I had no idea there were trees this large in New England back in the day. I mean, I guess it doesn't surprise me, I'd just never really thought about it before.

I read this book aloud to my children, and they loved hearing about how these huge trees were cut down to be used as masts on huge English ships. By the end of the book where they talked about how (*spoiler alert*) all of the giant trees had been cut down, my nine-year-old budding environmentalist daughter was in tears.

The illustrations were simple and lovely, and the story was engaging, at least to my kids (although based on the other reviews, my kids might be in the minority). ( )

Age level-7-10

FROM THE BOOK:
Giant pine trees, trees almost as big as the more famous redwoods in California, once covered all of New England. More than 250 feet tall and four feet wide, these trees filled the forests from Maine to New York. Prized for their lumber, most giant pines were branded as property of the king in pre-revolutionary New England and were often used as masts for the ships of the Royal Navy.