How Many Days to America?: A Thanksgiving Story

"How Many Days to America?" is the spell binding, heart-breaking story of a family coming to America in search of a better life. Our main character, who isn't named, sees the journey through a child's eyes; not understand that his families choice can cost them dearly."How Many Days to America?" is the perfect book to read around Thanksgiving. This book, while being a Thanksgiving story, touches more on the experiences of those who take extreme chances for a better life. The timing of the book in the fall further reinforces the values of family first, working hard, and keeping the faith.This book can easily be used to teach any skill. Students can infer why the characters in our story aren't welcome at the first place they read on their boat, along with predicting the ending and why they had to leave their home in the first place. The possibilities are endless with this book.The language is appropriate for 5th grade students. They will enjoy this book's focus on the human spirit, a families struggle, and their ultimate success. I highly recommend this book!

Favorite book to read to my students the day before Thanksgiving break. I've read it and done a writing activity every year for 25 years! This year I needed to purchase it because my copy is locked in my school due to remote teaching. LOVE this book.

Can you imagine taking a boat ride all across the ocean to the USA? This family in the book How Many Days to America faces a challenge on the journey to freedom. The challenge is the soldiers shooting at them. Will they get out of this mess and get to America? The family is a freedom-seeking family that needs to get to America. They need to escape from the soldiers. The narrator tells us she is in danger when it says "men shot at us from the cliffs". It is the soldiers shooting. This is a clue on her journey to America where they can be "free and safe". How Many Days to America is a book about a family that faces robbing pirates, whales, and soldiers on their boat journey to America.By Elijah

The story of immigration is told through the eyes of children. It is not sugar coated, but lends itself to wonderful discussion. I love that the reader does not know where the refugees are coming from, but instead focuses on immigrants in the latter part of the 20th century and the 21st century. The ending is hopeful as people welcome the refugees with a meal on Thanksgiving Day!

I am using this for a mentor text in my classroom.

Perfect read aloud for today’s youth. I loved reading this during our thanksgiving lessons. My students were very engaged with this read aloud.

During our 2nd grade study of immigration, Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty, we read this book. The students were amazed to learn that some children had to travel by themselves, with no adult, to a new country. Most of these children did not speak English, either. I believe that all teachers will find this book to be the perfect read-aloud to help students understand immigration on a personal level.

Used this book every year when I was a grade school librarian. Want to share it with the public library story time now. As pertinent as ever.

The service was excellent and the book arrived on time and in the condition described. The book takes an unflinching look at what faces immigrants/