- Set in 1732 New Hampshire and based on a real person
- a young girl makes new friends and has alarming encounters with pirates
- filled with unique vocabulary: quintal, gaol, bannocks, peltries, poppet, etc.
- convo: pipe smoking, slaves mentioned, hangings mentioned, men put in stocks for a day, superstition* & future telling, massacres mentioned, whipping mentioned, a scalping mentioned, the word “molested” meaning “bothered,” stealing
- language: Laws sakes x1, O Lor’ x3
Type: chapter book
Ages: 9-14**
Author: Lois Lenski
*Superstitions were brief and infrequent. The main one to be pointed out is regarding the Lord’s Prayer as “a holy charm before which will flee all unholy ghosts, goblins and even the Old Gentleman himself to the very bottom of the Red Sea.”
**If you are comfortable with tackling the above notes in family discussion, this could certainly be read aloud to 7+. The vocabulary is the main reason for the higher minimum age.
This turned out to be a delightful read. Every time I was sure it would become more intense, Lenski turned the story’s direction and kept things quite upbeat. Mary is such a happy, innocent, and dear girl; you can’t help but enjoy following her escapades around town.
The reader will also naturally find himself or herself learning about the various aspects of ship building–all about the timber, figure heads, sails, etc. Great for those who love boats and the sea! There aren’t many illustrations but the ones that exist help understanding certain descriptions.
There is a definite theme of the struggles communities had with England (the “mother land”) and the king’s laws. If you’re studying colonial America, this could make a great read-aloud if you had time for it (it’s longer than average chapter books).
At the back, the Afterword gives many interesting details of the true Mary’s story. Did you know about Ocean-Born Mary? Have you read this book?