The Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving

The Pilgrims and the First Thanksgiving (Graphic History)is another entry in the Graphic History Series. For those looking for Pilgrim resources this is a great companion to The Voyage of the Mayflower (Graphic History)which I reviewed previously.

Unlike previous books, this one focuses less on the history of colony. Its goal is to present information on community life. The author centers the book on how the colony survived to reach its first harvest feast. While the Mayflower book focused on using correct vocabulary, like Separatists, this author is more comfortable with the more familiar term Pilgrim. The author explains that they were Separatists, explains how the term Pilgrim emerged and settles on the term Pilgrim for the remainder of the book.

This book does provide more Native American history of the area than previous books on the topic, mentioning specific tribes by name. She also gives explanations as to why they were reluctant to have relations with the colonists.

While this book provides some solid background information about the colony, the residents, and the challenges they faced, my one disappointment is the author seemed to think her audience needed the information simplified and I have not seen evidence of that in previous editions of this series. I think other authors have done a marvelous job in this series with presenting challenging concepts without resorting to simplistic descriptions and explanations.

Despite my annoyance at some of her descriptions, I think this is a good resource to have available when studying the colony. The information on the Native American tribes is harder to find than it should be and this is one resource that gives students a starting point. Contrasting this author's style with others the children read can help them become more discerning readers of non-fiction resources.

The Pilgrims of Plimoth

The Pilgrims of Plimoth (Aladdin Picture Books)by Marcia Sewall is not a new addition to picture books available on the Pilgrims, but it is one to consider when studying the Pilgrims. The author uses paintings rather than drawings or photographs to illustrate the story. The story is written in the first person reflecting several points of view.

One of the important reasons to include this book in a study of the Pilgrims is that it includes information that many of the other books leave out. The book discusses the original destination of the Pilgrims, Virginia. It explains how they ended up in New England and ultimately how the colony came to be established in Plimoth. This story helps dispel the myth that the boat arrived and the Pilgrims all stepped off and established a colony. It describes how the Pilgrims lived on the ship and foraged for food. It takes the reader through the evolution of the colony as the Pilgrims tried to build some common structures before the bitter cold of winter hit and the loss of life during that first winter. The book explains to readers how the survivors emerged in the spring with the help of the Native Americans to begin planting crops and building structures.

I did not have a chance to acquire this book when I was purchasing Pilgrim books this year, but it will be on my list for next year.

Pilgrims of Plymouth

I am continuing to look for quality children's history books. I came across Pilgrims of Plymouth while searching for a different book at the library. I decided to reserve it to preview prior to purchasing.

This is a book produced by the National Geographic Society. As was done with Samuel Eaton's Day and Sarah Morton's Day the pictures for this book are taken at Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This is great for children who have visited and those who live to far away to make the trip.

This book is different in that it is designed for younger readers. It does not focus on individual stories, but it is a general explanation of life at Plimoth for young readers. The vocabulary is fairly simple and approachable for even young children. The pictures make this a good resource for students to develop a picture of what life would have been like for children and adults living at this time. This book will be on my purchase list.

Tapenum's Day: A Wampanoag Indian Boy in Pilgrim Times

Tapenum's Day: A Wampanoag Indian Boy In Pilgrim Timesis the third book in Kate Water's series on Plimoth Plantation. This title focuses on Tapenum, a Wampanoag boy frustrated because he has not beeen selected to train to become a pniese, a warrior counselor for the tribe. As the author tells his story, readers are introduced to what life was like for the Wampanoag tribe through pictures taken at the Habbamock's Homesite at Plimoth Plantation, in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

This book can be read as a picture book, but also provides valuable information for older readers because of the photographs and attention to detail about life in the Wampanoag tribe. While many complain about the inaccuracies of tepees in books about the Pilgrims, the staff at Plimoth Plantation in accordance with the Wapanoag tribe have insured that Habbamock's Homesite is an accurate reflection of Native American life for visitors to learn more about the tribe.

Plimoth Plantation has wonderful resources for anyone who wants to learn more about the time period. Check out their Thanksgiving Interactive site. Find out more about the Wampanoag Homesite featured in this book here.

Three Young Pilgrims

I have been previewing Pilgrim books to add to my Thanksgiving box and came across Three Young Pilgrimsthrough our library network. While this book may not make this year's purchase list, it will be on next year's list.

This picture book focuses on telling the story of the Pilgrim's journey to the New World and their life here through one family's experience. Bartholomew, Remember, and Mary Allerton arrive in Plymouth and face many challenges.

The best parts of this book are the beautiful illustrations and the maps that provide extra information that the prose does not. The maps add details and added specific information that does not quite fit into the family's story.

While this is written as a picture book, this could be a good teaching tool for older elementary students if approached in the right way. A discussion about the additional information, the illustrations, and the characters can make this a much-needed addition to many dry textbooks that are on the market. However, it is also a perfect match for the target audience of primary readers that generally study the Pilgrims.

I will be putting this on my search list for next year's Thanksgiving mailing.

You Wouldn't Want to be an American Colonist

You Wouldn't Want to Be an American Colonist!is the first book in this series I've read that was not written by Peter Cook. This book focuses on the Virginian settlements of Roanoke and Jamestown. While Cook provides the reader with an identity, Ms. Morley does not continue this tradition. However, she does provide readers with the interesting tidbits and travel tips I enjoyed from Cook's books in the series.

I haven't found many resources for young readers on the Virginian colonies. This book is accessible for young readers and will appeal to intermediate readers with the humor and cartoons.

I have decided that I will be purchasing this book along with You Wouldn't Want to Sail on the Mayflower!: A Trip That Took Entirely Too Long and You Wouldn't Want to Be at the Boston Tea Party!: Wharf Water Tea You'd Rather Not Drinkas gifts for a younger family member. I think these books will be great additions to the history library I have been building for the family.

You Wouldn't Want to Sail on the Mayflower

You Wouldn't Want to Sail on the Mayflower!: A Trip That Took Entirely Too Longis part of a history series published by Scholastic. I wrote about You Wouldn't Want to Be at the Boston Tea Party!: Wharf Water Tea, You'd Rather Not Drink in a previous blog. While the series has different authors, Peter Cook wrote both these.

This story also uses cartoons and humor to introduce children to the story of the Pilgrim's journey to the New World. As in the previous story, the reader is provided with an identity to help engage with the story. In this case, the readers are told they are a girl making the trip with her parents and brother.

I was impressed that the author attempted to provide historical accuracy. He used the word separatists as the name the Pilgrims were more commonly known as for their religious beliefs. The information on the voyage and life in the colonies is more detailed then some of the picture books available for children.

I have another book to preview before making my purchasing choices for Christmas. So far, I think these books will be on my Christmas list.