Blood on the River

I have never been a fan of picking up a historical fiction novel to read for excitement...that is, until I picked up this great book.  I began reading this book to my fourth grade class as a prelude to our social unit discussing the settlement Jamestown.  My love for this book has come from my students' eagerness to have me read it aloud.  There is nothing more intriguing that to have your students begging you to read to them. 

This book is unlike any other children's book I have read so far.  The graphic language and in depth description of the colonists survival is a risk to read in the classroom.  However, this risk is exactly what may be needed in the classroom to invigorate your students.  The story follows a young boy named Samuel who has found his way, through circumstance, into being a servant of Captain John Smith.  Samuel encounters plenty of tough times as he challenges not only his peers, but his captain as well. 

Reading this book in your classroom will bring you and your students one of the most powerful experiences of the school year.  Your students will be captured in the fine details of the book, as if they were themselves characters.  Please, check this one out!!