Sarah's New World: The Mayflower Adventure

Reviewed by Sara McGinn (age 9) for Reader Views (9/08) "Sarah's New World" by Colleen L. Reece is a story about Sarah, a 10-year-old girl, and her journey aboard The Mayflower. She and the other passengers aboard The Mayflower are almost sunk at sea and they struggle with not having enough to eat. There is also lots of illness on the ship that makes the trip really hard. This book was exciting and interesting. The author did a great job making me feel like I was on board the ship with Sarah! My favorite part of the book is when they finally find land and discover it's really New England. It seemed like they would never find land! I also learned what life was like back then and what it was like to be a kid on board The Mayflower. Their days depended on the weather. If the weather was good, they could go one the top deck and watch the crew work. If the weather was stormy, they huddled together below deck. There really wasn't much they could do at all! I also learned that women had less freedom than men back then. That surprised me! I liked "Sarah's New World" by Colleen L. Reece, but it seemed like it was less about Sarah and more about Sarah's brother, John. There were also some confusing words in this book, so I think it's better for 10-12 year-olds than 8-12 year-olds.

My 9 year old (3rd grade) daughter is devouring this series. She says they are riveting and she can't put them down. We went to Washington DC on Spring Break and she kept making comments on things (from history) that she had learned in these books. So, they are exciting and educational. She loves the Christian perspective too. She is up to #13.

Hello, I'm StoryMaker. On Valentine's Day, my Mom got me this book - Sarah's New World, a Mayflower book in the christian "Sisters in Time" series. It's a good story about a girl named Sarah Smythe - no, wait, it's not about Sarah Smythe. For the most part, it (despite the title) centers around her older brother, John. Anyway, in it, the Smythe family become pilgrims going to America, the New World, so they can worship the Lord Almighty in a biblical way. You see, at the time, people didn't always worship God the right way. The church did some things which did not always match up with what the Bible says and what God wants. Originally, the Smythes escaped that problem by moving to Holland a decade ago, but it seems like that isn't going to work anymore. So, they go to America. Sarah is not too enthusiastic about leaving her friends...her home...her life behind, but John and her try to trust God, and not lose faith - and eventually make the New World their home. I have to say, this is a good story, even if John is the main character rather than Sarah. In fact, I think I might like it more this way. I mean, I AM a girl, but I don't exactly fancy stories being all girly and stuff. Even if YOU don't agree, I hope you will enjoy that this book has lots of history and is very christian. It has characters who try to be good, but don't always succeed - just like real people often are. I'm not so sure it's the absolute best book in the world, but it is very biblical and historical, and also provides a pretty good story with nice characters while it's at it. (Random: When I first saw the picture on the front, I was sure it was a photo. However, after examining it, I discovered it was probably just a really good painting. Congratulations to the one responsible for painting it!) Overall, this is a good book for any christian kid studying Mayflower times. Either buy it or get it from the library if you're interested. Signed, StoryMaker. "Gotta trust the kid's review!"

Good story based on an accurate reflection of the times. I like this series because they usually include other siblings, including a boy's point of view. In this story, the sister does "take a back seat" in the action because of the time in which she lived. However, she is presented as mature and smart, while her brother is a bit of a hothead. In "Lydia the Patriot", another in the series, the brother is more reasonable than his sister. I think the author is balanced in presenting male and female roles and treating her characters as individuals who are dealing with the circumstances of their times. This series is great overall.

this is a great book . not just for kids, for all ages. great overall