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Dream Seekers (American Adventure (Hardcover Chelsea House))

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This is the third book in The American Adventure series. This series tells about the lives of children from many generations of a fictional family throughout American history, from the settling of Plymouth by the Pilgrims through the end of World War II.

It's 1634, and twelve-year-old Phillip Smythe isn't happy that his family has moved from Plymouth to Boston. He had to leave all his friends behind, and is worried about the greater threat of Indian attack. When he meets an Indian in the woods named White Wolf, Phillip wonders if he can really trust him. And the health of his sickly younger sister, Leah, seems to have worsened since the move. Meanwhile, Phillip is struggling with how he will tell his father, a carpenter, that he doesn't want to study his trade, but learn to be an apothecary instead. Phillips wonders if he will ever be able to make his father proud of him, while still making his own dreams come true. And will Leah survive her latest illness?

Although I enjoyed some of the other American Adventure books more, this was still a pretty good historical novel for young readers about a time period not written about too often. I would recommend it to those who have a special interest in this time period, or who want to read the complete series.

A young friend introduced me to Dream Seekers. I was impressed with its treatment of historical themes, such as cultural assimulation and conflict. As a Christian educator/parent, I appreciated the presentation of both sides of the debate over separation of church and state, drawing no conclusions and allowing young readers to mentally and morally wrestle with such issues. The book is strong on examples of character development, without being preachy.