Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation

Diane Stanley finishes the Time Traveling Twins series with Thanksgiving on Plymouth Plantation (Time-Traveling Twins)and it is a strong end. I wish she had continued the series as I think a fantasy historical picture book series was a great way to engage younger children in learning about our country's history. I picked up the three titles she published. I will have to keep searching for someone else to fill in the historical blanks.

In this edition, the twins and their grandmother travel to Plymouth where the twins learn many historical details often left out of many textbooks for children on the topic. They learn what colony Plymouth was originally part of until they got their own charter. As the twins travel through the Plymouth settlement, the reader is introduced to historically accurate information about the lives of the Pilgrims. For instance, one of the children remarks about what a bad way it would have been to spend Christmas and his Grandmother informs him that the Pilgrims didn't celebrate Christmas.

I was impressed that a children's book could introduce so much about the lives, religious beliefs, historical figures, culture, food, education, and work habits of the time.

I would recommend this book to teachers, homeschooling parents, and anyone who will have younger children that need to be entertained on Thanksgiving Day. It is a great educational, but also entertaining resource. While I am sending the first two books in the series for an upcoming birthday, I'll be sending this book out at Thanksgiving. I think it will be more appropriate at that time.

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.

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.