2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Francis and Johnny Billington, two brothers who came over on the Stinkflower, will make you chuckle about the Pilgrims!, November 7, 2009
This review is from: Two Bad Pilgrims (Hardcover)
Francis and Johnny Billington were two boys that professor Standish Brewster, "professor of Pilgrimology at Plimouth University," decided to have a little talk with to learn more about them. It had come to light that these two brothers almost blew up the Mayflower, were little thieves, and cursed a lot and he wanted to know where they learned "that kind of behavior." The boys laughed and said, "From our parents of course!" The Billington family wasn't exactly the kind of family you'd brag on for sure. The boys began to tell them all about their adventures on the Stinkflower, otherwise known to history as the Mayflower, and what happened when they landed in America.
Of course the boys had a totally different point of view than the whitewashed view many people have of the illustrious Pilgrims. One of the things they did on the Stinkflower was, aside from throwing up, was play with some squibs ("musket lighters") and almost blew up the ship. The voyage took sixty-six days and by that time they were ready to branch out and continue their trouble making careers. They took note of things like how the pilgrims took food from the Indians and dug up their graves. The boys talked about how the pilgrims fared on the voyage, built their homes, what they ate and how Johnny got lost and lived with the Nauset for a month. The Billingtons really were a nasty lot . . . do you get the picture? The boys will gladly tell you their side of the story!
This is one of the first graphic novels I've seen that really has a nice dollop of American history in it. The two young boys, Francis and Johnny Billington, are a couple of rascals that many children can relate to and hopefully not emulate. The storyline is very appealing and presents a side of history that I was unaware of. This is the type of book that reluctant readers will find easy to read and continue on to the end, as these two rascally boys are fun to follow. Only one cautionary note to those who may object, there are a few phrases like "snot-nosed heathens" scattered throughout the book. This is a fun and funny tale that might get your disinterested history student to take a closer look at the not so perfect Pilgrims!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
My ANCESTORS, December 20, 2011
Loved the book. I bought it for my grandchildren. I am a member of the Mayflower Society. My 7 yr old granddaughter asked if she could join also. Will be sending in her application before long.
Arloha
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4.0 out of 5 stars
A new twist to the Mayflower story, November 18, 2011
This book was written in comic-book format and is done in small chapters. It would be a great first-chapter book for those reading at late first-early second grade level. This is historical fiction and reminds me of a simplified version of a Magic Tree House book. There are some facts about the Mayflower journey and a little about Plymouth Rock and the surrounding area but mostly it is a book designed to help engage the reader into this topic and to discover more about the concept elsewhere.
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