1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving (HC)

Probably not the story you heard in elementary school, this book from National Geographic is filled with color photos from a reenactment at Plimoth Plantation.

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LibraryThing member scnelson

This book is a detailed debunking of our accepted myth of the first Thanksgiving. Told with photos of a reenactment by actual descendents of those early Indians, this is the event told from their perspective, which should be considered important considering this was still their country at the time.

Grace tells a story that we should all know: the real story of the origin of the holiday, which may come as finding out that Santa Claus isn't real to some, but should not ruin the meaning of Thanksgiving for anyone.

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LibraryThing member MarthaL

An elementary revised history of origins of our traditional Thanksgiving holiday. Illustrated with photographs of reenactors this informative text presents history from the Wampanoag perpective. A Chronology summarizes ancient Wampanoag history. European contact and Thanksgiving days are listed as

are the parts magazine editior Sarah Josepha Hale and President Lincoln had in bringing about the holiday.

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LibraryThing member meblack19

This book is an extremely illustrated picture book that gives a more measured, stable, and historically correct version of what we know to be the Thanksgiving feast. There’s about five chapters of background information on the Wampanoag Indians, on colonization, diplomacy between Indians and

settlers, the harvest of 1621, and the evolution of the Thanksgiving story. After, we get a more realistic account of what the celebration was really like. The reader gets a great view of the Wampanoag side of the story as well. There’s great illustrative accompaniment of reenactments to aid the author’s argument. Though we see with this book that the Thanksgiving story most frequently told is closer to fiction than fact, the book does not detract from the historical importance of the holiday. I would not show this book to anyone younger than high school age; I’m afraid that if I did, it would be like telling a third grader there’s no such thing as Santa Clause or the Tooth Fairy. I, personally, liked this book, but because it borderline’s controversy, it must be taken into careful consideration what age is appropriate. This story would make for a great debate topic in high school as well.

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LibraryThing member Kgranit

I liked this book for a few reasons. For one, I liked the illustrations because they help students to gain an insight on different people and their traditions. While students may have a basic knowledge of Thanksgiving, this book shows a different perspective students may not be familiar with. By

incorporating real photographs, this book helps students to visually gain a better insight to their perspective. Also, I liked the writing because it was descriptive. The book explains Wampanoag language by describing, “the language also reflects the philosophy that all people in the Nation are connected.” Then, it goes on to give examples and explains. I also liked the organization of the book because it describes the history of Thanksgiving in respects to Wampanoag and common myths. Finally, I liked that this book included a timeline because this is beneficial for students who learn best from visuals. While I think this is a great book to add to a classroom, the text may be too challenging. I think a teacher would need to read this book aloud to the class or have it as an option for the accelerated fifth graders. The big message of 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving is to give students a different perspective of the history and traditions of Thanksgiving.

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LibraryThing member ekrzys1

SUMMARY: This book focuses on the Wampanoag Native Americans and how the English colonized their territory. It gives information on the Wampanoag's language, the harvest, the English colonizing, and foods that were present.

REVIEW: This book's central message is to provide information about the

history of Thanksgiving, focusing on the Wampanoag Native Americans. This book is lengthy and broken up into chapters, but it has beautiful photographs and drawings that accompany the large amount of text.

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LibraryThing member GEMaguire

This text provides an updated and more accurate view of the first "Thanksgiving". A collaborative effort between Plimoth Plantation and the National Geographic Society, this informational text provides a more realistic picture of the historical events of 1621 and the begining of the European

colonization of America. This book debunks many of the myths and legends recounted in history books and even in Plymouth Plantation. This text provides a voice for the Wampanoag people while illustrating the European vision of God's providence. Beautiful color photographs are used to illustrate and give life the text. The text allows the reader think and to look at an event from more than one perspective. Includes recipes, maps, chronology, and index.

Grades:3rd and up

Classroom use: Social Studie/History, Colonial and Revolutionary America, Native American, Thanksgiving

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LibraryThing member lycomayflower

This picture book was put together by the Plimouth Plantation living history museum and consists of long informative text blocks--about the Wampanoag people, the English settlers at what they called Plymouth, and the three-day feast shared by both cultures that forms part of the basis for the

American mythology around the Thanksgiving holiday--and photographs of a re-enactment of that three-day feast put on by the museum in the fall of 2000. Fascinating and informative book.

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LibraryThing member wichitafriendsschool

Countering the prevailing, traditional story of the first Thanksgiving, with its black-hatted, silver-buckled Pilgrims; blanket-clad, be-feathered Indians; cranberry sauce; pumpkin pie; and turkey, this lushly illustrated photo-essay presents a more measured, balanced, and historically accurate

version of the three-day harvest celebration in 1621.

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