Squanto's Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving

by Joseph Bruchac, Greg Shed (Illustrator)

An American tradition for almost four hundred years, the Thanksgiving celebration would not have been possible without one man -- SquantoIn 1620 an English ship called the Mayflower landed on the shores inhabited by the Pokanoket people, and it was Squanto who welcomed the newcomers and taught them how to survive in the rugged land they called Plymouth. He showed them how to plant corn, beans and squash and how to hunt and fish. When a good harvest was gathered in the fall, the two peoples feasted together in the spirit of peace and brotherhood.

Genres: Thanksgiving, Picture Books, History, Native American, Childrens, Nonfiction, American History

32 pages, Library Binding

First published September 15, 2000

About the author

Joseph Bruchac lives with his wife, Carol, in the Adirondack mountain foothills town of Greenfield Center, New York, in the same house where his maternal grandparents raised him. Much of his writing draws on that land and his Abenaki ancestry. Although his American Indian heritage is only one part of an ethnic background that includes Slovak and English blood, those Native roots are the ones by which he has been most nourished. He, his younger sister Margaret, and his two grown sons, James and Jesse, continue to work extensively in projects involving the preservation of Abenaki culture, language and traditional Native skills, including performing traditional and contemporary Abenaki music with the Dawnland Singers.

He holds a B.A. from Cornell University, an M.A. in Literature and Creative Writing from Syracuse and a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the Union Institute of Ohio. His work as a educator includes eight years of directing a college program for Skidmore College inside a maximum security prison. With his wife, Carol, he is the founder and Co-Director of the Greenfield Review Literary Center and The Greenfield Review Press. He has edited a number of highly praised anthologies of contemporary poetry and fiction, including Songs from this Earth on Turtle's Back, Breaking Silence (winner of an American Book Award) and Returning the Gift. His poems, articles and stories have appeared in over 500 publications, from American Poetry Review, Cricket and Aboriginal Voices to National Geographic, Parabola and Smithsonian Magazine. He has authored more than 70 books for adults and children, including The First Strawberries, Keepers of the Earth (co-authored with Michael Caduto), Tell Me a Tale, When the Chenoo Howls (co-authored with his son, James), his autobiography Bowman's Store and such novels as Dawn Land, The Waters Between, Arrow Over the Door and The Heart of a Chief. Forthcoming titles include Squanto's Journey (Harcourt), a picture book, Sacajawea (Harcourt), an historical novel, Crazy Horse's Vision (Lee & Low), a picture book, and Pushing Up The Sky (Dial), a collection of plays for children. His honors include a Rockefeller Humanities fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Writing Fellowship for Poetry, the Cherokee Nation Prose Award, the Knickerbocker Award, the Hope S. Dean Award for Notable Achievement in Children's Literature and both the 1998 Writer of the Year Award and the 1998 Storyteller of the Year Award from the Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers. In 1999, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas.

As a professional teller of the traditional tales of the Adirondacks and the Native peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Joe Bruchac has performed widely in Europe and throughout the United States from Florida to Hawaii and has been featured at such events as the British Storytelling Festival and the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesboro, Tennessee. He has been a storyteller-in-residence for Native American organizations and schools throughout the continent, including the Institute of Alaska Native Arts and the Onondaga Nation School. He discusses Native culture and his books and does storytelling programs at dozens of elementary and secondary schools each year as a visiting author.

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This picture book biography of Tisquantum (Squanto) by renowned Native American children's author Joseph Bruchac presents the fascinating, often tragic and heartbreaking story of Squanto's abduction and subsequent enslavement in Spain, his long journey back from Europe to North America, only to find that his people, the Patuxet, had been decimated by sickness, to finally, presenting his essential and historic role in helping the Plymouth Colony settlers survive in the so-called New World (what to plant, how to plant, Squanto's role as peacemaker and interpreter). But while I most certainly have much enjoyed reading Squanto's Journey, I do have to wonder how well it actually works as a picture book (and for the so called picture book crowd, how well it is suited for younger children). For the author's, for Joseph Bruchac's presented narrative is quite dense and involved, and while the glossary at the back is indeed most appreciated, in my opinion, it would have been much better and more useful to have the terms from the glossary also explained within the text proper, perhaps with footnotes (otherwise, one might well have to keep flipping back and forth, which can be distracting, and the text of Squanto's Journey already somewhat has that tendency anyway).

And although the first person narrative of Squantos Journey is indeed informative and generally reads flowingly, engagingly, poetically enough, there is also and unfortunately somewhat of a lack of personal emotional immediacy and passion present (almost a feeling as though Squanto is not simply relating his story, but is actually presenting more a philosophical lecture, a declamatory sermon or homily of sorts). And this lack of emotionality, combined with a kind of iconic grandioseness is then also equally rather demonstrated and shown by Greg Shed's accompanying illustrations. For while they are lushly descriptive and amply authentic seeming (and indeed very much adeptly rendered), they also do somewhat have the tendency to be a bit overly romanticising (for when I reread Squanto's Journey just now, I did and do notice that many of the depictions of Native Americans, but of Squanto in particular, are somehow glowing and inherently shining, that there is almost an aura of strangely religious spirituality depicted). Now I do very much appreciate the fact that with Squanto's Journey both author and illustrator, that both Joseph Bruchac and Greg Shed, have obviously done a substantial amount of research, and I for one (even with the potential issues mentioned above) have indeed and massively enjoyed both narrative and author's note, as well as Shed's accompanying pictorial renderings (and actually, if truth be told, I have in fact enjoyed and continue to appreciate Bruchac's author's note considerably more than the text itself, more than the narrative of Squanto's Journey). However and that all having been said, Bruchac really and truly also should have included a list of works cited, of works he consulted for research purposes (a bibliography). And perhaps even more importantly, the author's note should also and absolutely have mentioned that Tisquantum is and continues to be very much a controversial figure for many Native Americans (he is actually considered somewhat of a traitor by some, if not even many Native Americans and while I do NOT think this information should have necessarily been included within the text of Squanto's Journey, it is nevertheless an important and essential piece of information that really should have been part and parcel to Bruchac's otherwise excellent and informative author's note).

Recommended for older children above the ages of nine or even ten, as the narrative is substantial, dense, with much potentially novel vocabulary, not to mention that Squanto's Journey will also likely, and actually should (must) engender questions, discussions, debates and additional research (and Squanto's Journey would also be a good and essential teaching resource for a unit on Thanksgiving or Native American history, yet another reason why I strongly do think a bibliography should have been included, as it would have very much increased the book's teaching, learning and supplemental research value).

[Clay Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much of this story's history deserves to be remembered for all time.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to check out this book but it fell short of my expectations. It includes a lot of facts, and I appreciated that it set the historical record straight, but kids are not super interested in 1614 and 1621 and lots of specific names of English traders and Native tribes. The writing is very dry and doesn't bring the story of Squanto ALIVE - which is strange, since the story of Squanto is quite dramatic and intense. For example, Squanto and his friends are invited onto the English ship for a feast, but this turns out to be a trick and the ship sails away with them on board. In this book, this very vivid episode was buried at the bottom of a page and told in about two matter-of-fact sentences, where it could have taken up at least 2-3 pages on its own if told in an exciting manner.

I guess this criticism is not totally fair since my child is only 3, much younger than the target age for this book, but she often enjoys books aimed for older children. In general, I'd say if you have older kids (I would say 8 and up) and want a factual account of Squanto's life to add balance to the history books, this would be a good one. But as a story, there's definitely something lacking.

The illustrations are gorgeous!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh wow, it’s in his perspective. How interesting!
‘My family were leaders of the Patuxet people and I, too, was raised to lead.’
‘It goes toward the falls that gave our people their name. We were the Patuxet, the People of the Falls.’
‘Pilgrims landed in the Freezing Moon of 1620.’
Squanto is a little feminine looking in the face, and the nose doesn’t look Native American at all.
Oh, John Smith! (colin farrel from the New World). ‘I liked the way Dermer shook my hand.’
‘Smith had learned much from dealing with other Indians in the summer land of Virginia. He knew we valued honor.’
The other captain was Thomas Hunt. He’s the one that asked the Indians to come for a feast aboard his ship. We know he’s the one that led them on!! I can’t believe we know the name!
I wonder if Squanto was married or had a family.
I like little details of how they would have talked then, like calling the ocean ‘salt waters.’
Oh right, like Squanto a Warrior’s Tale with Adam Beach. They took them to Spain (I thought it was England), and there they met Brothers, or monks, who helped him sail to England. He was a pniese, a man of courage. He told his people stories and told them to stay strong.
He sailed back with Thomas Dermer, one of John Smith’s officers. He said that ‘things were not well between my People of the First Light and the English.’ Never heard them referred to as People of the First Light.
He also said that a lot of his people were killed because of disease.
‘The sickness had come down upon Patuxet like the blow of a war club.’
‘my wife, my children, my parents, and all those closest to me were gone.’ that answers that. I didn’t know he had his own family!
‘I will not say their names now. I will speak them again when my own feet climb the highest mountain and I walk the Road of Stars to greet them.’
As him and Dermer kind of negotiated between different tribes and the white people, an English captain invited more indian’s on board and they were killed. Epanow and his warriors attacked them, and Dermer was wounded. He escaped, but Squanto was taken captive by the Pokanoket.
I’m hearing tribes I haven’t heard before. The Narrangansett asked the Pokanoket and Nemasket to pay them tribute. Their tribe hadn’t been touched by the disease from the white people.
‘I spoke to Massasoit, the sachem of the Pokanoket, as a pniese should, with respect and honor.’
The page with Squanto talking to Massasoit, with the ship in the backgrounds, and the pink clouds is pretty.
Samoset came to visit, a sachem from the Pemaquid people, who lived farther up the coast.
“Let me talk with the Songlismoniak.” Who is that?
It was cool how he showed them arrows in his hand, one with flint, the other removed. It was a symbol for war or peace.
“The food was so good,” Samoset said to me later, laughing as he spoke, “I decided to spend the night.” I wonder if he really thought that!
Samoset looks more Indian, the nose and everything. What happened with Squanto?
It’s supposed to be Samoset and Squanto walking into the village, but neither look like themselves. ‘Though much was changed, I knew that I at last had returned to the land of my home.’ It’s odd he goes back to find his people dead, then later goes back to find these new people taken over, and renamed it. &yet feels like he’s returned home. Then says ‘”Perhaps these men can share our land as friends,” I told my brother, at my side.’ Odd to call him brother, cuz they’re not related. &odd to wanna share the land with them.
‘The Pokanoket freed me to be a guide and interpreter for the English.’ I forgot he was still captive all this time!
‘It had always been the job of the Patuxet women to care for the crops while men such as myself hunted.’ Love hearing of their culture!
‘I told them when it was the Moon of Hoeing.’
‘The three sisters--the corn and beans and squash.’ Never heard that terminology before.
He mentioned looking at the beans growing up the corn stalks. I read in another book that he told them to plant the beans beside the corn so it would grow up the stalks.
‘this feast for all our people.’ I like that line.
I like the page where he said ‘I am Squanto. I am known to all those who gather here: English, Pokanoket, Nemasket, even a few of my own surviving Patuxets. I speak to you as a pniese, a man of honor. I will never leave this land. I give thanks for all of our people to the Creator of All Things.’
He mentioned surviving Patuxet. Who was it?
I like the picture of him standing in the sun, with his arms raised.

Authors note: ‘as a person of native american new England descent.’ Wow!
‘Our native people have always believed that the land talks to us when we listen. I have stood on the same ground where Squanto walked three centuries ago, feeling the sea breeze in my face and smelling the smoke from cooking fires, where the same foods he would have eaten were being cooked in the traditional way. As I stood there, I, too, heard the whisper of the earth, a song on the wind reminding me that those ancient voices will never be gone.’

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the first book I’d read that had Squanto telling the story. It was neat to learn his people, the Patuxet Indians, were named after the waterfall. They were the People of the Falls. They valued honor and John Smith’s officer, Thomas Dermer, apparently shook Squanto’s hand, which meant a lot to him.

The illustrations were a little fuzzy. I would have liked for them to be clearer and have more detail, but they weren’t bad.

He and other men were tricked to come on board by another captain, were told they would dine on the ship but were really sailed to Spain. I liked the inclusion of pniese, a man of courage. He supposedly told stories to his people and wanted them to be strong on the journey. The Brothers got him to England, and he knew if he could be useful to the English they might let him sail back home.

Interesting custom that they didn’t speak the names of the dead. He wouldn’t speak of them until he went on the Road of Stars himself.

Squanto and Thomas Dermer made friendly contacts with some tribes. But the leader of the Capawack tribe, Epanow, had been taken as a slave and hated the English. An English captain invited a group of Indians on board his ship, where he shot them. In retaliation, Epanow attacked Squanto and Thomas was injured. He got Thomas to safety but Squanto was taken as a prisoner of Pokanoket. This tribe was weakened from sickness and the Narragansett ordered the once-proud Pokanoket and Nemasket tribes to pay tribute to them. Great insight into the way the tribes worked and their values.

Samoset brought two arrows with him when he went to see the English. One had an arrowhead and the other didn't, to represent the Indians offering either war or peace. That was a really cool custom one I'd never heard of.

Squanto was freed from being prisoner to be a guide and interpreter. The last sentences in the book was Squanto giving thanks to the Creator. He was at home in Plymouth because it was the land of his people. The image showed him at sunset with his arms raised to the sky, the sun shining over the water. The very last page was an image of Squanto with his arms crossed, standing in the woods and the light was filtering through the trees. It was a nice picture.

The author’s note was a nice touch, though it was definitely for adults and not children. There were really big words like reverberation. It’s cool that she’s a descendent of the Native American New Englanders, and that when she writes about other nations, she wants to hear the voices of the native people. She had help from actual Wampanoag Indians, including Fast Turtle and Slow Turtle. It was cool learning thank you in their language, wliwini nidobak. Very interesting how her sister is an authority on the Indians of the early 17th century and has been consulted by historical villages, museums, and Indian nations like the Plimoth Plantation. The author says that almost all books on the first Thanksgiving have errors about the event from the food they ate to the clothes the Pilgrims wore. She, like other Indians, believe the land talks to them when they listen. It’s so cool she’s been on that land that Squanto lived on, while food was being cooked in a traditional way.

I liked that it was in Squanto's point of view. That's original and refreshing from the other Thanksgiving books that have Squanto as a small part and focus on the Pilgrims instead. There's insight into the Native American way of thinking. I wish the artwork had been better and the writing a little better, because it wasn't that good.

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Bruchac - a prolific children's author of Abenaki ancestry - notes in his afterword to this excellent picture-book, the Thanksgiving story is seldom told from the Native American perspective, and is usually marred by gross historical and cultural inaccuracies. That these untruths are spoon-fed to our children as part of our national mythology, makes them all-the-more harmful.

Squanto's Journey is an excellent corrective for some of the misinformation currently available, telling of the life story of Tisquantum (Squanto), a member of the Patuxet nation, whose role in befriending the English settlers of Plymouth would prove so fateful. Young readers will perhaps be surprised to learn that Squanto was kidnapped by an English captain, sold as a slave to the Spanish, and that, when he was finally able to return to his homeland, discovered most of his people had been killed by diseases brought to the Americas by European settlers.

Despite this horrifying history, Squanto believed in the possibilities of peace and friendship, and when the settlers at Plymouth needed his help, he gave it freely. This moving story of a true pniese, or man of honor, who never allowed suffering to embitter him, is matter-of-fact and realistic, without being brutal. Accompanied by Greg Shed's gorgeous gouache illustrations, Squanto's Journey should be required reading for anyone who thinks that being thankful requires forgetting the truth...

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't pass this up - Squanto's story is an important part to the history of Thanksgiving. And this is a great rendering for children. There are pictures on each page spread and although it's history, it's told more in story format so kids will stay intrigued.

Ages: 4 - 9

Cleanliness: God is referred to by a few Native American names, such as the Great Mystery.

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[Mistiemae1 Downs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Squanto's Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving is more a biography of Tisquantum (Squanto) than it is a story of the first Thanksgiving, but it is nonetheless moving and important in its endeavour to gently correct many of the extremely common misconceptions surrounding this holiday.

The story itself was captivating but a bit lengthy for the younger members in our family (the age recommendation on the back of the book is 6-9). My almost 8-year-olds were rapt. They did find the various dates cites throughout the story a bit confusing, but a timeline of our own creation helped to put things in perspective for them.

The illustrations are earthy and luminous and captivated the attention of all the children. There were actual "oohs" and "ahs" over some of the pages, particularly near the end.

Overall, if you are interested in presenting the Native American perspective on Thanksgiving to your children, this book should be on your list. A rarity, even with its imperfections.

[SamZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the beautiful illustrations in this tale and the different approach to the historical tale of the Plymouth Thanksgiving feast. I also really enjoyed the author's note about Native American history and the glossary in the back. The only thing that I found myself wanting in this story was a little bit more emotion in the tone. Sometimes it felt like 'Squanto' (the author) was just presenting facts rather than feelings, especially when it came to his capture and his learning of the death of his family and tribe. Although I do feel that the illustrations beautifully portrayed the emotions of the tale.

[Carlee · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this book, Squanto helped the first New England colony survive. This book portrays native Americans positively and is detail rich. For example, accuracy exists in showing the food the Pilgrims ate to the clothes they wore. It is definitely a springboard for further reading. Pretty pictures, but not terribly interesting for students.

[Emilee M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a good lesson and the illustrations were great. I thought it was a bit boring for kids though.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published: 2000, Silver Whistle
Age: 7-10
This is the story of the first Thanksgiving from the Native Indians perspective. What younger students may not know is that an English captain, Thomas Hunt abducted Squanto and some of his tribesmen and took them to Spain to be slaves. Spanish friars helped Squanto escape to England where he learned some English. He longed for his native land and eventually his friend, Thomas Dermer, took him back to his homeland, America. He found that most of his people, the People of the Falls, or the Patuxet, had died from diseases brought by the English traders. Squanto continued to work for peace and it was he who helped the Pilgrims survive. An endnote by Bruchac explains his research into the true facts of the first Thanksgiving and the myths (such as hats with buckles on them.) The pictures fill one side of the page and the text is on the facing page. The detailed gouache illustrations are in beautiful earth tones and show authentic clothing and landscape. This book is filled with information. It shows a full double page picture of a Thanksgiving dinner-I didn’t see a turkey, but it was not mentioned in the text what exactly they ate other than corn, beans, and squash. There is also a glossary of words from the story with definitions and explanations.

[Sabrina Valenti · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is all about Squanto and his life journey. It tells how Squanto and his friends were taken as captives by Thomas Hunt. Squanto learned new languages and this helped his survive. The book explains how the first thanksgiving came to be and what really happened.

I really enjoyed this book because it is told through Squanto. Unlike many other books, we get to see Squanto's point of view of everything. This books tells about the horror Squanto was put through, but it does do it in a way for young children to read and understand. The illustrations in this book are amazing!

This book would be great to connect with a book told through the English's mans point of view. It would be great to look at with the class the two completely different points of view of the first Thanksgiving and compare the points of view.

"I have seen both death and life come to this land that gives itself to English and Indian alike. I pray that there will be many more such days to give thanks together in the years that follow."

[SaraKat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this picture book because I saw it just after I read Geraldine Brooks's novel Caleb's Crossing which takes place in the same area with the same tribe a bit later in the century. I thought the story was told well and it is informative, but it is very sad material at times. The deaths of family and slavery are told in a very matter-of-fact manner. I adored the illustrations and the way he worked for peace.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pleasant story of much of Squanto's life, told from his point of view. He tells of his captivity, being taken to England, learning to speak English, and becoming a translator and peace maker between Native people (different tribes) and the English. The goache paintings on a textured background are lovely and realistic.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved the beautiful illustrations. This was a fascinating look at Squanto's life...he definitely had some difficult and unfair things occur to him but he was brave, intelligent, and resourceful. This allowed him to help the Wampanoag people and the English settlers. I appreciated the author's note and felt this was a nice introduction to Squanto and his contributions.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wasn't extremely interesting for students, but has information that can be pulled out for comprehension. Images are water colors, but dull for 1st grade. I think this would be good for 3rd grade.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for the Pilgrims unit in our history curriculum, and a good counterpoint to our previous book that was more from the European perspective. A remarkable tale of survival and forgiveness, since it would have been quite easy for him to take the same attitude as the other chieftain mentioned who had been enslaved and swore to kill all the white men he met. The author’s note at the end was good, but I wish he had mentioned the title of the novel that the Wampanoag Plymouth Colony interpreter had written, because that would have been interesting for my own personal reading. I also wish that the one term that kept popping up, pniesig, had a pronunciation guide in the glossary. It didn’t hold my first grader’s attention that well, but my third grader seemed interested enough.

[Melinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book at the same time as The Very First Americans. My son was not quite ready for this book yet. Squanto’s story of being stolen into slavery and taken to Europe and his trip back and then his travels to help translate for Thomas Dermer along the Eastern Shore of North America—none of that was concrete enough for my literal thinker. The voice of Squanto in the book is poetic and beautiful, but doesn’t make sense for my son. He and I both loved the paintings/illustrations. We’ll visit this book again next year.

[Katrina Wellman-Machut · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is beautifully written and the illustrations are powerful. It is the story of Squanto's journey. This is a story often untold. When I was growing up, I was told the single story of the Pilgrims journey and how they were blessed to come to a new area which benefited others through their knowledge of religion, animal husbandry and gardening. They were credited to building a permanent location.

However, the opposite is quite true. Without Squanto the Pilgrims quite likely wouldn't have survived. His journey allowed for him to have compassion and understanding. He was kidnapped, taught English and theology through a monastery and eventually returned to his native land. No one from his tribe survived.

I have passionately tried to teach this truth. Without Squanto the Pilgrims would probably not have survived. Without his trials and tribulations he wouldn't have been able to help.
This is such an amazing read that can make perspective a great conversation point.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read to prepare our hearts for Thanksgiving. Even though my kids are older good picture books are still fun to read!...krb 11/26/19

[EronMarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful book is a pleasure to read from Squanto’s perspective. It tells is condensed version of how God began our nation with the help of a man who came from great suffering.

[Karen Kessler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awards: None
Grade Levels: kindergarten-third grade
Summary: This picture book discusses Squanto's life. He was an Native American who welcomed the newcomers on the Mayflower. The English tribe and Native Amereican Tribe shared many different survivial skills with each other.
Review: This opens the mind that life was very much different back then, then it is today. The accurate depiction of Squanto's life helps the children understand the first Thanksgiving.
Activities: Have the children compare and contrast todays Thankgiving from Thanksgiving back in 1620.

[Ryan Rainey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book "Squanto's Journey" by Joseph Bruchac was a very good book. This book was about a native american named Squanto who was a member of an indian tribe. The Land of the Indian tribe was beginning to be covered with white men. The white men stole Squanto. Squanto was able to get free and come back to his land with the help of a white man that he knew. Squanto found out that most of the people that were from his land were killed by disease including his family. Squanto continued to help the white men. he showed them how to farm, hunt, and survive off of his land. This projecte between Squanto and white men lead to the first Thanksgiving.

This book was written very good. It follows the literary elements that were set in chapter two. There are many settings in this story. There is one main setting which is the homeland of Squanto.This story takes place right around the 1500 and 1600's. The plot of the story starts out with the introduction which is Squanto introducing himself and his home land. Then the rising action is squanto being stolen, the disease killing his family, and the attacks on the native americans from the white men. Then the climax is when Squanto finds his friend Dermer who is a white man. The falling action is when Squanto shows the white men how to farm, hunt, and survive off the land. The conclusion is the first Thanksgiving. The main character of the story is Squanto. The theme of this story is regardless of your race we can all get along like in this book with squanto and the white men. The writer does begin the setting through authentic detail that are not overwhelming. A huge issue durring the 1600's was the conflict between the native americans and the white men. The characters do behave in ways that are believable for the time period because a lot of white men and native americans did fight which even lead to killing. The conflicts are plaudible for the time period as I stated above due to the past conflicts over land between white men and native americans. Eventhough the story is set in the past the theme is still relevent for todays time period because there are still conflicts over race and ethnicity much like with the indians and white men.

I thought this book was very good. I really like reading it. I became very deeply engrossed in the book because it was so interesting. One thing that stuck me when reading this book was with how true this story was. I can see the stuff in this book actually happening back in the 1600's. I could relate this story to my life because I have trouble learning things from others due to the fact that I like to do everything on my own. It is always helpful learning something from others thought much like how Squanto taught the white men how to live of the land. I could uses this story in my classroom to help teach the studetns the history behind Thanksgiving.

[Jaclyn Giordano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Squanto’s Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving by Joseph Bruchac is a picture book intended for readers in grades two through five. I gave it four stars. “My story is both strange and true.” Squanto, a Native American, truly made the bridge of peace between the Native Americans and the white Englishmen who arrived on the Mayflower. Squanto’s journey led him many places, both to Spain in the chains of the white man to England as a friend of the white man. He was the peaceful communicator who led the Native Americans to befriend the white man at Plymouth, stating “Perhaps these men can share our land as friends.” It was he and his companions that taught the white man the way of the land and Earth, leading to the very first Thanksgiving. The illustrations in this text are true to the Native American and Plymouth culture and are very harvest-like colors, with many Earth tones of browns, greens, grays, and creams. The illustrations are gently drawn, almost demanding a peaceful and calm demeanor like that of Squanto’s. The author’s note explains his research and respect for authenticity in writing Squanto’s tale and the glossary defines Native American terms to help the reader. The theme of trust, friendship, overcoming hardship, and peace will speak to all readers, as they learn about how the “mighty” America got its humble beginnings with the help and teachings of the Native Americans.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audience: elementary age children. Read to a 6 and 3 year old. Under age 6 will probably not be able to follow all the details, though it is safe to read to even younger children - the illustrations are tasteful and beautiful. The story explains that some Native Americans were kidnapped, enslaved, or killed, but it is told in a very age-appropriate manner that is good for age 6 and above. It is a beautiful story, but not as "exciting" looking as some books, so kids may not pick it up on their own. Read it to them over bowls of oatmeal or when they're panting from digging a hole in the backyard.

Read-on-their-own Reading level: Most 2nd and 3rd graders (and up) will be able to read this on their own.

Educator's note: Good for study of Pilgrims, colonists, Native Americans. Goes well with Classical Conversations Cycle 3 history sentance about Pilgrims. Good example of use of alternative perspective or point of view.

Squanto's Journey is the answer to almost all the problematic children's books about Thanksgiving- no Pilgrims with buckles on their hats (apparently that's not accurate?!). It tells the story not from a anti-English perspective, or a pro-English Western perspective, but a wonderful third perspective, the view of a man that saw and felt the damage of Native/settler conflict, but also found redemption and hope. For this reason it is a wonderful book to read to kids.

[Michelle Rachitoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. Awards the book has received (if any): None
2. Appropriate grade level(s): Kindergarten to 3rd Grade
3. Original 3-line summary: This is a picture book bout Squanto the Native American who welcomes the newcomers on the Mayflower. He helps them survive the harsh winter and they have a harvest which is known as Thanksgiving. He was abducted, but then ultimately serves as a translator between the English and Indian tribes.
4. Original 3-line review: This provides an accurate description about the interactions of the Indians and English settlers. The illustrations will keep the students engaged when doing a read aloud. The students will also be able to comprehend the details of history since the text is at an appropriate language for them.
5. 2-3 possible in-class uses
This can be used as a read aloud for students around the time of Thanksgiving.
It can also be used to teach students more about the Native American tribes in New York and native American in history.
Students can use this book to write about how the Native Americans felt about meeting new people and the importance of accepting and getting along with others.

[(NS) Panagiota Angelos · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Most American children know the story of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving, but the Native American side of the tale is far less familiar. Joseph Bruchac, a prolific and award-winning author of Native American descent (The First Strawberries, A Boy Called Slow) describes life in 1620 for a man who was destined to save the Pilgrims even as he was losing his family and tribe. Told from Squanto's point of view, this historically accurate and detailed story brings to life one of the most important moments in America's past. Demonstrating how much his people (the Patuxet, the People of the Falls) value honor, Squanto befriends English traders, even after being kidnapped and taken to Spain. After much hard work, Squanto manages to sail back to his homeland, where, in spite of his discovery that many of his people have died from disease brought by white people, he acts as envoy between the English and his own people, and helps the pilgrims survive in their new world." (Goodreads Review)

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

1. Original 3 line summary: This is the story about a young Native American man named Squanto. When he was 24 he was captured and taken to Spain to be sold as a slave, fortunately Spanish Friars helped him escape to England where he learned the language. Years later when he was back on his native land, he served as a buffer between the Native Americans and the colonist, by translating for the groups.
2. Original 3 line review: This is a very informative book about the first thanksgiving and the Native American tribe, Patuxet. I really liked it because it tells the story of the first Thanksgiving from a different perspective than most books. However, I think the book might be a bit confusing at times for a younger audience.
3. Other books you might pair with/connect to: 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving (I am American) by Catherine O'Neill, and The Pilgrims' First Thanksgiving by Ann McGovern
4. A “delicious” quote from the book: "I look up and watch a heron flying overhead. It goes towards the falls that gave our people their name. We are the Patuxet, the people of the Falls."

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book describes life in 1620 for a man who was destined to save the Pilgrims even as he was losing his family and tribe. Told from Squanto's point of view, this historically accurate and detailed story brings to life one of the most important moments in America's past. Demonstrating how much his people value honor, Squanto befriends English traders, even after being kidnapped and taken to Spain. After much hard work, Squanto manages to sail back to his homeland, where, in spite of his discovery that many of his people have died from disease brought by white people, he acts as envoy between the English and his own people, and helps the pilgrims survive in their new world.

Age/Grade: 7+

Instructional Ideas:
The First Thanksgiving is rarely told from a Native Americans point of view and serves as a good tool to enlighten students to the plight of the Native Americans.