Anne Hutchinson's Way

Anne Hutchinson's Way
by Jeannine Atkins
Illustrated by Michael Dooling

Genre: Historical Fiction
Interest Level: K-3
Reading Level: Q
Where to find this book: Winship School Library

Have you ever wondered what it was like to live in Boston 382 years ago? Anne Hutchinson's Way is a picture book that shows us not only what Boston looked like so long ago, but also gives us an idea of what it felt like to live here. In 1634, Boston was a small town of Puritans. Puritans were people who moved to America from England because they wanted to worship God in ways that were not accepted by the Church of England. Puritans arranged their whole lives in Boston, from their churches to their laws to their work, around a very strict interpretation of the Bible.

In Boston today, we have all kinds of different people. There are people of different races, from different countries, who speak different languages, and who have different religious beliefs. Boston was not like this in 1634. Puritans believed that in order to have a good community, everyone needed to be similar to one another. Everyone was from England, spoke the English language, and had the same religious beliefs. Except Anne Hutchinson. Anne Hutchinson had her own beliefs about God. She also had the courage to tell others in Boston about what she believed. The Puritans in Boston's government did not agree with Anne Hutchinson's beliefs. They did not think that people should have the freedom to decide their own beliefs about God. What would happen to Anne Hutchinson? Would she and her family be able to stay in Boston? Or would the Puritans force her to move away forever? Read Anne Hutchinson's Way to find out!

Anne Hutchinson's Way is a story told from the perspective of Anne's daughter, Susanna. I enjoyed reading about Puritan Boston from the viewpoint of children. In one illustration, Susanna is playing tag with the children of Governor John Winthrop. The illustrations also helped me to imagine more clearly what the streets of Boston looked like in the 1630s. This is not such an easy thing to do because the city was so very different back then.

I recommend that you read Anne Hutchinson's Way, but only after you have learned about the Puritans in class. If you have already learned about the Puritans, it is easier to understand Anne's experience in Boston.  

Bright Island

Bright Island
by Mabel Louise Robinson

Genre: Historical Fiction
Interest Level: Grades 5-8
Reading Level: V
Where to find this book: Boston Public Library

Thankful Curtis has lived her whole life on a small island off the coast of Maine. The Curtis family has lived there alone, farming the land for many generations. Thankful exuberantly swims in the cold ocean water every morning in spring, summer, and fall. She spends hours in her small sailboat she built with her grandfather. She helps her father in the hay fields and cutting wood. When Thankful's grandfather passed away, he left money enough for her to attend high school on the mainland. Her father wants her to learn "what a girl is for." But Thankful does not want to wear stylish girls' clothes and attend school away from Bright Island. She loves the only home she's ever known. Thankful attends a private academy for wealthy teenagers. Not only does she not know how (or even want) to dress like them, she doesn't even know how to act and talk like them. This becomes a problem at her school's first dance--she does not know how to dance! But it turns out that her rich classmates have a lot to learn from her too. To discover how Thankful survives her first year away from home at a school where everyone is different from her, read Bright Island.

I enjoyed reading about life on a Maine island in the early 1900s. Robinson describes the beautiful Maine coastal scenery in full detail. She describes an old-fashioned way of life with horse-powered farm machinery and wood stoves. If you like to read historical fiction about the coast of Maine, then you'll enjoy this Newbery Award-winning book!