USKids History: Book of the American Colonies (Brown Paper School)
Grade 4-6?A conversational history of the American colonies, including factual information, stories, games, activities, and recipes. This book would be most useful to children interested in history who enjoy reading nonfiction for pleasure or to teachers looking for supplemental materials and projects to add to a colonial unit. It is not meant to be a definitive history of the American colonies, nor would it be particularly useful for reports. The impact of colonization on Native Americans is discussed in several areas of the text. The colonies are described roughly in the order they were settled, but little to no information is presented about New Hampshire, Connecticut, Delaware, or Maryland. The stories make the material accessible and fun to read, but could be misleading. Some of them appear to be based on primary sources, but there is no documentation. The list for further reading includes "The Colony of..." series  (Watts; o.p.). Nonfiction has come a long way in the 25 years since those books were published in terms of discussing Native Americans, blacks, or women. "The Thirteen Colonies" (Children's, 1990) is a far better choice. Another positive feature of this new title is its inclusion of many different religious groups, explaining the differences among Pilgrims, Puritans, Quakers, etc. Black-and-white charcoal and pencil drawings help bring the time period into focus. Although the scholarship is a bit shaky, Book of the American Colonies is enjoyable reading and meets its goal of bringing history to life for children.?Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VACopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.