Module 4: The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elzabeth George Speare

Photo taken from:
 http://www.amazon.com/Witch-Blackbird-Elizabeth-George-Speare/dp/0547550294/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316744284&sr=8-1

Summary:

After the death of Kit Tyler’s grandfather, Kit is forced to leave her home in the Barbados where she had servants and wealth to live with her strict Puritan relatives in the Connecticut Colony. Kit travels on a ship called the Dolphin, and befriends the sea captain’s son, Nathaniel Eaton, Kit is a lively intelligent young woman who is shocked by her family’s strict religious and difficult lives. Kit does not fit in well with the residents of the Connecticut Colony and instantly made to feel like she is an intruder on her family and the Colony Citizens.

When Kit befriends an old Quaker women who lives on the outskirts of town, she is warned that the women is not to be associated with because of her religious beliefs. Some residents even claim that the old woman is a witch. Kit continues to meet with the women and when an epidemic strikes the town, everyone is looking for someone to blame. The townsfolk go on a witch hunt for the old women, but Kit disobey’s her family and saves the old women. Kit is then accused of witchcraft and sent to trial. Kit’s name is cleared by Nathaniel Eaton, but Kit comes to the understanding that she will never fit in with the Puritan lifestyle.  Eventually Kit ends up marrying Nathaniel Eaton, giving her the freedom she desired from the staunch religious lifestyle of the small town. 

Citation:

Speare, E.G. (1958). The witch of blackbird pond. New York, New York: Dell Publishing Co.

Impression:

I greatly enjoyed The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare and can understand why this book won the Newbery Award in 1959. The novel has strong, round characters and a well developed plot line. I can associate with the character of Kit and believe that she possessed many characteristics that are familiar to the average reader.

The novel covered many themes about friendship, family, prejudices, religion, and love without beating the reader over the head with religious doctrine or preachy diatribes.  The author did a good job of creating a character that fit into the puritan era without being irrelevant to the reader. This book is a timeless treasure that can be enjoyed by all age groups.

Review:

Forced to leave her sunny Caribbean home for the bleak Connecticut Colony, Kit Tyler is filled with trepidation. As they sail up the river to Kit's new home, the teasing and moodiness of a young sailor named Nat doesn't help. Still, her unsinkable spirit soon bobs back up. What this spirited teenager doesn't count on, however, is how her aunt and uncle's stern Puritan community will view her. In the colonies of 1687, a girl who swims, wears silk and satin gowns, and talks back to her elders is not only headstrong, she is in grave danger of being regarded as a witch. When Kit befriends an old Quaker woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond, it is more than the ascetics can take: soon Kit is defending her life. Who can she count on as she confronts these angry and suspicious townspeople?

A thoroughly exciting and rewarding Newbery Medal winner and ALA Notable Children's Book, Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond brings this frightening period of witch hysteria to life. Readers will wonder at the power of the mob mentality, and the need for communities in desperate times--even current times--to find a scapegoat. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Citation:

Coulter, E. (2011). [The witch of blackbird pond] [book review]. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com

Uses:

• Around Thanksgiving make the novel “Book of the Week.” Ask readers to create entries in the library’s Young Adult Blog to create some discussion about the book. 
  Librarians can input some discussion aids, but the blog is designed to get readers to discuss books among peers.
• Use the book in a display for banned books week.