The First Thanksgiving (Random House Step Into Reading Series)

Rating:
Summary: Good early-reader history book!
Review: I browsed and browsed before finding a book I felt was proper to read to my two young children about Thanksgiving; this one was it.

I'm not keen on politically correct mush, and this book is not politically correct mush. While it is somewhat vague regarding the hardships of the Pilgrims and their relations with the American Indians, I don't fault it for that; books for young children (mine are 4 and 5) needn't go into such detail as the distrust between the settlers and the Indians, etc. -- that's for later learning.

Overall, this is a great book and I already have recommended it to many people!

Rating:
Summary: A good addition to your child's historical library
Review: This history of the Pilgrims is very complete, given the reading level of the book. It is written for second to third grade students. The story covers the reasons for leaving England, the journey across the Atlantic, the first horrible winter, the meeting of Samoset and Squanto, the help given by the Indians and the Harvest Feast itself. The artwork is nicely done and adds to the content. Second grade students may find new vocabulary and challenging words to read, while third grade students should find the reading easy. A good asset for the teaching of American history to early elementary students.

Rating:
Summary: Good, but whitewashes history a bit.
Review: This is a good, easy-to-read description of the Pilgrim's journey to America, their hard winter, and the first "Thanksgiving" celebration. However, I think it whitewashes history a little too much. It virtually ignores the tension that existed between the Pilgrims and Indians. There needs to be a happy median struck between telling the truly wonderful aspects of that first Thanksgiving -- how the two peoples were able to come together, if only for a short time, to share the celebration -- while acknowledging there were difficulties in the relationship between Pilgrims amd Indians. This isn't being "politically correct" -- it's just acknowledging the truth to our children that relationships between those two groups of peoples were not usually easy. Life is complex, even for young children -- they will understand and appreciate being told the full story.