Aug 27, 2026
We all have heard stories about the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock and having dinner with the native Americans, but most of those stories explain very little about the colonists who left their country to come to a new world. In honor of Mayflower Day, the day the ship set sail from England on Sept. 16, 1620, we’ve chosen our favorite books that delve into the history of the Mayflower and the brave souls who spent more than three months at sea.
The Story of the Mayflower
By Patricia A. Pingry & Patrick Corrigan
$6.49; Ages: 0-3
Publisher: WorthyKids
Amazon.com
This may be a board book, but it’s packed with simple information that makes it a great way to introduce even the littlest learners to history.
By Peter Arenstam
$7.99; Ages: 2-8
Publisher: Plimoth Plantation
Amazon.com
Felix, a black and white kitten, leads kids through history as he adjusts to life at sea.
By Libby Romero
$34.44; Ages: 5-9
Publisher: DK Children
Amazon.com
Most kids have heard the Thanksgiving legend of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock. But what was life really like for the people who left their homeland and took a boat journey across the Atlantic? This book tells the story behind the legends.
By John Son & Roger Zanni
$7.77; Ages: 7-9
Publisher: Children’s Press
Amazon.com
This adorably illustrated book follows fictional Hope and Theodore as they begin their journey across the Atlantic.
By Caryn Jenner
$9.34; Ages: 7-10
Publisher: Kingfisher
Amazon.com
Learn all about the Mayflower voyage with first-hand accounts and illustrations that chronicle the arrival of the early settlers.
By Rebecca Siegel, Michael Lauritano & Mike Love
$60.84; Ages: 7-12
Publisher: Words & Pictures
Amazon.com
This comprehensive book is heavy on history by using timelines, notes, illustrations and a glossary to take kids behind the Mayflower and its arrival in Cape Cod.
By Plimoth Plantation
$6.49; Ages: 8-12
Publisher: National Geographic Kids
Amazon.com
Put together by Plimoth Plantation and the National Geographic Society, this book
explores the story behind the exhibits at the living history museum in Plymouth. It gives kids a well-documented account of what really happened on the journey and beyond.
By Dave Jackson & Neta Jackson
$9.99; Ages: 9-12
Publisher: Castle Rock Creative, Inc.
Amazon.com
This historical look back at the Mayflower voyage brings a little mystery to history with Gov. Bradfield and his wife and a little girl who brings a big secret to the New World.
By Rebecca Fraser
$14.99; Ages 15 to adult
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Amazon.com
This book explores where and why a family fled England for America and what they experienced in 1620.
By Massachusetts Society of Mayflower Descendants
$23.95; Ages: 15 to adult
Publisher: Hutson St. Press
Amazon.com
Ever wonder if your family can be traced back to the Mayflower? This book is a good place to start your genealogy search, with detailed records, family history and more clues to the founding families who founded Plymouth Colony.
