Monday, October 18, 2010

Jamestown: The Perilous Journey, Olga Hall-Quest

Jamestown: The Perilous Journey by Olga Hall-Quest is a book I had picked up to read to my son before we visited Jamestown.  He found the plot slow and laborious.  I went ahead and read it and found it a very approachable read to the early history of Jamestown.

Started:  About October 12, 2010
Completed:  October 16, 2010
Recommendation:  Very good book to read-aloud to a 5th grade audience.  Needs to be supplemented with other materials.
Recommended by:  Picked this book up at a Barnes and Noble while looking for home school materials.

Review:  The story of Jamestown is dominated by Captain John Smith who wrote the only real history of the founding of the colony.  He is portrayed here in a favorable light, although it is not always flattering.  The book definitely hits all the high points and provides a good framework for more in-depth study.  I would highly recommend this book to any parent taking a child/children to Jamestown and, in many cases, to the child as well.  The book does not "talk down" to the child and it reflects much of the recent archaeology of the site.