Lamott writes about the three simple prayers essential to coming through tough times, difficult days and the hardships of daily life. It is these three prayers – asking for assistance from a higher power, appreciating what we have that is good, and feeling awe at the world around us – that can get us through the day and can show us the way forward. —From the publisher, Penguin Random House

And finally...

The Perfect Turkey by Keith Sarasin

Billed as the “go-to guide for planning a singularly spectacular menu—with a glorious, golden gobbler as the show-stopping entrée!” this book will help you step outside your culinary comfort zone. Check it out today in the New Books section of the library.

—Kathleen Morgan is Lawrence Public Library’s director of development and community partnerships.

Cover imaga via thecreativecopycat.com