James Towne: Struggle for Survival

by Marcia Sewall

This moving account of James Towne's difficult early years is told from the viewpoint of one of its settlers and enhanced by original quotations.
During the first summer of 1607, half the James Towne colony died; food was scarce, and the settlers battled oppressive heat and sickness. Over the next few years, supply ships from England became the colony's lifeline, as they brought much-needed stores of food and carried back offerings from the new land, as well as the settlers' homesick letters.
Conditions began to improve when Captain John Smith was elected president of the colony, and James Towne soon doubled in size. While some of the settlers had been reluctant to work, Smith required participation from all, and the colonists began to take pride in improving their conditions. Furthermore, by learning the native language and befriending a Native American girl named Pocahontas, Smith was able to establish, temporarily, an uneasy peace between the settlers and the natives whose land they had taken.
As new settlers began to arrive from England though, the resources of the budding colony were strained, and in the autumn of 1609 the colony suffered a Starving Time. Deciding to abandon James Towne at last, the colonists headed back toward England, only to have their journey intercepted by a messenger, who informed the settlers that new leaders sent by the King were due to arrive in the flailing colony any day, and urged them to return.
Not for long after their arrival, the discouraged James Towne colonists were met by a new governor and a ship full of healthy passengers with enough supplies and hope to work together to ensure James Towne's survival.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Picture Books, School, American

40 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2001

Reviews

[Holly Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sewall, M. (2001). James Towne: Struggle for survival. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Through the eyes of this fictional eighteen-year-old carpenter we learn of the hardships of the first settlers to Virginia back in 1607. The primary source quotations from the real settlers add historical depth to this succinct and well told story of the precarious beginnings of our nation.

Awards/Reviews: Booklist 06/01/01, Kirkus Reviews 05/01/01, Bulletin of the Center for, Children's Books 05/01/01, Library Talk 01/01/02, Horn Book 07/01/01, Wilson's Children 10/01/10

Curricular Connections: 8th grade first quarter Colonization of Americas

Personal Literature Connections: I used this book while a guide at Jamestowne primarily due to the connections with primary sources and the breath and depth of the story. It is a very accurate description put into plain English that young kids can understand. The pictures are also very true to the real Jamestown Island.

[Phil J · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one is pretty bad. It is written in a stilted "old fashioned" prose, and words like shallop and werowance are used without sufficient context. I don't know who this book is for, because if you have the skills to hack this prose, then you could be reading a much more advanced version of the story. Here is a sample

At long last we cleared the coast of England. Thence, sailing southerly, we stopped at the Canary Islands to refill our casks with water. The trade winds soon carried us on the the West Indies. For nineteen days, we explored those wondrous islands, ate exotic fruits and animals, and refreshed ourselves there. To our delight, Captain Newport boiled a piece of pork in bubbling hot spring water! (p. 8)

I teach sixth grade, and this paragraph would be gibberish to most of my students.

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exceptional (and fairly thorough) story of James Towne for kids. I appreciated the inclusion of journal entries. The artwork is excellent. This and the book The Story of Jamestown
(Part of the Cornerstones of Freedom Series) by Marilyn Prolman are my recommended readings on this topic. Great for homeschoolers or history loving families.

[Teri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than the typical, dry, grade school nonfiction. . . I appreciated the mention of the Lost Colony of Roanoke. We learned quite a lot from this thorough picture book. Pair this with Pocahontas Princess of the New World by Kathleen Krull and you've got some good reading!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one is nice...written in diary form. A decent read-aloud.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this to my kids to conclude our Jamestown unit. It gave us a lot of opportunities to discuss what we had learned and experienced.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

The use of primary sources is great, but also makes the story to narrow in focus.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a detailed and interesting book for all ages, about the settlement at Jamestown. Good for research with contemporary quotes, a list of characters and a glossary.

[Emily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of odd diary format - the first person narrator, an 18-year-old carpenter, is never identified by name, so it's unclear whether it's supposed to be a real person or a composite of several. Hits the important events and points from setting sail from England in December 1606 to June of 1610 when supply ships arrived at Jamestown after the starving winter.

I liked the short quotes from real firsthand accounts on each page. Some new vocabulary wasn't explained in the text, though there is a glossary at the end. Not convinced the illustrations, while vivid and colorful, are as accurate as in some other books.

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