READING LEVEL: 5.3 AR POINTS: 7.0
(Ages 9-10, grades 5-6)

I can't think of a more fun way for young people to learn about America's history than through historical novels. Elisa Carbone has an awesome, easy writing style. She has researched extensively into the historical records of James Town to write such a wonderful treasure. At the beginning of each chapter, she has included a short snippet from original records, and, at the back of the book, she has included all of the sources used. In "Author's Note", she explains which parts of the book are real and which are not. Perfect for young readers. I loved it and will be looking forward to reading book 2, "Poison in the Colony: James Town 1622".

Set in 1606-1610 in James Town, Virginia, this story is told in the first person by eleven-year old orphaned Samuel Collier, of England, who was trying to retain something of his mom after her death. He broke into a shop and stole back her necklace, but was caught and thrown into the brig. The magistrate had pity on him, being so young, and sent Samuel to an orphanage instead. There, he remained in trouble, so he and another young boy were chosen to be servants on board the first schooner headed to the New World. Samuel was to serve as a page under Captain John Smith.

Their mission? Per King James's permission, they were hired and chartered out of the Virginia Company to find a new passage to the Orient (China and India), to avoid purchasing from the Turk’s who demanded gold prices for paltry products. They were to explore for gold, silver and jewels, and to cut down trees from the New World to ship back to England to build English houses for a great profit. They were also to search for any survivors at the Roanoke colony, who had sailed to Virginia 20 years earlier with Sir Walter Raleigh and gone missing. Most importantly they were to bring "Christianity" to the New World.

I learned a few things here. John Smith wasn't a popular person among the useless, pompous and rich "gentlemen" that traveled with him to the New World. He was only a commoner who they were constantly trying to have killed and out of the way. And the rumor about him having an affair with Pocahontas is completely unfounded. There is not one shred of evidence recorded anywhere. Only Hollywood and Disney could turn it into a romance. She was apparently only a child...maybe 10 years old. She was the daughter of Chief Powhatan, who aided the new settlers for a while. Apparently, Chief Powhatan adopted Captain John Smith as a son and one now belonging to the Powhatan’s. John called him father, so Pocahontas looked upon John Smith as a father figure as well. The Powhatan's saved the colony through some terrible winters because of John Smith's relationship with the Powhatan's.

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RUMORED FAMILY CONNECTION TO POCAHONTAS:
My husband’s mother once claimed that she heard they were directly related to Pocahontas. This has only been a rumor from many years ago. I have not dug that deep into his family tree, and I’m not even sure exactly which line it would follow beginning on his mother’s side. But, encase I ever do get this far back on the Pinnell/Stephens family tree, here is basic info provided on Pocahontas by this book: Pocahontas married John Rolfe in 1614 and had one son, Thomas Rolfe. Pocahontas died in 1617 when she became ill while in England. She is buried at St. George's Parish Church in Gravesend, England. ( )

An enjoyable account of the early years of Jamestown from a child's perspective. Carbone shows the tenuousness of the early settlement and both the good and bad of the English settlers. Alongside this we get a look into the culture of Powhatan's empire and see friendships that grew between the two groups despite the situation. It's an interesting look at the actions and interactions of individuals compared to the groups of which they are members. It makes me wonder if there is any scenario in which Europeans arriving in the Americas wouldn't have been a disaster for the people already living here. ( )

Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone is a rich and intriguing historical fiction book about one of the first settlements in the New World. I liked seeing the way the story showed us what this new settlement meant for the native people and the settlers. This book really brought the scene to life and, after reading the author’s note, it was interesting to learn that the characters mentioned in the story are true to history. Anyone who enjoys reading about history will enjoy this book. It would be a challenging book for most kids that are younger than fifth grade, but if they are interested in the time period and they read it with an adult, they will probably be as fascinated as I was. Samuel really grew throughout the story and it was great to see the lessons he learned. This would be a wonderful read for people who are interested in seeing the start of our nation unfold before them. A book you will learn from! ( )

Blood on the River tells the story of an orphaned pre-teen, Samuel, who gets sent to the New World as the page to Captain John Smith. The tale details what it was like to be a founder of the Jamestown colony. It shows the hardships, gives insight to the politics that went on between the rich gentlemen and the common workers, and also gives great perspective on the relationship between the colonists and the Native Americans. At one point Samuel lives with a tribe of Native Americans and they become his friends. As a reader you get to understand the complexities of surviving in the New World.This book definitely brings the settlement of Jamestown to life for young readers. ( )

I love historical fiction so I'm an easy sell on this book. Unfortunately this book does not have the same punch as a book like Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen so I had to give it a lower rating. I do highly recommend it for teachers who like to assign books to their students. Every student studies the colonial period and this book helps bring to life the story of he founding of Jamestown.

The story is told from the perspective of Samuel Collier, who was formally a boy living on the streets in England and then in an orphanage. He and another orphan are sent to start the Virginia Colony along with Reverand Hunt from the orphanage. He is chosen by Captain John Smith to be his page because Smith knows he will be a hard worker, unlike the wealthy men on the trip who have never had a day of hard work in their lives.

Kids love reading about tragedy, especially when it really happened. Here's some of the tragic moments in the book: long, grueling voyage across the ocean; drought that made growing crops a crapshoot; constant threat from attack by the natives; lack of food; infighting among the leaders (the wealthy men did not like the commoners); cold winters.

What I liked
I thought the author did a good job of depicting the relationship between the natives and the Englishmen. It was a love/hate relationship because they each had something the other wanted. John Smith knew the native ways from when he visited with the Roanoke Colony. He was the only one who could keep the peace. The gentrified men in the colony thought the natives were savages and didn't want to befriend them. This caused constant friction between the gentlemen and John Smith. They tried to get him arrested time and again. As the author tells it, the gentlemen's attitude is the cause for the attacks by the natives.

What I didn't like
I know this book is written for kids, but I don't think the author did enough to evoke a sense of just how dire the situation really was. I did not feel the desperation. The horrible starving winter of 1609 when colonists literally had no food was only mentioned in the afterword. In fact, there was so much left for the afterword that I felt this book needed a sequel. This is such a compelling story on its own. Something is missing that could have made this book a standout in children's literature. The emotional connection is not there. That's a major disappointment for me, but still a great reading choice for history buffs. ( )