The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth…

The Witch of Blackbird Pond (1958)

by Elizabeth George Speare, Elizabeth George Speare

Other authors: See the other authors section.

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▾Member reviews

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Showing 1-5 of 114 (next | show all)

Summary: Teenager Kit Tyler has to move from her home in Barbados to live with her only remaining family, aunt and uncle, in Puritan Connecticut in 1687. She tries to understand the new way of life but has a hard time trying to fit in.

Personal Reaction: I’m still not sure how I feel about this story. The historical fiction was accurate regarding the witch trials, slavery and religion during that time period. Kit is a relatable character to any student that is new, feels out of place or anyone dealing with rumors.

Classroom Extension:

1) Have a lesson regarding rumors, how they spread and how they can ruin a reputation. Playing the game telephone.

2) Use this book as a segway into a lesson about the Salem Witch Trials. (

)

RosieBillings | Apr 24, 2013 |

Beautiful and powerful! I was taken aback by the story and characters! (

)

LaPhenix | Apr 5, 2013 |

Re-read after *mumblemumble* years. I found that I'd retained almost nothing about this book, so it was just like reading it for the first time. The thing that struck me most forcefully is how entirely human, real, and well-rounded all of the characters (with the possible exception of Goodwife Cruff) were. The story was lovely, if a bit too pat, and the illustrations were beautiful. (

)

satyridae | Apr 5, 2013 |

One of my all time favorites from my YA years. Still reread it every now and then because I love Kit, the heroine. (

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akmargie | Apr 4, 2013 |

Okay... So when I started reading this book, I was a bit worried about the utter hypocrisy of the early Puritans... I mean, how could a book about the most annoying Christian groups since the Jesuits be one of my mom's favorite books? (Or did the Jesuits come first?)

But wow! This was a really good book! The good characters were fabulous, there was just the right amount of the frustrating characters to get the point and not drive you batty... Plus there was a surprising amount of romance! Yay! I would definitely recommend this book! (

)

saraferrell | Apr 3, 2013 |

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▾Other authors

» Add other authors (7 possible)

Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Elizabeth George Speare	—	primary author	all editions	confirmed
Speare, Elizabeth George	—	main author	all editions	confirmed
Hurt, Mary Beth	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

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Is contained in

Newberry Award Winners, 5 Paperbacks in Boxed Set by Wiliam Pene du Bois

Has as a study

Shelf Discovery: The Teen Classics We Never Stopped Reading by Lizzie Skurnick

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▾Common Knowledge

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Series (with order)

Canonical title

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Original title

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Alternative titles

Original publication date

1958

People/Characters

Katherine (Kit) Tyler

Goodwife Cruff

Nathaniel (Nat) Eaton

Prudence Cruff

Hannah Tupper

(show all 18 items)

Important places

Connecticut, USA (British colony)

Blackbird Pond, Old Weathersfield, Connecticut, USA

The Great Meadows, Old Weathersfield, Connecticut, USA

The Cove, Old Weathersfield, Connecticut, USA

Important events

October 31, 1687 Gov. Andros went to Hartford to collect their colony's charter at the General Assembly while in session...The assembly continued their business until dark and when candles were lit with the mahogany box on the table (it contained the charter)

Related movies

Awards and honors

Newbery Medal (1959)

A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book (1959)

1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up (2009.0811|2009, Ages 12↑)

Epigraph

Dedication

First words

On a morning in mid-April, 1687, the brigantine Dolphin left the open sea, sailed briskly across the Sound to the wide mouth of the Connecticut River and into Saybrook harbor.

Quotations

"Still dazed, Hannah accepted the miracle and the prospect of a journey like a docile child. Then after two shaky steps she turned obstinate. She would not set foot in the boat without her cat."

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

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Publisher series

Peacock Books (2)

Puffin Story Books (327)

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Wikipedia in English (2)

File:The Witch of Blackbird Pond.jpg

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

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▾Book descriptions

Amazon.com Amazon.com Review (ISBN 0440995779, Mass Market Paperback)

Forced to leave her sunny Caribbean home for the bleak Connecticut Colony, Kit Tyler is filled with trepidation. As they sail up the river to Kit's new home, the teasing and moodiness of a young sailor named Nat doesn't help. Still, her unsinkable spirit soon bobs back up. What this spirited teenager doesn't count on, however, is how her aunt and uncle's stern Puritan community will view her. In the colonies of 1687, a girl who swims, wears silk and satin gowns, and talks back to her elders is not only headstrong, she is in grave danger of being regarded as a witch. When Kit befriends an old Quaker woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond, it is more than the ascetics can take: soon Kit is defending her life. Who can she count on as she confronts these angry and suspicious townspeople?

A thoroughly exciting and rewarding Newbery Medal winner and ALA Notable Children's Book, Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond brings this frightening period of witch hysteria to life. Readers will wonder at the power of the mob mentality, and the need for communities in desperate times--even current times--to find a scapegoat. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter

(retrieved from Amazon Thu, 14 Feb 2013 13:41:04 -0500)

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