Product Description

Kit Tyler is marked by suspicion and disapproval from the moment she arrives on the unfamiliar shores of colonial Connecticut in 1867. Alone and desperate, she has been forced to leave her beloved home on the island of Barbados and join a family she has never met. Torn between her quest for belonging and her desire to be true to herself, Kit struggles to survive in a hostile place. Just when it seems she must give up, she finds a kindred spirit. But Kits friendship with Hannah Tupper, believed by the colonists to be a witch, proves more taboo than she could have imagined and ultimately forces Kit to choose between her heart and her duty. Elizabeth George Speares Newbery Awardwinning novel portrays a heroine whom readers will admire for her unwavering sense of truth as well as her infinite capacity to love.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #890795 in Books
• Published on: 1958-11-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 249 pages

From Amazon.com
Forced to leave her sunny Caribbean home for the bleak Connecticut Colony, Kit Tyler is filled with trepidation. As they sail up the river to Kit's new home, the teasing and moodiness of a young sailor named Nat doesn't help. Still, her unsinkable spirit soon bobs back up. What this spirited teenager doesn't count on, however, is how her aunt and uncle's stern Puritan community will view her. In the colonies of 1687, a girl who swims, wears silk and satin gowns, and talks back to her elders is not only headstrong, she is in grave danger of being regarded as a witch. When Kit befriends an old Quaker woman known as the Witch of Blackbird Pond, it is more than the ascetics can take: soon Kit is defending her life. Who can she count on as she confronts these angry and suspicious townspeople?

A thoroughly exciting and rewarding Newbery Medal winner and ALA Notable Children's Book, Elizabeth George Speare's The Witch of Blackbird Pond brings this frightening period of witch hysteria to life. Readers will wonder at the power of the mob mentality, and the need for communities in desperate times--even current times--to find a scapegoat. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8-Mary Beth Hurt gives an excellent performance in this reading of the Newbery Award-winning novel by Elizabeth George Speare (HM, 1958). The setting is the Colony of Connecticut in 1687 amid the political and religious conflicts of that day. Sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler unexpectedly arrives at her aunt and uncle's doorstep and is unprepared for the new world which awaits her. Having been raised by her grandfather in Barbados, she doesn't understand the conflict between those loyal to the king and those who defend the Connecticut Charter. Unprepared for the religious intolerance and rigidity of the Puritan community, she is constantly astounding her aunt, uncle, and cousins with her dress, behavior, and ideas. She takes comfort in her secret friendship with the widow, Hannah Tupper, who has been expelled from Massachusetts because she is a Quaker and suspected of being a witch. When a deathly sickness strikes the village, first Hannah and then Kit are accused of being witches. Through these conflicts and experiences, Kit comes to know and accept herself. She learns not to make hasty judgments about people, and that there are always two sides to every conflict. There are several minor plots as well, including three romances, which help to bring this time and place to life. Hurt's use of vocal inflection and expression make this an excellent choice for listening whether as an enrichment to the social studies curriculum or purely for pleasure.
Maureen Cash Moffet, St. Anne's Catholic School, Bristol, VA
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From AudioFile
Into the somber, hard, emotionally deadened world of the American Puritans drops Kit--a charming, vibrant young woman from the Caribbean. Narrator Mary Beth Hurt sets the tone from the beginning, emphasizing Kit's enthusiasm, intelligence, and independent nature. Her clipped speech and sometimes breathy delivery draw a vivid picture of this lively young woman, forced to tamp down her spirit to fit into this negative, overbearing society. Hurt creates individual and clearly recognizable voices for all the characters, from Hannah's gentle, kind spirit to Matthew's solid but intimidating presence; and she skillfully develops Prudence from an obedient, fearful child without hope to a bright, caring, and courageous young girl. Speare's classic adapts well to audio, and Hurt gives it life, and hope. W.L.S. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Customer Reviews

It's Not About Witches
Don't let the title put you off--this is NOT a book about witches!

I first contemplated reading this book after seeing it on many "must read" lists. Then, when I realized that it was the same author as The Bronze Bow, I dove in.

The book is set in New England around the time of the infamous Salem witch hunts--one of the sad episodes in Christian history. The protagonist, Kit Tyler, finds herself in the midst of her strict Puritan relatives after losing both her parents and grandfather. She quickly discovers that she does not fit in. In fact, people are leery of her from the beginning when they see that she can swim--they believed that was evidence of involvement in witchcraft.

Kit befriends a Quaker woman, Hannah, who lives at the edge of Blackbird Pond. The townspeople will have nothing to do with her, and many think she is a witch. During her visits with Hannah, Kit comes to know the God of the Bible as this gentle woman shares scripture with her.

The book is full of adventure and a little bit of romance--it's sure to appeal to girls age 12 and up.

AwesomeAwesomeAwesomeAwesomeAwesomeAwesome
The Witch of Blackbird Pond is an excellent book. It is filled with young love between Katherine, Mercy, Judith, Nat, John and William. There is also some history behind the way that the people work back then and the witch trial. The adventures and mishaps of Kit Tyler are fun to follow along with and are interesting. From the very first page, this book casts its spell so that you will not want to put it down. In the book, Kit meets an old Quaker woman who helps her escape and is accused of being a witch herself. The ending was especially good and there really should be a sequel to it. I highly recommend this book to anyone 4th grade and beyond. The Witch of Blackbird Pond really is a book that anyone will enjoy and is definitely worthy of all praise.

Diverse Religions, and History
Kit comes over to the 13 colonies becuae her grandfather died. When she arrives, she finds a place very diffrent from her former home, Barbados. She is forced by her strict uncle to be a solemn as the puritans, and to set aside her silk gowns and wear homespun dresses. she feels completly stifled by her new life, and one day, after almost cuasing her crippled cousin her teaching job, she breaks. She runs to the "meadow" where she meets Hannah Tupper, a Quaker who is shuned and thought to be a witch by many. All she really is is a kind old lady. She takes kit home and feeds her, and helps her be brave and get her cousins job back. kit goes back to Hannahs house and eventually meets Hannahs seafaring friend, none other than Nat, the son of the man who brought her to America.And yes Nat was on the boat the whole time kit was. Then one day Kit is accused of being a witch. Something not to be taken lightly in the 1600's. She is rescued by none other than Nat. Then hannah is going to be burned out of her house, or if the people have their way, in her house. But Kit goes and helps Hannah get out before the evil people come, and she gets her on a ship... whose ship? Guess. Nats. And so Hannahs gone and Kits life is drudging on a usual.... and then someone comes... like you can't guess who... and something happens...