Molly's Pilgrim
Recommended. Age: 7+. A Catholic review of this book for parents.
Our review
Molly is a Jewish girl who has moved to America from Russia. Her classmates tease her because she talks and dresses differently. When her class makes pilgrim dolls for Thanksgiving, her mother dresses Molly's doll like a girl who left Russia to worship freely, and the class learns what Thanksgiving means. It is a kind story that teaches welcome for strangers and shows teasing as wrong, with nothing a parent must correct. Age 7+, set by Lumen's read-alone age; the grade 2-5 interest level agrees.
For parents
Age 7+, set by Lumen's read-alone age; DogoBooks lists interest grades 2-5 and reading level grades 1-3. No Common Sense Media review was found. Read it aloud from 5. Talk about how teasing hurts and how we welcome the stranger (CCC 2241). Molly's family is Jewish. Her mother's doll shows that people came to America for religious freedom, which Catholic families can also appreciate.