Roanoke: The Mystery of the Lost Colony

by Lee Miller

The lost colony of Roanoke is one of America's oldest and most intriguing historical mysteries.

The lost colony of Roanoke is America's birthplace and one of America's oldest mysteries. What makes this book unique is that every clue furnished by primary documents is treated as evidence. It answers the three questions essential to solving the mystery: Why were the lost colonists lost? Where did the lost colonists go? Why were the lost colonists never recovered?

The answers come from the clues the colonists themselves left and are startling:
* The colonists were not lost because of bad luck or a shortage of food, but because they were sabotaged! (cont.)

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History, Mystery, Native American

112 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Margie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The lost colony of Roanoke is an intriguing chapter in American history because no one has ever solved the mystery of how 115 colonists, including the first English baby born in North America, Virginia Dare, could disappear without a trace. As far as American history goes, you might say it is our first cold case.

Lee Miller has packed a lot of detail in this middle grade book, including original drawings and beautiful watercolors of the flora, fauna and native Americans of the area, done by one of the Roanoke colonists. This fascinating tale could be well utilized in a fifth grade American history class.

As to the beautiful original artwork in the book, it was created by John White who was hired by Sir Walter Raleigh as the official artist of the expedition. White was also the grandfather of Virginia Dare and the only colonist to make it back to England to try to organize supply ships for the struggling colony.

The book mainly delves into why the colony was set up on Roanoke in 1587 (the colonists had planned to settle farther north in the Chesapeake Bay area) and tells of the multiple failed attempts to rescue the colony which quickly ran out of supplies.

Lee Miller surmises that dirty politics (nothing changes!) and a quest for power and money as well as revenge against Sir Walter Raleigh all played into the failure of the Roanoke colony. According to Miller's theories, the colonists were doomed before they ever set foot on ship, let alone on Roanoke.

As to the mystery of what happened to the colonists, we are likely never to know, although Lee Miller presents several interesting and plausible theories which have been investigated in the 400 plus years since the colony disappeared. If you would like to read about the mystery in more detail, Miller has also written an adult book on the subject, "Roanoke: Solving the Mystery of the Lost Colony."

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published in 2007 by Scholastic Nonfiction.
Suggested for readers grades 9-12.

I've read my fair share of articles about the lost colony of Roanoke. They all have a similar story line. They tell the story from the colonists' point of view. And why wouldn't you tell it that way? It's a compelling story when it is told that way.

If you are not familiar with the story. Roanoke was England's first serious attempt to put a colony in the New World. It originally had a duel purpose. The first was simple enough. Sir Walter Raleigh had legal claim to the land as part of an inheritance, but only if he could establish a permanent colony on it by 1591. It was an immense piece of property, if he could keep it. It would have included all of the North American coast north of Spanish Florida and south of Newfoundland.

The second purpose of the colony was to provide a protected port to allow English ships to attack Spanish galleons full of gold, silver and other riches. The barrier islands of North Carolina looked like a perfect fit.

But, Raleigh was not allowed to supervise the colony because...

Read more at: https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2020...

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

rating: 3.5

This is described as "juvenile literature, nonfiction," but it's suitable for any reader who isn't familiar with Roanoke yet wants an overview. Quite a few chapters are devoted to the British political intrigue that contributed to the failure of the colony. I found it interesting, but it would be beyond the scope (or interests) of most young readers.

support materials: map, 'cast' of characters, timeline, source notes, index

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great read! My children and I read this aloud to accompany our homeschool unit study on early American history. It was so intriguing that we finished it in just a day. The author provides far more background and insight than other sources we've studied. She also does a good job weaving in the real people who played significant roles in this true story.

[Duckpondwithoutducks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was very interested to find out the author's theory as to what happened to the colony on Roanoke Island, as I love real-life historical mysteries. But, the whole middle section describing Elizabethan politics seemed extraneous and only somewhat relevant to the matter being discussed. You had to wade through a lot of extraneous information to get to her theory that the settlers were dispersed among the various native tribes living in North Carolina.

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think I'm ever going to be satisfied with a book about the lost colony. It's a fascinating story, but since there's no evidence about what happened to the men and women left at Roanoke Island, there's not much of a story to tell. Any good story can only sift though what little is known and come up with theories. No one will ever know for certainty if they lived or died. This book focuses on the several expeditions to scout out the area, the landing of the settlers, and John White's frustrating attempts to get back there. It took him five years to get back and by then the colony was gone. I found the material interesting, but doubtful that kids will.

[Melissa Ganka-Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome!! I love reading about history but don't really have the attention span for long boring non-fiction books, so I stick with concise middle-grade or condensed versions. This book was well written and easy to follow. It included all of the details surrounding the mystery of the missing colony supported with quotes, illustrations, and sources. I recommend it for anyone age 9-adult.

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This YA version made me want to read the adult book. It also has gorgeous illustrations!

[Meghann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy a good history mystery. This was a simple exploration of the events surrounding the Lost Colony of Roanoke.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was hoping for a little more info about the Colony. Overall very interesting read. The "accidents" along the way was very intriguing!

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gee, whiz.
Yet another area of my education full of faults.
This was very interesting, and I put the adult version of the book on hold.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book along with Lisa Klein's Cate of the Lost Colony (a fairly recent YA novel) because the author mentioned that Lee Miller's book was one of the sources she used in her research. I was very glad that I had! This book is very well written snd informative, and is crammed full of pictures, drawings, and excerpts from documents related to the "lost" colony of Roanoke. Klein's book talked of the drawings of John White; this book shows you many excellent examples of them. Miller's text also helped to flesh out many of the things that were going on behind the scenes in Klein's novel, giving a more complete picture of what was going on to the reader than the characters of the novel necessarily knew. This book does not at all read like a "boring history book" but rather like a story book itself. Readers are encouraged to take the evidence that Miller offers and figure out who is behind the various things that happened in connection to the colony and why. It is probably more appropriate for older children, especially those who have learned about Roanoke at school or elsewhere, because much of the political machinations of the court of Elizabeth I would go right over the heads of younger children. Miller's book does, in addition, offer a more satisfying answer to the mystery than most current textbooks seem to.

[Angela Hutchinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about the colonists that disappeared off of Roanoke Island during the time Spain and England were fighting over the new found land. Sir Walter Raleigh, John White, Queen Elizabeth,King James of Scotland, expeditionist, pirates, and many more are portrayed in this book. John White takes 116 colonists to the island of Roanoke and leaves them their so that he can return to England and get supplies because the trip was rigged to be a failure. After many years of trying to return to the Roanoke Island, he finally made it back many years later to discover that the entire colony had vanished with only one sign "Cro." He tried to get the Captain to take him to Croatoan but the hurricanes were whipping and the captain returned to England. John White was never heard from again and Sir Walter Raleigh made other attempts to find John White's lost colony. This would be a great book to have in the classroom for students to read for extracurricular or could be used when studying about early America and world history.

[Charlynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

In 1587, an expedition of British colonists left for the New World, determined to settle in the Chesapeake Bay area. Instead, their efforts were thwarted, and they were marooned without supplies on Roanoke Island, the site of a former British fort where trust with the local Indians was broken. Despite numerous rescue missions, the lost colonists were never seen again, sparking a great historical mystery. A bestselling author and anthropologist, Miller uses original source material, illustrations by John White – leader of the lost colonists and the only member of the voyage to return to Britain, and present day photos of the North Carolina coast to weave together the Roanoke story. Rather than offering supposition about the historical figures' feelings, Miller poses many questions to her readers, encouraging them to infer for themselves. The text is supplemented by an historical cast list, an index, source notes, and a time line.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

What happened to the colonists left on Roanoke Island in 1587? Miller’s nonfiction book is a fun read in that she presents a mystery and asks young readers to help solve it. One of the many books I read in preparation for a trip to Roanoke Island, this was the only book to propose that treachery and murder might have led to the colonists’ abandonment. It’s an interesting and possible theory, but there’s not enough evidence to prove it. Nevertheless, Miller’s ideas made me think differently/ponder alternate possibilities as I sat through the “Lost Colony” play on the island and read novels about the colonists.

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grim fortune and fierce struggles for missing colonists sabotaged from far away England. Children's version but fascinating reading.True story about Sir Walter Raleigh funded expedition to America constantly undermined.Prints of beautiful drawings by its only survivor and his ill fated attempts to rescue them.

[Dayna Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written account of the lost colony and what might have happened to the colonists who disappeared there. The research is impeccable and the pictures are both historical and lovely. A great introduction to early American history using one of the strangest and most baffling mysteries of the time.

[Mindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good book. I actually found it at a book fair at my son's school and was intrigued by it. I came home that night, laid in bed and read it cover to cover. It was the first non-fiction that I had read. I don't read too many non-fiction but, I recommend this one to anyone who is interested in historical mysteries.

[Leigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taut telling of the story behind the Roanoke disaster. Aimed at middle school students and up, this book makes history come alive. The writing is very good and there are plenty of illustrations and photographs.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for Histroical reading and did my Oral Report on it. Since it is NonFiction, this is a pretty interesting books. If you want to learn about the Mystery of Roanoke and you want to know the things behind the island, i would read this. :D

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this from Margo, who highly recommended it:)

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating, gut-wrenching, very informative. A super history book presented as a mystery; made me want to read more about the characters and era.

[Maren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise, easy read that answered some questions Adia & I had about the lost colony of Roanoke.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting perspectives on a historical "mystery"