The Witch of Blackbird Pond Book Description

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

This book is recommended for readers in fourth grade and up.

Book Summary:
When Kit Tyler, of sunny Barbados, arrives in the Puritan Connecticut Colony in 1687, it is immediately apparent that she does not fit in. Her dresses are too expensive and too colorful, and she is too outspoken and impulsive. She can swim, she teaches the school children to read by acting out plays, and she befriends an old Quaker woman who lives outside of town. Does that make her a witch?

Book Review:
This is an excellent book that brings to life the austere expectations of Puritan life. Any reader who has ever visited a place with different cultural expectations will relate to Kit's struggle to fit in to her new life in Connecticut. The book alludes to some complex issues, including politics, slavery, and religion's role in the culture of the time period, but its focus is about relationships between the memorable, richly-drawn characters.

Also by this author: The Sign of the Beaver

Book Advisory Information: Please note that while accusations of witchcraft are an important part of the plot, the book does not promote or depict witchcraft. There are frequent religious references.