Product Description

This ongoing series introduces our country's history to young readers in an appealing picture-book format. Clear, simple texts combine with informative, accurate illustrations to help young people develop an understanding of America's past and present.

The New Americans is the story of the colonists -- the more than two hundred thousand new Americans -- who came over from Europe and struggled to build a home for themselves in a new world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #177393 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07-01
• Released on: 2004-06-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 48 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780060575724
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
Grade 2-5?An excellent, evenhanded account of European immigration to North America during Colonial times. In clear language, the Maestros explain this often confusing part of American history. They take readers from the French explorers of the early 1600s, to the arrival of the Pilgrims in 1620, to 1689, when the European population here numbered over 200,000. With beautifully rendered full-color illustrations that are well labeled, this book will leave students with a glimpse of how greedy some settlers were, how religious intolerance played an important role in establishing certain settlements, how hostilities were bound to grow between Europeans and natives, and how the struggle for this continent had only just begun. An "Additional Information" page includes historical tidbits (such as information on the first woman lawyer in the colonies and the founding of Harvard College) and is followed by a fact sheet on "Exploration and Explorers: 1634-1685." This is a fine work that will be well used and create a lot of interest. Other titles to be used in conjunction with it include Sarah Howarth's Colonial People and Colonial Places (both Millbrook, 1994) and Lucille Recht Penner's The Pilgrims at Plymouth (Random, 1996).?Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 3^-5, younger for reading aloud. From the Maestro's American Story series, which began with The Discovery of the Americas (1991), this volume discusses the colonial era up to 1680. As in the first book, large-scale illustrations in watercolor and colored pencil provide panoramic views of places as well as pictures of people and their activities. The easily digestible text describes the development of the colonies, particularly in New England and New France, and the interaction of colonialists with Native Americans. The book devotes several double-page spreads to the Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay colonies; other areas receive more cursory treatment. For instance, Jamestown's only significant mention is in conjuction with the arrival of slaves. That lapse aside, this attractive oversize book will still have plenty of appeal for youngsters, especially given the dearth of well-illustrated American history books on school and public library shelves. Carolyn Phelan

From Kirkus Reviews
This entry, fourth in The American Story series (third chronologically), covers colonization by the English, Dutch, French, and Spanish, as well as the displacement of the Native Americans, brings in the Pilgrims, Puritans, the beginnings of the Triangle Trade, and comments on the shifting patterns of alliances and warfare between Europeans and native peoples. The author, perhaps inevitably, has to jump around to cover such complex subjects in the limited space of (essentially) a picture-book format, but she is aided by the illustrator's gorgeous maps and illustrations. Also compensating for the lack of narrative flow is the warts-and-all coverage, which puts all cultures on an equal historical footing. As a starting point for research, the quick explanations of many different topics will be useful, and the index and additional back matter will give readers direction in pursuing fuller coverage on a variety of topics. (maps, index) (Nonfiction. 6-10) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

Another Great Maestro Text!
Maestro covers the period of Colonialization in an inclusive manner. I feel that she did an excellent job of including multiple perspectives of all people involved in the colonization period. Native Americans and their interaction with European settlers are highlighted on most every page of the book. The colorful pictures and maps help to guide the reader to a better understanding of the period. Like the other two Maestro text it is quite comprehensive. It could easily be used to replace the traditional textbook. But I find that since it is so comprehensive, I probably wouldn't use it with the Exploration & Conquest text because of the length of each.

Great Series!
I came across one book by Betsy Maestro "The Discovery of the Americas" and I loved it. The text is simple and the illustrations are great. It is historically accurate as well, a must in my checklist. I didn't realize she also wrote the historical series "You Wouldn't Want to..." They are my favorite!! I recommend all of her books, especially for teachers.

This is a great book to read for the 4th of July!

I like it, but with a caveat
I got this book for my 8 year old son. The graphics are beautiful and the story is thorough in its telling of the American story, perhaps too thorough for his age group. My son is still learning the details of what happened to form this country on a grand scale. He wasn't quite ready for the details that are included in this book. Other children who already have a good grasp on American history would be ready for more details, however, and may not agree with this assessment. So all in all it is a very good book. I think the "picture book" quality of the book is beguiling. I'm thinking now that the text is great for my 11 year old, while the art work is a feast for the eyes for my younger children.