Module 4: The Witch of Blackbird Pond: Written by Elizabeth George Speare

Book Summary: 


Kit Tyler travels to America to live with her Aunt Rachel. It is a far cry from her home in Barbados. She becomes friends with Hannah Tupper, who is said to be a witch and lives by the pond. Going against her Uncle's wishes, she continues to be friends with her and ends up getting into trouble with the authorities there.


APA Reference: 


Speare, E. G. (1958). The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Boston : Houghton Mifflin Company.


My Impressions: 


I loved this book. Along with being suspenseful, it tells the story of what it was like to live in Puritanical times in early America. When Kit begins to teach a little girl to read using her own reader and her book gets found at Hannah Tupper's house, who is said to be a witch. Hannah had been rescued and taken out of the town, but Kit stays behind to help her cousin, who is ill. After the book is found, Kit is accused of being a witch, too, and no one is there to rescue her...

Professional Review: 


"Although sixteen- year- old Kit Tyler first appeared in 1958 and she lived in Connecticut Colony in the late seventeenth century, her story is still meaningful for today’s teens. Left almost penniless after her grandfather’s death, impulsive and often headstrong, Kit is forced to leave her home in Barbados. She sails on the Dolphin for Connecticut where her aunt and uncle reside. Their home is in the bleak Puritan town of Wethersfield. The Wood family, Matthew and Rachel and their two daughters Mercy and Judith, take Kit in, but life is so very difficult. For Kit, accustomed to a life of luxury and ease, the never ending, back breaking chores are hard to accept. The strict, rigid Puritan form of worship is also acutely restrictive. Her only solace is her growing friendship with an old Quaker woman, Hannah Tupper. Even though her uncle forbids her to see Hannah, Kit disobeys and continues to visit whenever she can. Hannah is an outcast and considered by many in the town to be a witch. Eventually this results in disaster, however, Kit remains true to her independent, brave and compassionate nature. As a Newbery Medal winner, this title should be available in every collection. It is certain to be enjoyed by girls who need reassurance and guidance to remain true to themselves. 2011 (orig.1958), Sandpiper/Houghton Mifflin Publishing Company, $6.99. Ages 11 to 14."

Firth, S. (2011). [Book review of the book The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare]. Children's Literature Independent Information and Reviews. Retrieved from Children's Literature Database via Ebscohost:  http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2378/cgi-bin/member/search/f?./temp/~GcqEDP:12

Library Uses:

In reading this book to a group of students, I would follow the reading with a discussion about the issues of the day, such as  witchcraft and the Salem Witch Trials. If possible, with a short historical film commenting on that unfortunate time period. We would discuss some of the pitfalls of judging others with different life styles. If anyone wants to, we can share times in which we felt we had to conform to the expectations of others rather than be ourselves for fear of being judged.