BOOKS FOR CHILDREN, EDUCATION,
AND HOMESCHOOLING
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EARLY AMERICAN SETTLERS
Pilgrims /
Jamestown/ Williamsburg / General Colonial Life
Pilgrims
Hands-On Heritage:
Colonial American Activity Book. A book of hands-on activity ideas that
help students in grades 1-6 explore colonial times through art, crafts, cooking, and
historical aids. Activities include making a papier-mâché Plymouth Rock, bartering with
corn, making paper quilts, making tops, making a hornbook, and many more. Each activity is
introduced with its historical background. Cat. #EP3, $6.25-D. A companion volume is Read
and Respond: Colonial American Literature and it introduces children's books
related to the period, including some of those described above. Cat.#EP28, $7.15-D. A new
read and color book has recently been introduced to accompany this book High interest
topics are coupled with lower level reading (third grade target). This is not a
reproducible book, though. Colonial America Read and Color, Cat.
#EP204. $3.59-D
American Family of the Pilgrim Period Paper
Dolls in Full Color by Tom Tierney. Dover. $4.46-D
Colonial American Photo Fun Activities.
This is a series of 81/2 x 11 inch color titled photos related to the colonial period.
Each photo's back side has historical information to introduce the photo, an activity
related to it, and a Trivia Trackdown section with questions for students to research.
Answers are included. Cat. # EP40, $6.25-D.
Daily
Life in the Pilgrim Colony 1636 by Paul Erickson. Clarion Books. For
ages ages nine and up. The author and photographers paint a fascinating portrait
of an early Pilgrim settlement. The author describes the duties of each family
member -- even the children -- and their roles in the community as a whole.
Vivid, full-color illustrations show us a family and the items they would have
used in their home in Plymouth. Many of the photos come from Plimoth Plantation,
a living history museum. The book also features a timeline of the colony from
1455, when Guttenberg finished printing the Bible to 1863, when Abraham Lincoln
proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday. A glossary and index are also
included. 48 pages. #0395-988411. $8.96-D
Eating the Plates:
A Pilgrim Book of Food and Manners by Lucille Recht Penner. Aladdin,
1991. It seems the Pilgrims thought about food most of the time because they
were forced to. They couldn't just go to the store and buy food, for there were
no stores. Hunting, gathering, growing, and cooking were full-time jobs. This
book is devoted to answering questions about what and how the Pilgrims ate and
where their food came from. And, yes, they did sometimes eat their plates -- if
they were made of stale bread. For ages 7-11. Illustrated with art reproductions
and other black/white pictures. Many recipes are included. At the end are a
glossary, bibliography, and index. 117 pages. BTH-1996. $5.39-D
N.C.
Wyeth's Pilgrims, text by Robert San Souci. Chronicle Books, 1991. This account
of the Pilgrims' coming to the New World until the time of their thanksgiving
feast is illustrated by N. C. Wyeth. This account is fairly secular, the only
mention of religion being that the Pilgrims were Separatists hoping to find
religious freedom. We are left with the impression that the Pilgrims held their
feast to say thank you to the Indians, with no mention of God or prayer in the
daily life of the Pilgrims. The art, however is beautiful. To enlarge the image,
please click on it. BTH-2350. $6.26-D
The First Thanksgiving Feast, by
Joan Anderson. A reenactment of the Pilgrims' first Thanksgiving celebration, photographed
at Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, MA. photos are black and white, but they bring the
pilgrim period vividly to life. Cat. #BTH-1992. $6.25-D.
The
Pilgrims of Plimoth, written and illustrated by Marcia Sewell. This
beautiful picture book shows the daily life of the Pilgrims from the beginning
of their voyage on the Mayflower, the the settlement of Plimoth, the hard
winter, and eventually, the harvest and promise of survival and growth. The
story is told with many quotations from William Bradford's Of Plymouth
Plantation and from Mourt's Relation, another early primary source, which was
printed in 1622. 48 pages with glossary. BTH-2228. $6.29-D. Click on image
to enlarge it.
Pilgrims
of Plymouth by Susan E. Goodman. National Geographic. For ages 4-8. This
highly visual story of the Pilgrims was photographed at Plimouth Plantation, a
living history museum, so that children can see just how the Pilgrims
lived. Most pages have just one-three sentences in giant print to explain the
full-color pictures. 16 pages. #07922-66757. $5.36-D
Pilgrim Voices, edited by Connie
and Peter Roop, The clear, easy-to-read, double-spaced type tells the story of
the Pilgrims’ first year in the New World as a series of dairy entries written in the
first person. The primary sources the authors drew from were Mourt’s Relation
and Of Plymouth Plantation, sources authored by Edward Winslow and William
Bradford. The editors modernized the language and changed Bradford’s journal from the
third to the first person for unity of voice. About half of the 45-pages in this
God-honoring history are gorgeous color paintings by Shelley Prichett, making this volume
a feast for the eyes. The book, suitable for all ages past preschool, also contains a
forward full of historical background, the text of the Mayflower Compact, a glossary, a
bibliography, and an index. Currently
in stock in paperback for $8.06-D The copy I have left has light damage to the
cover from display. There is a crease in the top front corner.
The
Pilgrims at Plymouth: A Landmark Book by Lucille Recht Penner.
Illustrated by S.D. Schindler. Random House. For grades 2 and up. The author
tells the story of the Pilgrims' struggle to create a new home in the wilderness
of a new land and and how both the settlement they founded and the
principles they established helped to shape the new American nation. Each page
has simple, informative text and full-color illustrations that make history come
alive for young readers. 44 pages. 8" x 10.5". #0375-821088. $8.09-D
Sarah Morton's Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl,
by Kate Waters. Color photographs by Russ Kendall. A photographic story told in the voice
of a Pilgrim girl in Plimoth who is explaining to young readers the details of her daily
activities. At the end are a glossary and historical background notes. Cat. #BTH-1995.
$5.39-D
Samuel Eaton's Day. A companion to Sarah
Morton's Day. It shows a young Pilgrim boy going about his daily activities.
At the end are a glossary and historical background notes. Cat. # BTH-1994. $5.39-D.
The Story of the Pilgrims Coloring Book by
Fran Newman-D'Amico. Dover Publications, 2005. If you need a simple
coloring book for younger children (as opposed to Dover's usual coloring books
that are more detailed) and you want a totally secular story of the Pilgrims and
Thanksgiving, this is it. The captions are in large print, nobody prays no
matter how hard times get, and there is no mention of whom the Pilgrims were
really thanking at their Feast with the Indians. It's totally politically
correct for this period in our history and OK for public schools. For
those who would prefer a message more true to the original documents from the
period you will have to add quite a bit to this. But the pictures are
reproducible for home and classroom use. There are 30 scenes to color. BTH-2348.
$2.95*
A Thanksgiving Story, by Alice Dalgliesh. Tells the
story of the Hopkins family's Mayflower voyage and their first year in the Plymouth
Colony. It culminates with the first Thanksgiving. Aimed at children 4-8. A picture book
illustrated by Helen Sewell. Copy in stock has earthquake damage to bottom
corner, which is bent. . Cat. # BTH-1993. $5.39-D.
Three Young Pilgrims, a paperback book for
children 5-10, is also based on Bradford’s writings. The author and illustrator,
Cheryl Harness, has created a panorama of paintings that captures the Pilgrim story from
the time that three young children, Mary, Remember, and Bartholomew, find themselves in
the middle of the ocean on the Mayflower, until Mary’s death in 1699. If your
children are visual learners, you’ve got to get this book. The first major painting
is a map of the Atlantic Ocean showing the sailing Mayflower with geographical notes
tracing the adventures of the Pilgrims from the time they fled England for Holland until
they settled in Plymouth. The next double-page spread is a cross-section of the Mayflower
showing the people and supplies crowded onto the various parts of the ship. The main story
is illustrated by spectacular paintings showing life on the Mayflower and in Plymouth.
Then there is a labeled picture-map of Plymouth Plantation with a time-line of earlier New
World explorations along the bottom and an illustrated chart on the far right showing what
else was going on in other parts of the world while the Pilgrims were having their
adventures. The last pages in the book contain labeled pictures of all the Mayflower
passengers, with one double-page spread allotted to the Saints, and another to the
Strangers, and the difference between them explained. The Indians get their own
double-page spread which is bordered with small drawings of native plants, animals, and
sea-life. The last page is a bibliography. All of this is only 5.35-D. BTH-1606
Turkeys, Pilgrims, and Indian
Corn: The Story of the Thanksgiving Symbols, by Edna Barth.
Most of this book for middle graders focuses on the history of Thanksgiving and pilgrim
life and customs, including clothing, houses, animals, family life, and, of course, their
faith. Paper, 96 indexed pages with bibliography. Illustrated by Ursula Arndt. Has
small red dot on top edge, indicating that it is a remainder, and thus a bargain book. 6.95,
3.50B
William Bradford:
Plymouth's Faithful Pilgrim by Schmidt. William Bradford came to the New
World with the other Pilgrims in search of religious freedom. His great faith in God and
in his own abilities helped him establish a stable colony. He did his best to be
fair to his fellow colonists and to the Native Americans living in the area. He became
governor and made a permanent mark on American history, leaving a legacy of faith in the
God he loved and served. This softcover book is filled with maps, paintings, and
historical illustrations. 200 indexed pages. For upper elementary and above. $9.00-D
Jamestown
Adventures in Colonial
America: Jamestown - New World Adventure by James E. Knight.
Troll. Written at the middle grade reading level. Two English children learn
about Jamestown was their mother reads their Grandfather Israel Worth's journal
to them. At the beginning of this journal, he identifies himself as a master
carpenter aboard the ship Susan Constant on the way to "James Towne." Though
told mostly in the form of this journal, the book often interrupts the journal
to accommodate the children's questions and their mother's answers. Trl-45544.
$3.59-D
Pocahontas by Ingri
& Edgar Parin d-Aulaire. This oversize quality paper picture book is written at about
third grade reading level the the interest level is much wider.Although full-color
pictures occupy more space than words, there is still plenty of text to bring to life the
Native american princess who did so much to help the Jamestown settlement survive.48
pages. $11.95*
Pocahontas Coloring Book by
Brian Doherty. A Dover educational coloring book that has plenty of text to go with the
pictures to color, which are reproducible. The text is about fourth grade reading level.
$2.66-D
World of Captain John Smith by
Genevieve Foster. Oversize quality paper. This slice of history is measured by the
lifetime of Captain John Smith, who lived in the days of Queen Elizabeth, and was a daring
adventurer. If all you know abut him is his life in Jamestown, you're missing a lot. Did
you also know he was an escaped slave? One special feature I appreciate in this and other
Foster books is the historical perspective presented in the wonderful illustrated time
charts found at the beginning of each unit. These show which important people were living
and ruling and what important events were taking place in technology, religion,
literature, and the arts. And this reads like the adventure story it is rather than like a
textbook, which it isn't. I read it aloud to my children and we discussed it together. I
also had them read other biographies of Smith, each on his own level, so that we
could compare them. But this book has a much wider span than a biography. It is indeed the
story of the whole world between 1580 and 1632. You will probably learn more about
Jamestown in this book than you will in the textbooks, and you will also learn about the
part the Pilgrims played in the New World. 406 pages with index. $15.95*
Young Pocahontas: Indian Princess
by Anne Benjamin. A Troll First-Start Biography. Trade paper. This is a very simple
biography, averaging about 35 words in three or four sentences per page, with lots of
full-color illustrations. $3.15-D
See Also Life in the
American Colonies for later colonial life.
If you are interested in classroom plays for this period, see our page for Drama, Plays, and Choral Readings
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