On the Mayflower: Voyage of the Ship's Apprentice and a Passenger Girl by Kate Waters, Russ Kendall (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

In color photographs taken on the modern-day reproduction of the colonial "Mayflower" ship, an action-packed adventure follows the journey of William Small and Ellen Moore, two children traveling from England to the New World without their families. "A good addition to American history collections."--"Booklist."

Children's Literature

Real children act out the roles of young people who could have sailed on the Mayflower. Ellen Moore, an eight-year-old girl, did sail to North America, but William Small, the ship's apprentice, did not. The reenactment is based on historical research and will help children understand the bravery of these early settlers and the terrible hardships that they faced in the Atlantic crossing and during their first winter in the New World. Other books by the author that are similar in style and format include Sarah Morton's Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl, Samuel Eaton's Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Boy, and Tapenum's Day: A Wampanoag Indian Boy in Pilgrim Times.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4In this historically accurate, fictionalized account for beginning chapter-book readers, Waters tells a story of the Mayflower's passage to America through the characters of William Small, the apprentice to the master of the ship, and Ellen Moore, an eight-year-old passenger. The text is based on historical documents, two passenger accounts of the actual trip, and other voyages of the time. In a section at the end, the author explains her research; and distinguishes fact from fiction. Kendall's clear, full-color photographs, shot on the Mayflower II, complement the story. This book is well written, designed, and photographed. A good choice for patrons who enjoyed Waters and Kendall's Samuel Eaton's Day (1993) and Sarah Morton's Day (1989, both Scholastic).Charlyn Lyons, Wichita Public Library, KS

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