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dandelionfluff's review against another edition
3.0
Didn't know Smith's mother was part Algonquin! She also nods to Joe Bruchac-- I have a volume of his poetry sitting nearby. It's clear from the Dedication that she really took the time to research all this before publishing. I do like the way she handled Weetamoo's story, recognizing the different record-keeping she would have engaged in, and focusing on thoughts rather than a journal format.
Well written and engaging enough, but that Epilogue and historical note! Younger readers will know all too well the harsh reality of her life, and the lives of others she knew. Some reviewers don't approve of this swift kick to the gut, but we do need to teach our children what actually happened and not a pretty almost-truth.
With that being said, part of me wonders why this series chose this Native American figure when the author has said in an interview that she had to guess at Weetamoo's early life. It's important to know her story, but yet again, I'm wondering if the figure they chose was appropriate for a book in this age range, and not better suited for an older read that would have delved into their more adult, more recorded lives. There's value in the imagined, but many young readers may not realize this isn't really what happened-- just something that could have happened, judging off of what we know about their culture.
Wouldn't that be interesting, though? If you had the middle grade stories, and then a young adult market. Maybe someday Scholastic will look into that.
Well written and engaging enough, but that Epilogue and historical note! Younger readers will know all too well the harsh reality of her life, and the lives of others she knew. Some reviewers don't approve of this swift kick to the gut, but we do need to teach our children what actually happened and not a pretty almost-truth.
With that being said, part of me wonders why this series chose this Native American figure when the author has said in an interview that she had to guess at Weetamoo's early life. It's important to know her story, but yet again, I'm wondering if the figure they chose was appropriate for a book in this age range, and not better suited for an older read that would have delved into their more adult, more recorded lives. There's value in the imagined, but many young readers may not realize this isn't really what happened-- just something that could have happened, judging off of what we know about their culture.
Wouldn't that be interesting, though? If you had the middle grade stories, and then a young adult market. Maybe someday Scholastic will look into that.
cerapp555's review against another edition
3.0
So something that I love about the Royal Diaries series is that they are about real people. I don’t remember if this is one of the books that I read when I was younger. The book came out when I was six, so I could have picked it up in school or public library at one point or another. This is a person who I had no prior knowledge of. Women were such an important part of the Indiginous culture, but often get erased from history, since history was often told by the white male. While this is a fictional depiction of a strong female leader during her youth, I enjoyed the strength that she had as a young teen. I loved the culture of the Indiginous people. I really need to try and read more book to learn more about the culture. Not a solid story and the writing could get a little annoying, but I believe I was annoying in my writing when I was that age too. I like how the author used some of her own journals to help her write from the mind of a young teenager. I wince when I read some of my old journal entries.
MVP: Cedar
MVP: Cedar
foreveryoungadult's review against another edition
Graded By: Maria
Cover Story: Fanta-stick
BFF Charm: Yay
Swoonworthy Scale: 4
Talky Talk: Picture Book
Bonus Factor: Visions and Dreams
Relationship Status: Childhood Friends
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Fanta-stick
BFF Charm: Yay
Swoonworthy Scale: 4
Talky Talk: Picture Book
Bonus Factor: Visions and Dreams
Relationship Status: Childhood Friends
Read the full book report here.
nicolebookish's review against another edition
3.0
Even Middle school me knew it was problematic.
It really liked it when I read it but i'm sure if I reread it now it'd have alot of issues with it.
I remember thinking it was cool to see a different princess aka non European one but I didn't know how to express that.
I have to reread this series and give my adult post graduate degree perspective but what I remember liking was:
-the characters in this series were roughly my age when I read the books (YA)
-it gave you an idea of what life may have been like back then
-they did have an afterword with historic information that gave you more context on their real lives and often photos or paintings
It really liked it when I read it but i'm sure if I reread it now it'd have alot of issues with it.
I remember thinking it was cool to see a different princess aka non European one but I didn't know how to express that.
I have to reread this series and give my adult post graduate degree perspective but what I remember liking was:
-the characters in this series were roughly my age when I read the books (YA)
-it gave you an idea of what life may have been like back then
-they did have an afterword with historic information that gave you more context on their real lives and often photos or paintings
anji87's review against another edition
3.0
I do like how the author started the book by saying that unlike the other girls profiled in the Royal Diaries, Weetamoo never would have written a diary. A lot of it is written in a way that makes it seem that Weetamoo is just thinking, and I wish that the entirety of the novel was written that way.
The story follows Weetamoo, the eldest daughter of the Saschem (leader) of the Poccasats. She has been told that patience is a virtue that she needs to work on and as such she spends a great deal of time thinking about what is going on and asking the spirits for patience. She has to navigate in her father's shadow in regards to the dealings with the people at Plymouth, all the while she is trying to understand what it means to grow up, and what she plans to do once she is old enough to marry. There are some struggles that she has to go through, her temper and her impatience get the better of her, and she has to help her mother and family grieve when their younger sister dies of an apparent heart defect. In the end, she learns a great deal and know what it is going to take for her to be a great leader.
As always, the back of the book is filled with actual historical information and I was intrigued to know that while Weetamoo's father's generation was able to deal fairly with the Europeans, that tenuous relationship broke down by the time that she came of age.
The story follows Weetamoo, the eldest daughter of the Saschem (leader) of the Poccasats. She has been told that patience is a virtue that she needs to work on and as such she spends a great deal of time thinking about what is going on and asking the spirits for patience. She has to navigate in her father's shadow in regards to the dealings with the people at Plymouth, all the while she is trying to understand what it means to grow up, and what she plans to do once she is old enough to marry. There are some struggles that she has to go through, her temper and her impatience get the better of her, and she has to help her mother and family grieve when their younger sister dies of an apparent heart defect. In the end, she learns a great deal and know what it is going to take for her to be a great leader.
As always, the back of the book is filled with actual historical information and I was intrigued to know that while Weetamoo's father's generation was able to deal fairly with the Europeans, that tenuous relationship broke down by the time that she came of age.
kenzie5227's review
emotional
informative
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bibliophage's review
I thought the recognition of the Pocasset oral tradition in this diary was excellent, and this read was pretty quick because this "diary" is fairly short. Nothing especially great about this diary, just mildly interesting (which is perhaps a bit of a let down for such a significant historical figure that doesn't receive hardly any attention). I really liked my introduction to Weetamoo as a young girl, so in that regard, this was an excellent middle-grade read.
arisbookcorner's review
3.0
Read this years ago. My first foray into Native American royalty, naturally it was very different from my pre-conceived notions of royalty (based on European Royal Diaries books). I don't remember much else except that it has a historical, sad ending.
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