Journey to the New World: The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple, Mayflower, 1620 (Dear America Series) by Kathryn Lasky, Kristiana Gregory

From the Publisher

Twelve-year-old Mem presents a diary account of the trip she and her family made on the Mayflower in 1620 and their first year in the New World.

Publishers Weekly

In the impressive inaugural installments of the Dear America series, three accomplished authors give readers illuminating glimpses of the nation's past. Presented as a girl's diary, each book features real-life historical figures and the diarists' subjective descriptions of significant occurrences (respectively, the Pilgrims' journey on the Mayflower and founding of Plimoth colony in 1620, Washington's army's arduous winter of 1778 at Valley Forge, and the Union occupation of a Virginia town in 1864). The greatest emphasis, however, is on the girls' daily lives and their relationships with family, friends and sometimes annoying acquaintences. All three authors include an abundance of hard-hitting incidents and images: the mothers of two of the narrators die; Remember watches as bodies of the dead are thrown overboard from the Mayflower; near an army surgeon's hut, Abby spies a trough filled with hands and feet. Journal entries in Denenberg's book are decidedly more formal and ponderous than those penned by Lasky and Gregory, but his heroine's personality and way of life emerge almost as convincingly as those of her counterparts. Epilogues provide a follow-up to the fictional characters' lives, while historical notes objectively summarize key events of the periods. Rough-edged pages and sewn-in ribbon place-markers give these attractively priced, paper-over-board volumes the look of genuine diaries. More than a supplement to classroom textbooks, the series is an imaginative, solid entre into American history. Ages 8-13. (Sept.)

Children's Literature

Upper elementary and middle school students will enjoy reading this historical fiction selection centered on major events in American history. Presented in diary format by a young lady, the book's viewpoint is that of the targeted reader. Similar to bound books from long ago, the diary comes with an attached quality ribbon bookmark. The color cover illustration features a cameo of the diarist, with the background a muted reprint of artwork from the time period. Readers will relate to Remember Patience Whipple and her the trials and tribulations, joys and sorrows, successes and failures during the Atlantic crossing and early years in the Pilgrim settlement meeting Native Americans and losing her mother to illness. They may enjoy the old-fashioned terminology (to cast is to puke), and identify with children who, while from another time period, have feelings and circumstances similar to their own. The book contains black-and-white illustrations pertinent to the subject, whether it be maps, photographs, drawings, etc., acknowledgments, and facts about the author.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7Remember Patience Whipple is traveling to the New World on the Mayflower with her younger sister and parents, who are in search of religious freedom. Mem is an observant, spirited 12-year-old with a child's-eye view of the people and events around her. She notes the colors of the sunrise while crossing the Atlantic and comes up with more than enough synonyms for throwing up. She would rather be a boy so that she can join the men on their expeditions and go eel hunting with her father at night. Her thoughts and feelings are a good introduction to the voyage and the Pilgrims' first year in New England. In diary entries running from October 1, 1620 to November 10, 1621, Mem describes the bad food, poor hygiene, and almost daily deaths from illness. The format, with spaces between entries, will appeal to reluctant readers, while the lively writing will hold the attention of good readers. A historical note on the year 1620, maps, a diagram of the Mayflower, and reproductions of historical prints add to the social-studies value of the book. Pair this with Gary Bowen's Stranded at Plimoth Plantation 1626 (HarperCollins, 1994) for a record of day-to-day activities of the Pilgrims. Engaging, accessible historical fiction.Susan Pine, New York Public Library

Kirkus Reviews

In this entry in the Dear America series, subtitled "The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple," Lasky (She's Wearing a Dead Bird on Her Head!, 1995, etc.) demonstrates how vigorous historical fiction can enliven the facts found in most textbooks. The Pilgrims, as they came to be known, traveled in a small cargo ship, the Mayflower, for two miserable months of bad food, unfit drinking water, vicious storms, and sheer boredom on a leaky old vessel that had never been intended for human cargo and lacked even the most basic amenities. Mem, one of the 34 children among the 102 people on board, tells the story in diary entries. Almost as bad as the journey was what the travelers found when it was over. Mem's story is one of incredible courage in the face of almost insurmountable obstacles, but it is also a story of real people with all their foibles, who refuse to give up no matter what happens. In the course of these inspiring events, Mem herself almost gives up, but a sense of humor and her hopes for the future carry her through the worst of them. Memorable.

Product Details

• ISBN: 059050214X
  
• ISBN-13: 9780590502146
• Format: Hardcover, 176pp
• Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
• Pub. Date: September 1996
• Sales Rank: 19,407
• Series: Dear America Series