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The Secret of the Sachem's Tree
The Wadsworth children must abandon their plans for Halloween mischief to help prevent the King's representative from taking away Connecticut Colony's charter.
64 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1972
About the author
F.N. Monjo
29 books4 followersF.N. Monjo. Ferdinand Nicolas Monjo (1924-1978) was a children's novelist and editor. After graduating from Columbia University, he worked in editorial positions at several major children's publishing companies, including Simon & Schuster's Golden Books and American Heritage's Junior Library.
His grandfather, also named F.N. Monjo, was an Arctic furrier.
His grandfather, also named F.N. Monjo, was an Arctic furrier.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 30, 2023
This could have been a delightful, historical children’s book, but it went wrong in so many ways.
The book is supposed to teach children about how the historical Charter Oak of Hartford, Connecticut got its name.
However, the story begins with two children picking out a pumpkin that they want to use to scare an elderly widowed woman who lives in the woods. She lost her husband in a war with Native Americans, their leader was called King Phillip. The story goes on to tell how they put the head of the Native American on a pike to show their victory. And how, even though the children don’t believe the widow is a witch, they still want to scare her in the hopes that she’ll leave.
Nice kids’ book.
But, wait, there’s more. The children’s father finds out what they plan to do with the pumpkin, and he tells them they can’t. He tells them while he drinks his beer and drinks his beer and drinks more beer. He’s basically drunk at the dinner table.
When Sir Edmund Andros shows up to revoke their charter, which allows them to own their own land, at the request of the king, the children’s father hides it in the oak.
This isn’t supposed to be a fairytale, it’s supposed to be an historical beginning reader’s book. WTH?
The book is supposed to teach children about how the historical Charter Oak of Hartford, Connecticut got its name.
However, the story begins with two children picking out a pumpkin that they want to use to scare an elderly widowed woman who lives in the woods. She lost her husband in a war with Native Americans, their leader was called King Phillip. The story goes on to tell how they put the head of the Native American on a pike to show their victory. And how, even though the children don’t believe the widow is a witch, they still want to scare her in the hopes that she’ll leave.
Nice kids’ book.
But, wait, there’s more. The children’s father finds out what they plan to do with the pumpkin, and he tells them they can’t. He tells them while he drinks his beer and drinks his beer and drinks more beer. He’s basically drunk at the dinner table.
When Sir Edmund Andros shows up to revoke their charter, which allows them to own their own land, at the request of the king, the children’s father hides it in the oak.
This isn’t supposed to be a fairytale, it’s supposed to be an historical beginning reader’s book. WTH?
March 20, 2015
gr 2-4 60pgs
1687, Hartford, CT. When the news reaches Hartford that the British are coming to take away Connecticut's charter (literally) and the freedoms they enjoy with it, the community works to find a way from stopping that from happening without angering the king.
reorder?
1687, Hartford, CT. When the news reaches Hartford that the British are coming to take away Connecticut's charter (literally) and the freedoms they enjoy with it, the community works to find a way from stopping that from happening without angering the king.
reorder?
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews