Title: The Pilgrims of Plimouth
Author: Marcia Sewall
Illustrator: Marcia Sewall
Genre: Juvenile Fiction, Historical Fiction
Price: $14.95
ISBN: 0698312504
With Thanksgiving just around the corner--or the day after tomorrow--I thought it might be fun to read a couple short Thanksgiving books. The first on my list was an old favorite called The Pilgrims of Plimouth, which is written by Marcia Sewall from the perspective of the pilgrims. Sewall takes on the voice of these wanderers and describes not only their reasons for leaving England, their journey, and the infamous feast (actually, feasts), but also the daily lives of these colonists and the hardships they faced.
Though Sewall has created a lovely picture book with illustrations that are soft and lovely, the colors bringing New England and Autumn to mind, the text is much more adult than one might imagine. At times, you could suppose Sewall had tracked down a pilgrim and interviewed them, then simply rewrote what he or she had to say and sent it off to the publishers. The vocabulary, cadence, and diction seem very authentic. That said, it would be a difficult book to read to a young child. The information given could be perceived as a bit dry unless you're interested in this sort of stuff and could be hard for a younger child to access.
Considering how jumbled the myth of Thanksgiving has become over the years and how those who are aware of the tawdry past the first colonists of this country have with the Native people, it can sometimes feel strange to celebrate a holiday that commemorates a people who soon attempted to annihilate another. This book gives a rather accurate description of these pilgrims, what happened during the first "thanksgiving" and how the pilgrims led their lives. It is much less about the myth than it is about who our nations ancestors were more or less down to an individual level rather than a larger, more ideological level. One may read this book and think less about Native Americans being forced from their lands as well as not being led into the belief that the pilgrims were perfect and had this one fantastic day in history.
Comparable Reads: I honestly can't think of any right off the top of my head. I suppose a good companion to this book would be 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving, which I will have a review of shortly. The two books are not all a like, beyond subject, but they sort of overlap nicely.
Who this book is for: I feel like this might be a nice family book to have. Mom and Dad can walk their children through the book to help tackle the somewhat difficult language. I also think it would be a nice addition to a fifth or sixth grade classroom during this Thanksgiving time of year. If you were to have your students do a sort of origins of Thanksgiving project, this would be an excellent source to draw from. Sewall cites and uses sources in the writing of the book, so you can be fairly certain that though it's classified as fiction, the information is pretty accurate.
Showing posts with label Historical Fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Historical Fiction. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
No Fear, No Shame
Title: No Fear, No Shame
Author: Ann Turnbull
Genre: YA Fiction, Historical Fiction
Price: $15.99
ISBN: 0763625051
In the turmoil of post-civil war England, Ann Turnbull brings us the tale of a girl and a boy very much in love, but coming from very different worlds. Susanna is a young Quaker girl facing persecution because of her religion. Will is the son of a wealthy merchant and has recently returned from school and is looking for an apprenticeship. The two meet not long after Susanna is sent to live and work for a widow (also a Quaker) running a printshop and bookstore.
What Turnbull sets before us is a sort of Romeo and Juliet type of story, where two kids from two different worlds very nearly fall in love at first sight and decide they need to be together. The advantage here is no one kills themselves and the story is far less tragic than the drama it shares some themes with. The story moves with the typical pace of a young adult love story, quick and sudden and filled with over-the-top emotions. It captures very modern teen thought processes, though in a very historical setting, adding another layer of complications besides the usual, "Does he like me?" conundrum. Another plus is the fact that the story seems to fairly evenly cover both Susanna and Will, giving two sides of the story, allowing both the girl and the boy be goofy and in love. While I generally find myself annoyed by those horribly dorky girls who mope after boys (despite the fact I did some of that myself not too long ago), the fact that Turnbull adds in the male perspective makes for slightly more interesting reading.
Another interesting aspect of the novel is the historical setting. Turnbull focuses in on the world of the Quakers during the mid-17th century and gives the reader another layer of tension to deal with beyond the love story blossoming between the two main characters. Quakers are dissenters from the Church of England, and their worship is deemed illegal. Many view the Quakers, at best, as law-breakers, and, at worst, workers of some dark art. When Will, the son of a well-respected local, takes up with Susanna and then decides to become a Quaker himself, all Hell breaks loose in the kinds of moral questions one might ask.
Do you risk everything for the person you love?
Do you risk everything for your beliefs?
How far will you go for what is right?
Is it better to keep yourself and your family safe or to work towards the better good?
In all honesty, if Turnbull had just left the story at a romance between two teenagers, I probably would have dropped the book. The characters, while engaging, don't create enough of a story just between themselves. The addition of these moral questions genuinely made me stop and think about what I was reading and if what Susanna, Will, and their Quaker friends endured was really worth it. It's hard to not enjoy a book that not only has some entertainment value, but also gets you to think about your beliefs and what's important to you.
Comparable Reads: A Stitch in Time by Ann Rinaldi comes to mind immediately, though it comes from a different time period and country (post-Revolutionary war in Salem, Massachusetts). It focuses on the oldest daughter of a well-to-do family coping with numerous issues and romance, some propelled by people others by the time period. The novel also tackles issues to do with the time period, such as the treatment and views of Native Americans, women, and slavery.
Who this book is for: I'm seeing 13 and 14 year old girls (and up) really enjoying this book. Susanna is 14 in the book and experiencing emotions almost any teenage girl would be familiar with. I also think a fan of historical fiction would enjoy the novel as it tastes of realism, though I won't assume or say everything written is historically accurate. It may be an interesting way to introduce a kid who's not so interested in history to some interesting historical concepts along with some timeless ones.
Happy Reading!!
Author: Ann Turnbull
Genre: YA Fiction, Historical Fiction
Price: $15.99
ISBN: 0763625051
In the turmoil of post-civil war England, Ann Turnbull brings us the tale of a girl and a boy very much in love, but coming from very different worlds. Susanna is a young Quaker girl facing persecution because of her religion. Will is the son of a wealthy merchant and has recently returned from school and is looking for an apprenticeship. The two meet not long after Susanna is sent to live and work for a widow (also a Quaker) running a printshop and bookstore.
What Turnbull sets before us is a sort of Romeo and Juliet type of story, where two kids from two different worlds very nearly fall in love at first sight and decide they need to be together. The advantage here is no one kills themselves and the story is far less tragic than the drama it shares some themes with. The story moves with the typical pace of a young adult love story, quick and sudden and filled with over-the-top emotions. It captures very modern teen thought processes, though in a very historical setting, adding another layer of complications besides the usual, "Does he like me?" conundrum. Another plus is the fact that the story seems to fairly evenly cover both Susanna and Will, giving two sides of the story, allowing both the girl and the boy be goofy and in love. While I generally find myself annoyed by those horribly dorky girls who mope after boys (despite the fact I did some of that myself not too long ago), the fact that Turnbull adds in the male perspective makes for slightly more interesting reading.
Another interesting aspect of the novel is the historical setting. Turnbull focuses in on the world of the Quakers during the mid-17th century and gives the reader another layer of tension to deal with beyond the love story blossoming between the two main characters. Quakers are dissenters from the Church of England, and their worship is deemed illegal. Many view the Quakers, at best, as law-breakers, and, at worst, workers of some dark art. When Will, the son of a well-respected local, takes up with Susanna and then decides to become a Quaker himself, all Hell breaks loose in the kinds of moral questions one might ask.
Do you risk everything for the person you love?
Do you risk everything for your beliefs?
How far will you go for what is right?
Is it better to keep yourself and your family safe or to work towards the better good?
In all honesty, if Turnbull had just left the story at a romance between two teenagers, I probably would have dropped the book. The characters, while engaging, don't create enough of a story just between themselves. The addition of these moral questions genuinely made me stop and think about what I was reading and if what Susanna, Will, and their Quaker friends endured was really worth it. It's hard to not enjoy a book that not only has some entertainment value, but also gets you to think about your beliefs and what's important to you.
Comparable Reads: A Stitch in Time by Ann Rinaldi comes to mind immediately, though it comes from a different time period and country (post-Revolutionary war in Salem, Massachusetts). It focuses on the oldest daughter of a well-to-do family coping with numerous issues and romance, some propelled by people others by the time period. The novel also tackles issues to do with the time period, such as the treatment and views of Native Americans, women, and slavery.
Who this book is for: I'm seeing 13 and 14 year old girls (and up) really enjoying this book. Susanna is 14 in the book and experiencing emotions almost any teenage girl would be familiar with. I also think a fan of historical fiction would enjoy the novel as it tastes of realism, though I won't assume or say everything written is historically accurate. It may be an interesting way to introduce a kid who's not so interested in history to some interesting historical concepts along with some timeless ones.
Happy Reading!!
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