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If You Were a Kid at the First Thanksgiving (If You Were a Kid)
Discover what happened during the very first Thanksgiving! As one of the few young children living in the Plymouth colony, Miles Allterton is always looking to make new friends. In a nearby Wampanoag settlement, a girl named Aquina wants to hunt with her father and brothers. When the two children meet during preparations for a harvest feast, they quickly strike up a friendship. Readers (Ages 7-9) will follow along as the children and their families attend the first Thanksgiving celebration.
- GenresThanksgiving
32 pages, Hardcover
Published February 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 21, 2022
Edited Review: After reading Chris Newell's book "If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving," I have lowered my rating of this book to one star. I would highly recommend Newell's book instead of Sarno's "If You Were a Kid at the First Thanksgiving."
Sarno's book does juxtapose the lives of two families, one from the pilgrim colony and one from the Wampanoag tribe. However, after reading Newell's book, I realize just how many of the facts presented in Sarno's book are wrong. It is a nobel attempt at understanding the events of the 1620's, but is just that, an incomplete attempt.
If you are interested in introducing the topic of indigenous tribal relations with colonists in the 1700s, I highly recommend checking out Newell's book, and leave Sarno's book on the shelf. You will not be disappointed.
-Former Review: I do like that this book juxtaposes the lives of a family within the pilgrim colony with an indigenous family in the Wampanoag tribe. I would have liked this book to be written by a Native author, or consulted with a larger and more diverse group than just Dr. James Marten (though I appreciate the work he does to consider the children's experience in historic events).
I also agree with the previous review that the nonfiction blurbs do little to show that Native culture and community are still here today. I would also have liked this book to address our cultural myth of Thanksgiving more directly, as well as spoken stronger to the conflicts that arose when the colonists decided to start taking the land as their own (this information can be inferred, but can also be easily ignored if one chooses).
Generally, I have enjoyed the "If you were a kid..." series and have used it to introduce historical topics with my five year old, and the conversations we have had because of it. This is one of the weaker titles in the series, but can be used (with sensitivity to the weaknesses mentioned above) to begin building a different cultural narrative around Thanksgiving.-
Sarno's book does juxtapose the lives of two families, one from the pilgrim colony and one from the Wampanoag tribe. However, after reading Newell's book, I realize just how many of the facts presented in Sarno's book are wrong. It is a nobel attempt at understanding the events of the 1620's, but is just that, an incomplete attempt.
If you are interested in introducing the topic of indigenous tribal relations with colonists in the 1700s, I highly recommend checking out Newell's book, and leave Sarno's book on the shelf. You will not be disappointed.
-Former Review: I do like that this book juxtaposes the lives of a family within the pilgrim colony with an indigenous family in the Wampanoag tribe. I would have liked this book to be written by a Native author, or consulted with a larger and more diverse group than just Dr. James Marten (though I appreciate the work he does to consider the children's experience in historic events).
I also agree with the previous review that the nonfiction blurbs do little to show that Native culture and community are still here today. I would also have liked this book to address our cultural myth of Thanksgiving more directly, as well as spoken stronger to the conflicts that arose when the colonists decided to start taking the land as their own (this information can be inferred, but can also be easily ignored if one chooses).
Generally, I have enjoyed the "If you were a kid..." series and have used it to introduce historical topics with my five year old, and the conversations we have had because of it. This is one of the weaker titles in the series, but can be used (with sensitivity to the weaknesses mentioned above) to begin building a different cultural narrative around Thanksgiving.-
June 26, 2017
How the what does stuff like this still get published in 2017? Indigenous peoples referred to in the past tense (p. 21 "Native Americans sometimes used beads to decorate moccasins." AND STILL DO!), "loincloth" included in the "words to know," framing the whole story around Miles the Pilgrim instead of Aquina the Wampanoag? No thanks.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews