Poet, Pilgrim, Rebel: The Story of Anne Bradstreet, America's First Published Poet

by Katie Munday Williams, Tania Rex (Illustrator)

Overview

The inspiring story of a Puritan woman whose passion for writing poetry broke barriers.

Late at night, with her children tucked into bed and her husband away on business, Anne Dudley Bradstreet composed poems by candlelight. She let her thoughts from the day tumble out, memorizing each poem line by line before daring to shape the words onto scraps of scarce parchment. Puritan women in the 1600s weren't allowed to be writers. But when the world learned about Anne's poetry, even she was astonished by what happened next.

This charmingly illustrated picture book tells the inspiring story of how a Puritan woman overcame the obstacles facing women of her era to become one of the most famous poets in history. A gifted writer of deep faith, Anne Bradstreet blazed a trail for the rights of women to study, write, and achieve.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781506463063
Publisher:	1517 Media
Publication date:	08/03/2021
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	687,347
Product dimensions:	8.75(w) x 10.25(h) x 0.00(d)
Lexile:	AD690L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Katie Munday Williams is a nurse and writer who has long been drawn to the magic of picture books. She lives in Santa Cruz, California with her husband and two children. She is the great-granddaughter x 14 of Anne Bradstreet.

Tania Rex is a fine artist and children's book illustrator who has illustrated more than 15 books for publishers around the world. She lives in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Editorial Reviews

"Perfect for libraries wanting to beef up their picture book biographies collection, especially those looking for more titles about women authors." —School Library Journal

"An inspirational tribute! Katie Munday Williams's rich imagery and Tania Rex's engaging illustrations immerse readers in Anne's world. Poet, Pilgrim, Rebel introduces young readers to a new literary hero." —Rochelle Melander, teaching artist and author of Mightier Than the Sword: Rebels, Reformers, and Revolutionaries Who Changed the World through Writing

"Anne Bradstreet refused to be bound by the societal and physical challenges she faced during her life. Her story is a prime example of the power of words to transcend our lives." —Kristina A. Holzweiss, 2015 Scholastic School Librarian of the Year

"Katie Munday Williams masterfully threads historic facts throughout this well-written, beautifully illustrated story of one of America's true barrier breakers!" —Nancy Roe Pimm, author of Fly, Girl, Fly!

"Katie Munday Williams takes her readers on a beautiful journey of hope, strength, tenacity, and patience—all the traits we aspire for girls to have in order to dream big, even when the odds seem stacked against them." —Leila Kubesch, 2020 Ohio Teacher of the Year and National Finalist, 2020 National Toyota Family Teacher of the Year

"This important picture book celebrates Anne Bradstreet's courage to follow her heart, to let it sing, and the wisdom with which she blazed such a difficult trail. May her story inspire children everywhere to embrace the power of words and trust the pull of their dreams." —Rhett Iseman Trull, author of the poetry collection The Real Warnings, winner of the Anhinga Prize for Poetry, and editor of the poetry journal Cave Wall

From the Publisher

10/08/2021

Gr 2–5—Growing up, Anne Bradstreet loved reading and listening to poetry with her father. She knew she wanted to be a writer; but her Puritan faith frowned upon it, and there were strict rules against it. This picture book biography shares how Anne Dudley became Anne Bradstreet, who was the first person published in what later became the United States. The narrative touches on how the Puritans were ejected from England and came to the American colonies. Bradstreet's life was filled with hardship and love, which became reflected in her poetry. Eventually, her work became celebrated on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Back matter includes a time line of the subject's life, and an author's note stating that Bradstreet is one of her ancestors. The detailed illustrations are in simple, muted tones with pops of color to keep readers engaged. VERDICT Perfect for libraries wanting to beef up their picture book biographies collection, especially those looking for more titles about women authors.—Kristin Joy Anderson, Lewis Univ., Romeoville, IL

School Library Journal