Daily Life in the Pilgrim Colony 1636 [Paperback]

Paul Erickson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 17, 2001 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Who were the Pilgrims? This handsome photo essay examines the daily life of one family in a Pilgrim settlement in 1636 in the context of the workings of the entire colony. Readers will meet the members of Prentiss family, who live and work in the Plymouth Colony. Each one—including the children—has an important role to play. The routines of the household, food, dress, labor, leisure time, religion and government, health and medicine, and special occasions such as the First Thanksgiving are among the many topics examined. Also highlighted are the circumstances that led to the Pilgrims’ voyage to the New World, what they found, their relations with the Indians who were already living there, and how they set about building and maintaining their settlement. This large-format book features clear text and informative sidebars packed with authentic details. Full-color photographs that show actual sites and artifacts and provide an accurate pictorial account of the Pilgrims’ life more than 300 years ago.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 5-7-With chapters ranging from "The World of the Pilgrims," which includes background detail on politics and religion in 17th-century Europe, to one that gives specific information on day-to-day activities, and another that shows general conduct of the new community, the author presents full coverage of life in the colony of New Plymouth. Each topical spread includes a fact-filled text enhanced with many large, clear photos, most from Plimoth Plantation, and maps and drawings. The fictional Prentiss family and their apprentice farmhand provide insights into daily family life. However, they do not appear in every chapter and serve only as a means to introduce information. There are many books with more vivid descriptions of Pilgrim life such as Kate Waters's Samuel Eaton's Day (1993) and Sarah Morton's Day (1989, both Scholastic); Gary Bowen's Stranded at Plimoth Plantation 1626 (HarperCollins, 1994), or Marcia Sewall's The Pilgrims of Plimoth (Atheneum, 1986) but they are not as complete in scope. The wide range of material presented here in an easily accessible and appealing format will be useful for both report writers and browsers.

Marlene Gawron, Orange County Library, Orlando, FL

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. Similar in approach to Erickson's earlier books, Daily Life in a Covered Wagon (1994) and Daily Life on a Southern Plantation, 1853 (1997), this large-format volume introduces the Pilgrims at the Plymouth colony in 1636. Each double-page spread features one or two aspects of colonial life, such as "Women's Work," "Trade and Defense," or "Making and Mending." A typical spread includes several paragraphs of text, an illustrated sidebar, a couple of color photos, and a few cutouts of photographed objects silhouetted against the white background. References are made to the members of a fictional family, who occasionally comment as individuals, relating the Pilgrim point of view. There is no fictionalized conversation or plot line, however. These comments serve to personalize the history, rather than to create an ongoing story. A useful addition to a visually attractive and quite readable series. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: Sandpiper; First Edition edition (August 17, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395988411
• ISBN-13: 978-0395988411
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,501,140 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book!, May 20, 2010

By 

M. Landis - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Daily Life in the Pilgrim Colony 1636 (Paperback)

This book is great. We had borrowed it from our local library first and were really impressed with it. We homeschool & it will be a great asset to the coming school year. It is great for even younger elementary - 1st/2nd grade. Little blurbs throughout the book make it easy to learn tidbits without reading on a large scale -ideal for young readers. I even showed this book to my mother - who is a self-proclaimed "no interest in history" person - and she really enjoyed looking through it & wants to borrow from us!

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent overview for kids, good pictures, October 5, 2009

By 

C. Virtue (Chelmsford, MA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Daily Life in the Pilgrim Colony 1636 (Hardcover)

Kids (or others with short attention spans) can look at the drawings and the many photographs of reproduction or actual historical items and locations, and learn a lot just by reading the captions. The text goes into more detail, but is short enough that it can be read fairly quickly.

I wanted something to counter some of the popular-yet-inaccurate cultural images of the Pilgrims, and this is just what I was looking for. I could wish for more than a few paragraphs on the Native Americans, but of course there are other books that cover that aspect.