. . . If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 Review

Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
Author(s): Ann Mcgovern

ISBN: 0590451618 EAN: 9780590451611
Binding: Paperback
Pages: 80
Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Average Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Retail Price: ~~$5.99~~
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What kind of ship was the Mayflower? How did the Pilgrims feel when they saw land? What was the first building in Plymouth? In lively question-and-answer style, this fact-filled book answers all sorts of questions about the Pilgrims' journey on the Mayflower and their first year in America.

Boys and girls will find out why the Pilgrims left England to live in America, what they took with them on board the Mayflower, and the hardships they endured. They'll learn what the Mayflower Compact was, how the Pilgrims made a peace treaty with the Indians, and how these brave settlers managed to survive in their new land.

Ms McGovern has carefully researched the Pilgrims' journey and their first year in America. Her portrayal is full of fascinating detail about their everyday life. Young readers will be intrigued to discover that Pilgrim boys and girls slept on corn husk mattresses they made themselves, and that most of the houses had only one chair -- which was reserved for the man of the house!

The humorous, true-to-life illustrations serve as effective complements to the informative, fun-to-read text.

User Submitted . . . If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620 Reviews

November 27, 2008
Very Entertaining
I read this book to my homeschooled first grader last week and I think we were both surprised at how entertaining it was. My daughter wished that the book were longer.

A few days later our 6 year old neighbor boy came over to play. I asked him if he had been hearing about the Mayflower and Pilgrims in his repeat second year of kindergarten. Those words didn't seem to mean anything to him. I was pretty surprised since it was so close to Thanksgiving.

So I picked up this book and started to read it to him and my daughter. I would question them after I would read something historically important or the more interesting trivia such as the sailors on the Mayflower calling the Pilgrims "glib-glabbety puke stockings". Have two six year old's say that fast three times. I NEVER learned about "glib-glabbety puke stockings" when I was a kid in school. That's the kind of stuff that makes history fun!

After I read the book to them they started to build a ship out of chairs and blankets and prentended that they were pilgrims in the Mayflower. My daughter was also inspired to draw her own Mayflower based on the illustrations in the book which of course turned out to be a masterpiece.

This would make a really great Thanksgiving book. Your kids will learn lots of stuff including...pumpkin pie was not served at the first Thanksgiving due to lack of sugar but that during the 3-day celebration popcorn might have been.

I plan to buy other books in the series soon.

June 13, 2008
Another great resource for kids
My kids love this one. A few years back we went to Plymouth Plantatioon and they love comparing there trip to what they read in this book. Again another great way to really put kids there. So often history books neglect that fact young readers need to feel they can relate and imagine what kids felt during this time. This book does just that.

March 13, 2008
Lots of good information.
We are using the book Social Studies Through Children's Literature by Anthony D. Fredericks and he recommends this book for grades K-3rd. It was interesting and while we did know quite a lot of the information from previous studies we still learned a lot. It is all in question and answer format and not only about the Mayflower but also about life in one of the 1st colonies. I would recommend it for grades 2-4th.

August 2, 2007
Mayflower History Comes Alive
"There were no bathrooms on the Mayflower ship.... You would wear the same clothes day after day, night after night, for sixty-six days and night"--from the book.

You'll also find answers to such questions as: Were the people on the ship friends? Would you have had any fun on the Mayflower? Did the Pilgrims have any medicine? Would YOU live in a log cabin?

This and more interesting information and stories await you (read other reviews). [Suitable for the intermediate grades and up.]

A Non-Workbook, Non-Textbook Approach to Teaching Language Arts: Grades 4 Through 8 and Up

June 23, 2004
A Wonderful Resource; A Great Story
I am a teacher who was looking for a book for my students to use when we study Thanksgiving. Without a doubt, this story is one of the best that we use. It is a great introduction to reading non-fiction, and it provides a wealth of information for students, parents, and teachers.

My students love the story. They can easily understand the Question-Answer format, and it is not overwhelming in its content. It's written in an 'easy reading' style that the students can understand. They are really interested in what the kids did during this time, especially what they did for fun.

I recommend this book to any student who wants to know more about the Pilgrims and their arrival to America. I also recommend this to any adult who is looking for a wonderful non-fiction book for their favorite child(ren).

November 9, 2001
This book is hard to put down!
I got "If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620" for our Thanksgiving unit based on several glowing recommendations. I was not disappointed. Both my 5 yo and I had a hard stopping once we got started. I learned things about the Pilgrims I'd never known. And, the content is fascinating for children. It covered such curious topics as Did they bathe on the Mayflower?, What did they eat?, How were people who broke the law punished?, What did children do? It was written to entertain anyone over the age of 4. It's a question/answer book and exceptionally well done.

July 12, 2001
Great Book
I purchased this book for my Grandchildren but this is not only a great book for 4-8 year olds but for anyone over 4. You might learn some things you didn't know. By the way, if you ever go to Plymouth you can go on the Mayflower II, and be sure to visit Plimoth Plantation (it's like going back in time to 1630).

October 14, 1999
Just Like You Were There!!!
This book by Ann McGovern depicts the life that you would have had on the Mayflower. You get a sense and almost feel like you are there with the rest of the pilgrims in 1620. The detail is just great and is a book that all kids should read from a historical standpoint.

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