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A review by dandelionfluff
Weetamoo: Heart of the Pocassets, Massachusetts - Rhode Island, 1653 by Patricia Clark Smith
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.