Why do we quit "cold turkey" and what letter does turkey poop make?

Plus some turkey book recs, readalouds, and teacher resources!

Oh heeeeey! Guess what! I’ve got something new for you today that I’m truly very excited about. I’ve been brainstorming a new feature for this here newsletter, and today we’re ready to get it started!

I’m calling this feature (in my head at least) Stranger Than Fiction. Once a month we’re going to pick a particular subject from our wonderful world and take a look at cool facts, crazy news stories, videos, kids books, teacher resources, poems, comics, and more all about that particular subject. Basically we’re gonna be celebrating and nerding out, woot woot! All through a kidlit lens.

So here’s what the twice a month newsletter schedule looks like: The first newsletter of the month will be our regular program of interviews and updates. The second is this new stranger than fiction celebration on some particular special subject. I hope that all sounds as fun to you as it does to me, cuz I’m excited!

And for today? Well, it’s November, so I thought the absolutely perfect subject to start with is… *drumroll please*…

TURKEYS!

Hehehehe.

There’s more to turkey’s then you might think. Let’s do this!

12 Terrific Tidbits About Turkeys

1. The Inside Poop

Did you know you can tell if a turkey is male or female from their poop? A male turkey’s poop is shaped like the letter J, while the female’s is more of a spiral. (Ten more facts about turkey’s here!)

2. A Presidential Pardon

Did you know that the first US president to pardon a turkey was Harry Truman in 1947? Maybe it was a way of thinking about fun and peace after a horrible world war? (Twelve more facts about turkey’s here!)

3. Why did the turkey cross the road?

To prove it wasn’t chicken. And what happened to the turkey who got into a fight? He got the stuffing knocked out of him. (Cue groan). You can find 100 more terrible Thanksgiving jokes here.

4. Watch A Real Life Turkey Battle!

Speaking of turkey’s getting in to fights…here’s how those actually look, with many thanks to David Attenborough and the BBC. Y’all knew our good friend David was going to make an appearance around here.

5. Storytime!

Are you looking for some fun turkey readalouds for the kiddos in your life? I got you covered! Let’s settle in for some turkey tales!

And if you want more, here’s a great roundup of turkey stories from the Carnegie Library! Plus another fantastic list of Thanksgiving kids book recomendations from

Sarah Miller

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6. Where Did Turkey’s Come From?

Well…Turkey!

7. Turkey Comic!

Happy Thanksgiving, from my favorite, Gary Larson:

8. A Turkey Seance?

Are you ready for a turkey seance around the body of a dead cat? Check this out and 6 more bizarre turkey attacks from Mental Floss.

9. Turkey Mishaps and Other Thanksgiving Disasters.

Check out these delightful and hilarious disaster anecdotes—The Night I Shaved the Turkey And Other Thanksgiving Disasters, from NewEngland.com.

10. Why Do We Quit Cold Turkey?

Ever wondered why we quit “cold turkey”? Well, Miriam-Webster has the answer!

11. Arts and Crafts: Hand Turkeys!

What’s Thanksgiving without an arts and crafts hand turkey? Check out this adorable upgrade on the classic from

Hello, Wonderful

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12. Teacher Resources:

Teachers, librarians, and homeschool parents, are you looking for some fun turkey activities to do with your kids as we get closer to Thanksgiving? I’ve found some really fun ones:

• Thankful Turkey colorful craft for grades PreK-2.

• A super cute pop-art turkey activity for grades 2-4.

• Who Stole the Turkey whodunnit mystery theater for grades 4-6.

And there you have it! I don’t know about you but I think turkeys are pretty cool. And did you know, thanks to Farm Sanctuary, you can even adopt one?

Meet the gorgeous Lizzie, one of the “spokesturkeys” at Farm Sanctuary.

Lizzie “The Free Spirit”

New to the program this year is Lizzie! The farm that Lizzie was raised on was marketed as “humane.”Yet, Lizzie and the other animals on this farm were severely neglected and received no care.

Lizzie now lives each day to the fullest at Farm Sanctuary. She spends her days with her best friends, Dulce and Zuzu turkeys, and entertains her caregivers when she lays under, not on, her nesting boxes! Lizzie does things by her own rules, and we’re so thankful she has the freedom to do so.

She’s giving Elizabeth Bennet vibes am I right?? And she’s up for adoption! Check it out!

Thanks for coming along everyone! If you’re a teacher or librarian or just interested in children’s literature, I’ve got lots of resources and goodies over on my website. And I’d be honored if you shared this with someone who you think might find it entertaining or useful.

Thanks for being awesome! Onward!

-Sarah