Squantos Journey: The Story of the First Thanksgiving
Joseph Bruchac, author
Greg Shed, illustrator
Silver Whistle – Harcourt, Inc., Historical Fiction, 2000
Suitable for: Ages 6-12
Themes: Squanto, Wampanoag Indians, Pilgrims, Thanksgiving, Survival
Opening/Synopsis: “My story is both strange and true. I was born in the year the English call 1590. My family were leaders of the Patuxet people and I, too, was raised to lead. But in 1614 I was taken to Spain against my will. Now it is 1621 and I am again in my homeland. My name is Squanto, I would like to tell you my tale.” Squanto plays a key role in bringing peace between the Indians and the English settlers who arrived in Plymouth. The settlers were not prepared for the harsh challenges they faced. Squanto taught them ways of the living on the land so that they could plant crops, hunt, fish and prepare for the winter. When the autumn arrived they celebrated the good harvest with a feast for all. Squanto’s tribe worked with the settlers to help them survive.
Why I like this book: The story of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving is known to children. Author Joseph Bruchac tells the story from the Native American perspective in first person. Squanto ( Tisquantum) was captured by the British, taken to Spain as a slave where he escaped and found his way back home to New England. He was the first Native American Indian to live in the European and Indian world. The author’s research is thorough and he spent many years among the Native American tribe. He wrote this fascinating and inspiring account of how Squanto taught the Pilgrims to survive the harsh New World. Greg Shed’s research took him to Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, MA, where he studied the landscape, and buildings and settlement so he could capture the authenticity in his bold and beautiful illustrations.
Resources: There is an informative Author’s Note at the end. The Plimoth Plantation has a wonderful section “Just for Kids,” where children can learn to talk like a Pilgrim, take a virtual Thanksgiving field trip sponsored by Scholastic, and work with materials for reports and coloring pages. Click here to view a short video on the Plimoth Plantation produced by the History Channel.
Children's Books Heal 
Sounds good. Plenty to talk about and act out after the reading. Nice choice.
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Thank you Genevieve. I love to share historical fiction around the holidays. There are so many wonderful true stories out there that children would enjoy learning.
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I would love to read that story, Pat. Thanks for sharing it.
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Catherine, it is a great book. It was first published in 2000 and later published in paperback in 2006.
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This is a great book choice Pat. Plimouth Plantation is a marvelous place to visit and they work very hard to maintain a sense of authenticity.
I met Joseph Bruchac several years ago – he’s a fascinating man!
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Cathy, lucky you. I imagine he’s fascinating. I admired the research that went into this story. I thought some of you on the east coast have visited Plimoth Plantation. Ienjoyed the History Channels videos.
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This looks like a good way to help children understand the real story of the first Thanksgiving. Even if I can’t get my hands on this book before Thanksgiving, I know I’ll visit the Plimouth site with my kids. Thanks for this resource.
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Kirsten, it is a very good book. I hope you visit the Plimoth Plantation with your kids.
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I love the Thanksgiving story. From the Pilgrim’s perspective, from the Indian’s perspective. Tragic, yet it’s so providential the way it worked out. I also love stories about Plymouth’s following years. What an amazing colony!
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Michelle, Thanks for stopping. I had some mixed emotions as I understood how the Native Americans were friendly and worked with the settlers to help them. There was a true friendship and then history shows what happened to that relationship. It is a great lesson.
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Another wonderful, wonderful book of healing…this time, ancestral memory, which is always passed down through generations.
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Niamh, Yes, I thought it had a healing quality to it. It has a strong message for children for generations to come.
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We are indeed on the same page today, Pat, and I am so glad you chose this wonderful book. I would love to visit the Plimoth Plantation someday!
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Joana, thought our selections complimented each other.
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Patricia? Did you mis-spell Plymouth MA on purpose? Is that how they do it in the book? I was always under the perception that it was an y not an I after the pl in Plymouth MA. Also there is the question of the u in Plymouth. Am I getting all mixed up?
Anyway this review is very cool and makes me want to get this Picture book pronto. Thanks so much. 🙂
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Clair, B & N has it paperback if you can’t find it in the library. No, I spelled it Plymouth right and it’s in the book that way. But, the actual settlement “Plimoth Plantation” is spelled differently.
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Thanks, I’d like to see the history behind the spelling of that word. Might be an old Pilgrim way of speaking and spelling. 🙂
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Did you click on the fascinating website and the video that I included? There may be something there. They have a lot of teaching materials for teachers. Love the section where they show kids how to talk like a Pilgrim. And, I love the History Channel’s videos.
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oh thanks, I should check those. 🙂
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Think you’d enjoy them.
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That sounds fascinating. I vaguely remembering hearing about this in a history class way back when. It’s cool that the story has been made into a children’s book. And I love that it’s written from the First Nations perspective.
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Barb, I really enjoyed this perspective. I don’t remember being taught the detail. I found it in the library, but B&N had a supply in paperback. Joanna also did a lovely post.
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I’ve been seeing lots of books about Thanksgiving this week. At school and at the library. It’s mind boggling! But this one looks a little different and Squanto sounds like a very interesting character that I might want to find more about. Thanks for this suggestion.
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So happy you liked my selection. There are a lot of really good books out there. I tend to pick the historical fiction books to share around specific holidays.
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Love this interesting story. Love the insight into another culture. You and Joanna have taught me much about Thanksgiving. Love it Pat, thanks.
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Diane, I’m glad you enjoyed Squantos. It does give insight into another culture — and of course that would be the first thing you’d see. Hope you share some good holiday stories from down under.
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Sounds like a very interesting and educational story, Pat. I’m glad to be adding a well-researched title about the first Thanksgiving to our list!
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Susanna, I thought you’d like this one. It may have been published, but I saw it stocked in paperback at the bookstore. So, it is a book that has stood the test of time — don’t know why I’m just discovering it!
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This sounds like a great story. I’ve enjoyed Joseph Bruchac’s stories for many years. I only just learned of this part of Squanto’s story last week, reading a Thanksgiving book to my kids. Somehow, they never mentioned that he’d been kidnapped when I was learning this in school! I’m glad that part of the story is now getting told in schools.
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Carrie, I was surprised to learn he was kidnapped and how he managed his escape. And, yet he and his tribe held no grudge and saved the lives of earliest settlers.
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What a great choice for Thanksgiving! I like books that teach about history from different ponts of view.
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So glad you liked the books Erik. I share your same point of view. Love historical fiction.
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Thank you, Pat…I also love historical fiction…what a wonderful way for young kids to get a better picture of what life was like. 🙂 Great review!
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Thanks Vivian! Glad you enjoyed the story.
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Sounds like the POV really makes this book different. I’m looking forward to checking it out.
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Yes, you are right Ruth. I enjoyed the book a lot. Great for kids to learn about the Native American perspective.
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Nice choice! Happy Thanksgiving Patricia. 🙂
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Glad you liked the book Coleen. Happy Thanksgiving.
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