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Stranded at Plimoth Plantation 1626

Name: Stranded at Plimoth Plantation 1626
Author: Gary Bowen
ISBN: 9780060225414

by Gary Bowen

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Overview

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 of1994 (Parenting)
Children's Books of 1994 (NY Public Library)

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

About the Author, Gary Bowen

Gary Bowen is the author-illustrator of the New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book My Village, Sturbridge and the award-winning Stranded at Plimoth Plantation 1626. His work has been exhibited by the Arts Council of Southeast Missouri/Lorimier Gallery in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He lives in Sudbury, Vermont.

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Editorials

Children's Literature - Beverly Kobrin

For a "personal" view of the Pilgrims' daily lives, share author/artist Gary Bowen's Stranded At Plimoth Plantation in 1626, the wood-cut illustrated journal of 13-year-old Christopher Sears, an accidental member of the colony from November 22nd, 1626, to August 23rd, 1627. The young Sears is fictional, but the setting, its inhabitants, and their behavior are the result of diligent research.

Kathryn Broderick

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. Heading for Jamestown, but stuck in Plimoth for many months, Sears describes the struggle, hard work, deaths, and uncomfortable surroundings. His diary is decorated with woodcuts depicting scenes from daily life in the village as well as some images of Native Americans and their way of living. The woodcuts are rich, powerful images inked with colors suitable to the time. The diary entries comment on the extremes of weather, the tedious labor, the boredom of military practice, the bland food, and also on the joy of the many marriages and births at Plimoth. The journal, in short, reveals the importance of strong community ties and the desire of individuals committed to surviving and building a new life in this country.