Wednesday, November 7, 2012

What Really Happened in Jamestown?

It is the early 1600s, and twelve-year-old Samuel Collier has just become a page of Captain John Smith. He leaves his street urchin ways to sail across the sea. It is not an easy time. The journey is rough, and Samuel is determined to keep to himself. The fact that they are bound for the New World gives Samuel some hope because he has heard about the wonders that await him there. Unfortunately, once they arrive in the New World, he is in for a few surprises. The land is beautiful, but there are many gentlemen who want others to do the work while they sit back and get rich. There are natives who have different ways than the Englishmen. Captain Smith has a way of communicating with the native people that is very diplomatic. Samuel is impressed by what he sees and he realizes that working with other people is necessary to survive. When Captain Smith leaves the settlement will the good relations with the natives be maintained? What will become of Samuel in the New World? With all of the dangers everywhere he looks will Samuel be able to survive? You must read this book to find out how everything turns out!


Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone is a rich and intriguing historical fiction book about one of the first settlements in the New World. I liked seeing the way the story showed us what this new settlement meant for the native people and the settlers. This book really brought the scene to life and, after reading the author’s note, it was interesting to learn that the characters mentioned in the story are true to history. Anyone who enjoys reading about history will enjoy this book. It would be a challenging book for most kids that are younger than fifth grade, but if they are interested in the time period and they read it with an adult, they will probably be as fascinated as I was. Samuel really grew throughout the story and it was great to see the lessons he learned. With Thanksgiving coming up this month, this would be a wonderful read for people who are interested in seeing the start of our nation unfold before them. A book you will learn from this November!

Has anyone else read Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone? Or read another book by Elisa Carbone?


Happy Reading! ~ L



Posted by DMS at 5:50:00 AM

31 comments:

  1. cleemckenzieNovember 7, 2012 at 10:45 AM

    I'm clapping my hands. I love historical fiction and I haven't seen this book, which is about a period that intrigues me so much.

    Thanks for this and for your great theme this week!

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    1. DMSNovember 8, 2012 at 10:17 PM

      Lee- Historical fiction is such fun. It is a very interesting period. Happy reading! :) ~L

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  2. Cate MastersNovember 7, 2012 at 10:46 AM

    What a great way to bring the past to life for young readers! So much more meaningful than dry textbook material.

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    1. DMSNovember 8, 2012 at 10:17 PM

      Cate- I agree! Reading a book like this makes history come to life! :) ~L

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  3. momto8November 7, 2012 at 10:55 AM

    thanks for this review!! my favorite is historical fiction too.

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    1. DMSNovember 8, 2012 at 10:18 PM

      Annmarie- You are welcome! Historical fiction is so fun! ~L

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  4. Adriana @ BooksOnHerMindNovember 7, 2012 at 11:33 AM

    Aw! What is that little boy doing on his lonesome? ):
    THE Elisa Carbone? I loved her book Jump. She went with a completely different direction compared to her other book.

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    1. DMSNovember 8, 2012 at 10:20 PM

      Adriana- It is hard to imagine a 12 year old on their own- so sad that it used to happen so often. I haven't read Jump- but it is that Elisa Carbone. I will have to read it! From her website it looks like she writes a varity of different genres. :) ~L

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  5. AnonymousNovember 7, 2012 at 12:06 PM

    This sounds like a perfect recommendation for November. I've never heard of it before so I'm adding it to my list.
    Thank you! :)

    ~Akoss

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    1. DMSNovember 8, 2012 at 10:20 PM

      Akossiwaketogo- Blood on the River is an excellent book to read this November. Enjoy! ~L

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  6. LisaNovember 7, 2012 at 12:50 PM

    I haven't read this novel but I always find it interesting when I learn something new from a novel. That is why historical fiction is so great.

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    1. DMSNovember 8, 2012 at 10:21 PM

      Lisa- I love to learn something new from a novel, too! HF is so fascinating! ~L

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  7. Caryn CaldwellNovember 7, 2012 at 1:28 PM

    I haven't read that one yet, but it looks really good. I like historical fiction, and I've always been intrigued by the mystery of Jamestown.

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    1. DMSNovember 8, 2012 at 10:22 PM

      Caryn- If you have been intrigued by the mystery of Jamestown then I think you will enjoy this one. Happy reading! ~L

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  8. https://booksthoughtsadventures.comNovember 7, 2012 at 2:00 PM

    I have not heard of this book or this author!
    When I taught...we did units of study on Jamestown but on a younger age level...this looks really great!

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    1. DMSNovember 8, 2012 at 10:25 PM

      Patty- After teaching about Jamestown you would probably love this book! It is for older kids, but knowing as much as you do about the time period it would be something you would really get into. :) Enjoy! ~L

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  9. AnonymousNovember 7, 2012 at 4:03 PM

    Ah, ha! It let me post this time. I was locked out a few hours ago. Computers.

    I loved this book. I read it two years ago when my daughter was studying American history with me in homeschool. The same year we took the kids to visit the Jamestown Settlement. It's excellent! (The book and the historic site.)

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    1. DMSNovember 8, 2012 at 10:26 PM

      Michelle- Sorry it was hard to comment. It seems better now! I love that you read Blood on the River and enjoyed it. What a great book to bring history to life for your daughter. I would love to visit the Jamestown Settlement. Thanks for sharing. :) ~L

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  10. Greg SlombaNovember 7, 2012 at 8:13 PM

    I love historical fiction! This book sounds cool. I'm going to have to check it out. Thanks for another fantastic review!

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    1. DMSNovember 8, 2012 at 10:27 PM

      Greg- I love HF, too! I hope you get to read it. Enjoy! ~L

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  11. Yanting GuehNovember 7, 2012 at 9:10 PM

    I enjoy historical fiction, too. What a wonderful book for November! Thanks for letting us know about 'Blood on the River'

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    1. DMSNovember 8, 2012 at 10:28 PM

      Claudine- How great that you love HF! Blood on the River is a perfect November read. :) ~L

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  12. Felicity Grace TerryNovember 8, 2012 at 9:16 AM

    Glad to be back with you. A great review, this is so my kind of read.

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    1. DMSNovember 8, 2012 at 10:29 PM

      Petty- So glad that you are back! We missed you! We think you will like this book! ~Stephanie and Jess

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  13. A Belle’s TalesNovember 8, 2012 at 10:32 AM

    What a great book - and what a perfect time to read it! Thanks so much for the awesome review! :D

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    1. DMSNovember 8, 2012 at 10:30 PM

      Cheles- Thanks for stopping by and I am happy that you liked the review. It is a great HF book- especially for November. :) ~L

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  14. nutschellNovember 8, 2012 at 1:18 PM

    I enjoy historical fiction and this one is definitely going in my TBR pile. :)
    Nutschell
    www.thewritingnut.com

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    1. DMSNovember 8, 2012 at 10:31 PM

      Nutshell- If you love HF- then this book will be one you will enjoy! Happy reading! ~L

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  15. DMSNovember 8, 2012 at 10:23 PM

    Heidi- This is a great book to read for this time of year. It really makes you think! Jamestown is so interesting to read about. :) ~L

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  16. UnknownNovember 11, 2012 at 1:55 PM

    This is certainly a book I'd read. I love history and fictional history, and who isn't intrigued by Jamestown?

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    1. DMSNovember 12, 2012 at 10:35 PM

      Donna- Jamestown is fascinating! This is a great read! ~L

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Thank you for stopping by and commenting. We love to hear your thoughts! We had to turn on comment moderation due to a high volume of spam. Fairday's Blog is no longer accepting awards. We appreciate all the nominations that we have received and are honored to have been mentioned! Happy Reading!

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