The Mayflower Adventure

American Adventure #1

by Colleen L. Reece

Twelve-year-old John and his sister Sarah accompany their parents on the Mayflower as it sails to the New World where they hope to enjoy freedom of worship.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Fiction, Christian, Historical, Middle Grade, Juvenile

144 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1998

About the author

COLLEEN L. REECE writes under the pen name Connie Loraine and is one of Heartsong's most popular authors. Colleen learned to read beneath the rays of a kerosene lamp. The kitchen, dining room, and her bedroom in her home near the small logging town of Darrington, Washington, were once a one-room schoolhouse where her mother taught all eight grades! An abundance of love for God outweighed the lack of electricity or running water and provided the basis for many of Colleen's 140+ books.

Her rigid "refuse to compromise" stance has helped sell more than 6 million copies that help spread the good news of repentance, forgiveness, and salvation through Christ. Colleen helped launch Barbour Publishing's Romance Reader flip books, the American Adventure series, and her own Juli Scott Super Sleuth Christian teen mystery series. In 1998 Colleen was inducted into the HeartSong Hall of Fame in recognition for her contribution to Heartsong's success.

Reviews

[Marlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the blurb: This is a "multi-generational story of a fictional family spanning three centuries of actual historical events. God's hand is seen at work in people's lives and in the events that shaped our nation."

This wonderful series is out of print, but I have spotted them on thriftbooks for a decent price.

It seems that part of the series was rebranded as a series for girls a few years ago. These copies may be easier to find, but I honestly find the rebranding unfortunate. My friend's young son got me into reading this series years ago, and I thought it was so great that the series featured boys and girls and so could be enjoyed equally by both genders.

https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/maggies...

[cloudyskye · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm certainly not the targeted age group, but I couldn't resist, having visited and thoroughly enjoyed and never forgotten Plimoth Plantation, the museum, years and years ago.
Written for children, this is about the background, how and why these English people first left England for Holland and then Holland for the New World, in order to find the freedom to worship God according to their understanding and conscience. It is about their difficulties and deprivations on a long, stormy and dangerous voyage, arriving not in Virginia as planned but in rather inhospitable New England. The story ends with the Mayflower Compact.
It starts a little slow, and there is a slightly modern "feel" about the way the children talk. But not bad, quite an easy read. Who knows, I might try the next one in the series, too.

[Marius B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've really been wanting to go on a reread of these for what seems like ages, and now I've officially begun!

Set in 1620, The Mayflower Adventure chronicles the journey of the Smythe family,
-of their having to leave England years before the beginning of the main story in the face of religious persecution, and the dangers they faced in doing so,
-of their leaving Holland for further religious freedom and the trials that were included,
-of their harrowing journey across the Atlantic,
-and of their reaching the New World.

Although fictional, the Smythe family is written-to-be-real/well-written. You follow the views of the two Smythe children - John (12) and Sarah (10) - who, although they lead very different lives from kids today, go through many similar things such as John's struggle with obedience and Sarah's tendency to worry and not trust in God.

Historical figures involved in the story include John Carver, William Brewster, William Bradford, and Miles Standish.

Up next in the series: Plymouth Pioneers (The American Adventure #2)

[Natalie Votipka]

Great little historical fiction book. It’s cheesy in parts - it’s not among the great works of literature - but it’s engaging, educational, and fairly realistic. It was a bit slow to start but managed to convey why the Pilgrims would undertake such an arduous voyage and the harrowing challenges of life aboard the Mayflower (that’s when the plot gets exciting). It’s a quick read for good readers (but is simply written enough for weaker readers) and I have high hopes for the rest of the series.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this children's story! I didn't think I could enjoy yet another story about early America but this one surprised me. It's engaging and well written. I'm looking forward to reading more about John and Sarah's adventures.

[C · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mayflower Adventure is a story about two siblings who go as Pilgrims on the Mayflower to live in the New World. They must leave all their friends, behind endure bad food and stale water, ridicule from the crew, terrible storms, and sea sickness to become pioneers in a new world.

[Leah Rosen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by how historically accurate this book was. It was a great way to introduce my young children to American history and provoked many conversations about religious freedom snd the values our country was founded upon.

[LAMONT D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe we have the complete set of the original series. I read the first book again to gauge if my granddaughter would enjoy. I am crossing my fingers that she will since it tells such an important part of our history starting with the Mayflower voyage from the eyes of a 12- and 10-year-old.

[Daniel Gaul · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thrilling account of the Mayflower's journey from a kid's POV

[Katelin Krystowiak · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned more from this than any textbook on the subject as a child. Kids loved it when I read it out loud to them too.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read aloud with my kids. They all enjoyed it and kept asking for more. Excited to make history come alive for us!

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my favorite book series as a kid. I read them so much that the spines broke. They're fairly historically accurate, so they're perfect for any child with an interest in history (or the United States). The reading level is around 9 years old, if I remember correctly, but I loved them so much that read them well beyond that.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

First reading as an adult. It's not what I expected and rather tedious. I will continue the series, at least for a couple more books, but I wish this had had more solemnity and recognition for how historic these events were. It's mostly just about the kids' experiences and not how that relates to history.

[Lukasz Wertel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. I did not like it as much as my other advisory books, because it was short, and there wasn't that much action. The book was descriptive, and I liked that it used a lot of adjectives, but I would not recommend it to people older than 10.

[Sierra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has tons of info in it.

[Anna Lienau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book for young readers looking for a historical fiction. Easy read that the series continues for long time!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Back when I was 12, or somewhere thereabouts, I read this entire series aloud to my younger brothers. Good memories! :) I also read the series to myself multiple times.