THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND

THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND by Elizabeth George Speare

The Witch of Blackbird Pond is a Newberry winner classic that was written in 1958. Even though it's 67 years old, every time I read it with kids, it is a hit.

Kit has left Barbados where she lived with her English grandfather all her life to travel to Connecticut, the home of the last living member of her family, an aunt on her mother's side that she's never met. Before she reaches Connecticut, she has her first unfavorable experience with a Puritan woman. When a child's toy falls into the ocean water, Kit immediately dives in to rescue it. Everyone gasps. No one else around her can swim. Only witches can float in water. With that we are introduced to how much different life is going to be for Kit among the restrictive Puritan people. She works hard to mend her ways and fit in, but when she friends the outcast of the town, the Quaker, Hannah Tupper, she may have just sealed her deal in the eyes of the townspeople.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond is a wonderful, historical fiction read. It highlights themes such as faith, family, relationships, but ultimately belonging. Through the story, we watch as Kit matures and begins to care for others outside of herself. It is a beautiful process and one that each of us desires for our children! Oh, and by the way, there actually aren't any witches in the story.