Customer Reviews

. . . If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I got "If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620" for our Thanksgiving unit based on several glowing recommendations. I was not disappointed. Both my 5 yo and I had a hard stopping once we got started. I learned things about the Pilgrims I'd never known. And, the content is fascinating for children. It covered such curious topics as Did they bathe on the Mayflower?, What did they eat?, How were people who broke the law punished?, What did children do? It was written to entertain anyone over the age of 4. It's a question/answer book and exceptionally well done.

This book by Ann McGovern depicts the life that you would have had on the Mayflower. You get a sense and almost feel like you are there with the rest of the pilgrims in 1620. The detail is just great and is a book that all kids should read from a historical standpoint.

I am a teacher who was looking for a book for my students to use when we study Thanksgiving. Without a doubt, this story is one of the best that we use. It is a great introduction to reading non-fiction, and it provides a wealth of information for students, parents, and teachers.

My students love the story. They can easily understand the Question-Answer format, and it is not overwhelming in its content. It's written in an 'easy reading' style that the students can understand. They are really interested in what the kids did during this time, especially what they did for fun.

I recommend this book to any student who wants to know more about the Pilgrims and their arrival to America. I also recommend this to any adult who is looking for a wonderful non-fiction book for their favorite child(ren).

I purchased this book for my Grandchildren but this is not only a great book for 4-8 year olds but for anyone over 4. You might learn some things you didn't know. By the way, if you ever go to Plymouth you can go on the Mayflower II, and be sure to visit Plimoth Plantation (it's like going back in time to 1630).

This book was originally written in 1969 and to me reads a bit like a fairytale. My children enjoyed it and it helped us discuss our early history but is best used with other more up to date sources of information. In particular it downplays the role of the Native Americans, refers to them as Indians and Indian braves, but never by tribe name. It mentions that the Pilgrims stole corn but makes no connection between the Native Americans attacking and the theft. In describing the first Thanksgiving it mentions the surprise of the Pilgrims when Massasoit arrived with 90 "Indian braves" but fails to discuss that there wouldn't have been enough food for that many people if the Wampanoags didn't contribute their own food to the feast. What the book does well is to describe the hardships that the pilgrims would have endured on the Mayflower as well as during the first winter in Plimoth. It provides a good description of what a day in the life of a Pilgrim looked like during those first months.

The book was good in that it gave us an opportunity for discussion as we noticed inconsistencies between this book and other resources that we have explored. On a final note: "And there was popcorn too." This is a common myth but there is no evidence that popped corn was present in North America in the 1620's. Lovely thought but unlikely.

My 7 year old sat and read this from cover to cover. That says it all. This book helped her discover tht she likes history.

I read this book to my homeschooled first grader last week and I think we were both surprised at how entertaining it was. My daughter wished that the book were longer.

A few days later our 6 year old neighbor boy came over to play. I asked him if he had been hearing about the Mayflower and Pilgrims in his repeat second year of kindergarten. Those words didn't seem to mean anything to him. I was pretty surprised since it was so close to Thanksgiving.

So I picked up this book and started to read it to him and my daughter. I would question them after I would read something historically important or the more interesting trivia such as the sailors on the Mayflower calling the Pilgrims "glib-glabbety puke stockings". Have two six year old's say that fast three times. I NEVER learned about "glib-glabbety puke stockings" when I was a kid in school. That's the kind of stuff that makes history fun!

After I read the book to them they started to build a ship out of chairs and blankets and prentended that they were pilgrims in the Mayflower. My daughter was also inspired to draw her own Mayflower based on the illustrations in the book which of course turned out to be a masterpiece.

This would make a really great Thanksgiving book. Your kids will learn lots of stuff including...pumpkin pie was not served at the first Thanksgiving due to lack of sugar but that during the 3-day celebration popcorn might have been.

I plan to buy other books in the series soon.

My kids love this one. A few years back we went to Plymouth Plantatioon and they love comparing there trip to what they read in this book. Again another great way to really put kids there. So often history books neglect that fact young readers need to feel they can relate and imagine what kids felt during this time. This book does just that.

"There were no bathrooms on the Mayflower ship.... You would wear the same clothes day after day, night after night, for sixty-six days and night"--from the book.

You'll also find answers to such questions as: Were the people on the ship friends? Would you have had any fun on the Mayflower? Did the Pilgrims have any medicine? Would YOU live in a log cabin?

This and more interesting information and stories await you (read other reviews). [Suitable for the intermediate grades and up.]

The Creative Teacher: Activities for Language Arts (Grades 4 through 8 and Up)

Today we read ...If You Sailed on The Mayflower in 1620 by Ann McGovern. This classic Thanksgiving book really is a cute. It begins by explaining why the Pilgrims wanted to relocate to the New World. After that we learn about their difficult voyage, hard winters and first Thanksgiving feast.

It's a bit long for my 3 year old to sit through so we are dividing the reading over the next few days. He might not enjoy all the wordiness but my preschooler likes the illustrations by Anna DiVito. The pictures give him a good feel for the shape and size of the Mayflower as well as Plymouth Village without being too cartoonish or too realistic.

Overall ...If You Sailed on The Mayflower in 1620 is an quality children's book, but then, you wouldn't expect anything less published by Scholastic.