Module 4 - The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Summary

This book takes place in the 1800's.  Kit, after growing up wealthy, decides to move in with her aunt and cousins that she has never met.  She moves from Barbados to Connecticut.  It takes a bit to adjust to a life where she is required to work and help her new family.   Eventually Kit befriends an old widowed woman that the community feels is a witch.  She enjoys spending time with the elderly woman and one of the little girls that lives in the community, although both relationships must be kept secret.  

Bibliographic Citation

Spear, E. (1972). The witch of blackbird pond.  Random House Chidrens Publisher.  

Personal Impressions

I love that I was not able to easily predict what would happen in this story.  I also enjoyed having a strong female character, especially in the 1800's.  This book is a great example of a classic as it is still a great read. 

Reviews

Common Sense Media 

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/witch-blackbird-pond

Well-developed characters and detailed descriptions of life within the town capture and sustain the reader's interest throughout the novel. Coming from a more permissive modern society, many readers will empathize with Kit's unsuccessful attempts to suppress her independent nature, and will find her failure to conform to such a restrictive society endearing. Speare addresses Kit's inner thoughts and emotions frequently throughout the novel, making her a believable and sympathetic character. Though some of the minor characters are stereotypical Puritans, the complex nature of many of the more prominent Puritan characters, particularly those within Kit's family, is gradually revealed.

Passages describing the daily life in a 17th century Puritan colony are particularly interesting. From required behavior in church and the punishments meted out to disobedient children, to the daily chores of the women of Kit's household, readers are given a glimpse of what life was like over 300 years ago. But as charges of witchcraft mount, the novel becomes a real page-turner, and many will find it hard to put down.

  

What families can talk about

Families can talk about the historical realities of religious life in colonial America and might even enjoy researching the infamous Salem witch trials, which took place several years after the fictional events in this book. Why are the Puritans in the story so quick to level charges of witchcraft against those who share different values than they do? How is Kit's daily life in the colonies different than her lifestyle in Barbados? How is being a woman today different than being a woman in the 1600s?

  

This review was written by Jennifer Docherty. 

Elementary Library Uses

This is a great way to discuss freedoms we have here in America.  It would also be a fantastic fictional story to use as a read aloud during a study of the Salem Witch Trials.