The New Americans: Colonial Times: 1620-1689 (The American Story) [Paperback]

Betsy Maestro (Author), Giulio Maestro (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: The American Story

This ongoing series introduces our country's history to young readers in an appealing picture-book format. Clear, simple texts combine with informative, accurate illustrations to help young people develop an understanding of America's past and present.

The New Americans is the story of the colonists -- the more than two hundred thousand new Americans -- who came over from Europe and struggled to build a home for themselves in a new world.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5?An excellent, evenhanded account of European immigration to North America during Colonial times. In clear language, the Maestros explain this often confusing part of American history. They take readers from the French explorers of the early 1600s, to the arrival of the Pilgrims in 1620, to 1689, when the European population here numbered over 200,000. With beautifully rendered full-color illustrations that are well labeled, this book will leave students with a glimpse of how greedy some settlers were, how religious intolerance played an important role in establishing certain settlements, how hostilities were bound to grow between Europeans and natives, and how the struggle for this continent had only just begun. An "Additional Information" page includes historical tidbits (such as information on the first woman lawyer in the colonies and the founding of Harvard College) and is followed by a fact sheet on "Exploration and Explorers: 1634-1685." This is a fine work that will be well used and create a lot of interest. Other titles to be used in conjunction with it include Sarah Howarth's Colonial People and Colonial Places (both Millbrook, 1994) and Lucille Recht Penner's The Pilgrims at Plymouth (Random, 1996).?Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 3^-5, younger for reading aloud. From the Maestro's American Story series, which began with The Discovery of the Americas (1991), this volume discusses the colonial era up to 1680. As in the first book, large-scale illustrations in watercolor and colored pencil provide panoramic views of places as well as pictures of people and their activities. The easily digestible text describes the development of the colonies, particularly in New England and New France, and the interaction of colonialists with Native Americans. The book devotes several double-page spreads to the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies; other areas receive more cursory treatment. For instance, Jamestown's only significant mention is in conjuction with the arrival of slaves. That lapse aside, this attractive oversize book will still have plenty of appeal for youngsters, especially given the dearth of well-illustrated American history books on school and public library shelves. Carolyn Phelan --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 48 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (June 29, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060575727
• ISBN-13: 978-0060575724
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,185 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > History & Historical Fiction > Canada
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > People & Places > Explore the World > Canada
  • #3 in Books > Children's Books > Travel & Cultures > Explore the World > Canada

More About the Author

Betsy Maestro is the author of the "American Story" series, illustrated by her husband, Giulio. She has also written several other non-fiction picture books, including the Let's-Read-And-Find-Out science books How Do Apples Grow? and Why Do Leaves Change Color?
The Maestros live in Old Lyme, Connecticut.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Great Maestro Text!, July 18, 2004

By 

Teacher Friend "middleschoolssteacher" (Fort Campbell, KY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New Americans: Colonial Times: 1620-1689 (The American Story) (Hardcover)

Maestro covers the period of Colonialization in an inclusive manner. I feel that she did an excellent job of including multiple perspectives of all people involved in the colonization period. Native Americans and their interaction with European settlers are highlighted on most every page of the book. The colorful pictures and maps help to guide the reader to a better understanding of the period. Like the other two Maestro text it is quite comprehensive. It could easily be used to replace the traditional textbook. But I find that since it is so comprehensive, I probably wouldn't use it with the Exploration & Conquest text because of the length of each.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I like it, but with a caveat, September 15, 2009

By 

JR (Texas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The New Americans: Colonial Times: 1620-1689 (The American Story) (Paperback)

I got this book for my 8 year old son. The graphics are beautiful and the story is thorough in its telling of the American story, perhaps too thorough for his age group. My son is still learning the details of what happened to form this country on a grand scale. He wasn't quite ready for the details that are included in this book. Other children who already have a good grasp on American history would be ready for more details, however, and may not agree with this assessment. So all in all it is a very good book. I think the "picture book" quality of the book is beguiling. I'm thinking now that the text is great for my 11 year old, while the art work is a feast for the eyes for my younger children.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Series!, July 1, 2004

By 

A Customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New Americans: Colonial Times: 1620-1689 (The American Story) (Hardcover)

I came across one book by Betsy Maestro "The Discovery of the Americas" and I loved it. The text is simple and the illustrations are great. It is historically accurate as well, a must in my checklist. I didn't realize she also wrote the historical series "You Wouldn't Want to..." They are my favorite!! I recommend all of her books, especially for teachers.

This is a great book to read for the 4th of July!