UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A children’s book written by a Penn State alumnus tells the story of people who have spoken up to make the world a better place for others.
“America Gives Thanks,” by New York Times bestselling author Bob McKinnon, focuses on a school class trip to Washington, D.C., as one student, America, and other members of the class tour the city, visiting destinations like the Supreme Court, National Mall and the U.S. Capitol.
When some students initially complain about the trip, their teacher creates a teaching moment to point out that complaints can be the foundation for change and are not always bad. With that perspective, the author delivers the book’s overarching message.
“In spite of all our challenges and differences, our history is filled with stories of people who have voiced complaints in order to ‘bend the moral arc toward justice’ and to ‘form a more perfect Union,’” McKinnon said.
McKinnon, who earned his Penn State bachelor’s degree in 1990, has authored two other children’s books. In “America’s Dreaming,” he introduced young readers to lead character America who endures a difficult first day at a new school. Before that, “Three Little Engines” was a modern retelling of the classic “Little Engine that Could.”
Like his previous books, “America Gives Thanks” is personal for McKinnon. It was prompted, in part, by a trip he made to the nation’s capital as an adult, and the book includes two people who spoke up and made his Penn State education possible. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Land-Grant College Act, which helped establish the University, and former Rhode Island Sen. Claiborne Pell is the namesake for a federal grant program designed to help make college affordable for students.
“America Gives Thanks,”published by Penguin Random House, is a 48-page hardback illustrated by Thai My Phuong, who collaborated with McKinnon on “America’s Dreaming.” Like that book, all visuals in this book come from the lead character’s perspective, making the book less about any specific person and more about the experience.
Along with his children’s books, McKinnon writes and teaches about issues related to the American dream and directs Moving Up, whose mission is to inspire people to reflect on who and what has contributed to where they end up in life.