Stranded at Plimoth Plantation 1626 [Hardcover]

Gary Bowen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1994 | Age Level: 7 and up

The Sparrowhawk's crew set sail October 12 from London in hopes of reaching Jamestown, Virginia. On November 6 our ship crashed in fog on what the captain told us was a New England shore.

So begins the journal of thirteen-year –old indentured servant Christopher Sears. Rescued by Indians, Chirstopher anf the crew are taken to Plimoth Plantation. There, the young boy finds a place for himself and begins detailing his life with the Pilgrims'the births, deaths, marriages, and the important role that the Indians play in the settlers' lives. When a ship arrives nearly a year later to take the stranded passengers to Jamestown. Christopher finds he doesn't want to leave. But he is still indentured to Captain Sibsey, who won't set him free. Can his new friends help him? Or will he be forced to leave the community that has given him a home?

Careful research from historical accounts makes this an exciting story of one boy's coming of age as well as an informative reconstruction of the Pilgrims' daily life."In this beautifully illustrated work, Bowen provides a well-researched, fictional diary of a young Plimoth settler named Christopher Sears, who documents the trials and tribulations of the year 1626. His diary is decorated with woodcuts...rich, powerful images inked with colors suitable to the time."—BL. "An enthralling account...Bowen's reputation rests secure as the crafter of scrupulously researched, beautifully illustrated stories."—K.

Notable Children's Trade Book in Social Studies for 1995 (NCSS/CBC)
1994 "Pick of the Lists" (ABA)
1995 Children's Information Book Award (IRA)
1995 Teachers' Choices (IRA)
Best Children's Book of 1994 (Parenting)
Children's Books of 1994 (NY Public Library)

100 Books for Reading and Sharing 1994 (NY Public Library)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bowen (My Village, Sturbridge) gives an account of the year 1626 at the by-then-well-established Pilgrim colony, rendered in the form of a journal kept by an orphaned 13-year-old. Shipwrecked on the way to Jamestown, taken in by the settlers at Plimoth, Christopher Sears observes their customs, planting, harvesting, home tutoring, the eight-hour Sabbath meeting, court day, the use of the stocks, etc. Weddings and births provide happy breaks from the routine. Sadly, Christopher's much-loved foster mother falls ill with "the general sickness" that killed so many of the Pilgrims, and dies. Tinted woodcuts also add interest, partly because they are notionally Christopher's work. Of course, it's unlikely that a self-taught teenager would in a few months progress from a simple monochromatic turkey to a splendid scene of snow-covered Plimoth, informed by 20th-century ideas of perspective, but the woodcuts suit the tone of the narrative. Later in the year, he notes, "I may be in love with Humility Cooper, who was put to Thomas and Patience Prence," and his story ends with hope and his staying on at Plimoth. All these details and events do not add up to a story, but do give the reader a rich taste of daily life in a Pilgrim colony. Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-6-When the good ship Sparrowhawk is wrecked near Plymouth in 1626, a 13-year-old indentured orphan passenger is lodged with Elder William Brewster's family until his journey to Jamestown can continue. This is Christopher Sears's account of his stay there, written in journal form in comfortably large print and liberally illustrated with handsome colored woodcuts. His entries offer brief yet penetrating glimpses of Pilgrim life and his own hopes and fears, and his conversational narrative provides easily absorbed information on early American food, housing, religion, clothing, family life, and the local Indians. The strict Puritans of stocks and eight-hour Sabbath services are here, as are the fun-loving, dancing and drinking Pilgrims and "Strangers" of the colony. The youthful voice and observations, in language that is a remarkable blend of clarity and period flavor, provide a more intimate and involving picture of the period than more straightforward factual accounts. However, while there are many facts here-indeed, young readers might mistakenly assume that the journal itself is a historical document-there are no sources or notes. Bowen plays with the timing of at least one incident, and it would be interesting to know where any other liberties have been taken. Also, unfamiliar terms appear and their meanings are not always deducible from the context. Still and all, this is a lively, quality addition. Marcia Sewall's The Pilgrims of Plimoth (Atheneum, 1986) is more straightforward, is told in quainter language, and is illustrated with expressionistic paintings.
Nancy Palmer, The Little School, Bellevue, WA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 81 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books; 1st edition (September 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060225416
• ISBN-13: 978-0060225414
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,787 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but has a couple of errors., October 22, 1999

By 

Susan J.Durand - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stranded at Plimoth Plantation 1626 (Hardcover)

I read this book, from our school library, to a class of third-graders. We are located near Plymouth and I read this as a prelude to our class trip to Plimoth Plantation.

It was interesting and gave some good insights into life in Plymouth in 1626. However, there were a couple of glaring errors. The boy in the story spoke of a visit from Squanto. This would have been impossible since Squanto died in 1622. Also, the author refers to the Pilgrims as Puritans in two or three different places in the story. The Pilgrims who came here for religious reasons refered to themselves as "Saints." The Puritans came to Massachusetts in 1630. The author should also explain, in the story, why March 25th was considered to be "New Year's Day." On March 25th, the date in the journal changed from 1626 to 1627.

The artwork was very interesting, presented in the form of woodcuts. This was tied into the story as the boy telling the story was making these woodcuts.

It's an interesting story and very informative. I would recommend this book to anyoe who would like to see what life was like in "Olde Plimoth."

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars MASTERFUL WOODCUT ILLUSTRATIONS, April 19, 2004

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Stranded at Plimoth Plantation 1626 (Paperback)

Superbly illustrated with masterful woodcuts, Stranded at Plimouth Plantation is a thoroughly researched account of everyday life on the Plimouth Plantation.

The journal of Christopher Sears, a 13-year-old orphan who is stranded after a shipwreck, is the starting point for this story of courage and excitement.

An apt lesson in history for young readers.

5.0 out of 5 stars This Is How It Really Was, July 25, 2011

By 

richard e whitelock - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Stranded at Plimoth Plantation 1626 (Hardcover)

I gave this to my 7 year old neice, MacKenzie Catherine. She told me that in first grade they had studied George Washington and The American Revolution. I asked her if the names John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, or Sam Adams meant anything to her. She replied no, but I have heard their names before. In my opinion to truly appreciate the sacrifices early Americans made in the development of the United States, you must go back at least to the Pilgrims and their initial landing at Plymouth Rock. How they lived and literally survived on a shoe string writes volumes about our founders and what they held true. It was worship and the seperation of state from religion. And for that price, they paid dearly in their daily lives. Read about this winter and what our ancestors endured to begin the great experiment which over the years has become the United States of America. The greatest and most powerful nation in the world with liberty and justice for all.