My America Our Strange New Land: Elizabeth's Jamestown Colony Diary

( 1 )

Overview

Award-winning author Pat Hermes tells the story of Elizabeth Barker, whose family sails from Plymouth, England, to Jamestown, Virginia, in 1609. This book helps to relaunch the My America series.

In May 1607, 3 ships sailed up the James River in Virginia. In the riverbank marshes, they made land and hung the flag--England's flag--establishing the first permanent English colony in Jamestown, Virginia. In 1609, the first ship carrying women and ...

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More About This Book

Overview

Award-winning author Pat Hermes tells the story of Elizabeth Barker, whose family sails from Plymouth, England, to Jamestown, Virginia, in 1609. This book helps to relaunch the My America series.

In May 1607, 3 ships sailed up the James River in Virginia. In the riverbank marshes, they made land and hung the flag--England's flag--establishing the first permanent English colony in Jamestown, Virginia. In 1609, the first ship carrying women and children arrived.

After 71 days at sea, nine-year-old Elizabeth Barker is thrilled to be on dry land. Lizzie keeps a journal for Caleb, her twin brother who stayed in England because of his weak lungs. In her buoyant entries,Lizzie tells of the abundant forests, trading with and learning from the Indians, and adventures with her new friends.

Nine-year-old Elizabeth keeps a journal of her experiences in the New World as she encounters Indians, suffers hunger and the death of friends, and helps her father build their first home.

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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher
School Library Journal--August, 2,000

"Nine-year-old Elizabeth records her experiences as she, her family, and other colonists adjust to the harsh weather conditions, illness, endless hard work, and nascent social strata in the new land. In the course of three months, Elizabeth meets Captain John Smith, Pocahontas, Gabriel Archer, and George Percy. This is a quick, easy read. Hermes has created a sensitive main character and readers will empathize with her fears and emotions as she adjusts to her new life."
--Shawn Brommer, Souther Tier Library System, Painted Post, NY

Publishers Weekly
Now available in paperback, Scholastic's My America series gives primary-grade readers a firsthand feel for the events that shaped the nation. Our Strange New Land: Elizabeth's Jamestown Colony Diary by Patricia Hermes; Five Smooth Stones: Hope's Revolutionary War Diary by Kristiana Gregory; Freedom's Wings: Corey's Underground Railroad Diary by Sharon Dennis Wyeth; and My Brother's Keeper: Virginia's Civil War Diary by Mary Pope Osborne each inaugurate ongoing story lines. (May) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
School Library Journal
Gr 3-5-Resembling the "Dear America" books (Scholastic), these titles are aimed at a slightly younger audience. In the first book, nine-year-old Elizabeth records her experiences as she, her family, and other colonists adjust to the harsh weather conditions, illness, endless hard work, and nascent social strata in the new land. In the course of three months, Elizabeth meets Captain John Smith, Pocahontas, Gabriel Archer, and George Percy. This is a quick, easy read. Hermes has created a sensitive main character and readers will empathize with her fears and emotions as she adjusts to her new life. In My Brother's Keeper, nine-year-old Virginia Dickens is left in the care of Reverend and Mrs. McCully while her father and brother help her uncle hide his horses from the Confederate raiders. Her journal documents the battle at Gettysburg and the horrors of war. After the battle, she and her father find her brother in a makeshift hospital. The novel ends as the town slowly recovers and Virginia hears President Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. Osborne successfully creates individual characters, and she poses difficult questions about war and the waste of human life. There is a lyrical quality to several passages, and the author slowly builds suspense and release. However, this book seems more fitting for older, more experienced readers, and the intended audience may have difficulty digesting some of the material. Fans of "Dear America" will enjoy it.-Shawn Brommer, Southern Tier Library System, Painted Post, NY Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780439368988
  • Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
  • Publication date: 4/28/2002
  • Series: My America
  • Format: Mass Market Paperback
  • Edition description: Book 1
  • Pages: 112
  • Sales rank: 124,658
  • Age range: 7 - 10 Years
  • Product dimensions: 7.68 (w) x 5.38 (h) x 0.27 (d)

Meet the Author

Patricia Hermes was born in 1936 in Brooklyn, New York. An avid reader, she had time to practice both reading and writing when she came down with rheumatic fever, which left her stuck in bed for months. Hermes majored in speech and English at St. John's University, and taught junior high school English and social studies before taking time off to raise her five children. Returning to teaching after a number of years, she found it less satisfying than she'd remembered, and decided to try her hand at writing for publication. She took a class in writing nonfiction for adults; the teacher, Russell Freedman, would go on to win the Newbery Medal.

After publishing some articles, Hermes found the niche she'd been looking for: her first novel for young readers, What If They Knew?, was published in 1980. Hermes gave the main character in the book epilepsy, a problem she had dealt with herself as a child. Readers responded well to the believable situation, and over the years Hermes has continued to write stories featuring youngsters in difficult situations, so that readers can turn to her books knowing they are not alone. She has written more than 20 books for children and young adults.

Patricia Hermes lives in Connecticut, where she spends four hours of the day writing and the rest editing her work and answering letters. When she is not writing, she enjoys reading, running, music, traveling, horseback riding, and playing the piano.

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Customer Reviews

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Sort by: Showing all of 5 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 3, 2007

    Our Strange New Land

    Our Strange New Land is a great book! I really enjoyed this book. It is about a young girl, trying to live in Jamestown. Her brother, Caleb, was left in England because of his lungs. I would definitely recomend this book to anybody that loves history! =]

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 8, 2007

    Our Strange New Land

    When Elizabeth moves from England to Jamestown to discover a new world that should be amazing. But little does she know that this new land is a very hard place to live. Her brother doesn't make it on the same ship as her. Elizabeth makes new friends, and her mother has to face childbirth.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted December 8, 2005

    great book

    I love this book. Even though i got it when i was younger, I stil love Elizabeth and everyone. It is such good writing and is so real. I really like the book and however many times as I read it, i never get tired of it. It will be a favorite of mine for a long time.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 16, 2005

    Engaging Reading

    We picked up the three Elizabeth's Jamestown Colony Diary books in the gift shop while visiting Jamestown, VA. My eight year old daughter had been an extremely reluctant reader until she started book one, Our Strange New Land. She couldn't put the books down, even reading in the car and instead of watching TV!! She's actually upset that there are only three books in the series!! I highly recommend these books to encourage the joy of reading as well as for the historical perspective they provide our children.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted August 31, 2000

    A great story!

    This is a story about a young girl named Elizabth who journeys to Jamestown, Virginia with her family for a better life. She is sad that they had to leave Caleb, her twin brother at home, but quickly makes an new friend named Jessie. They quickly learn how bad the fort is with sickness and loss of food. They must learn many new things some sad and some good. She looks foward to the sping when Caleb is to join them in Jamestown! A good book for 8-12 year olds!

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