Tween book evaluation: "The Witch of Blackbird Pond"

The Witch of Blackbird Pond is a historical tween novel published in 1958 by Elizabeth George Speare. The 1959 Newbery Medal winner follows the independent and outspoken 16-year-old Katherine “Kit” Tyler as she arrives in the small Puritan community of Wethersfield, Connecticut, from Barbados to stay with her mother’s sister and family.

In 249 pages, the reader follows Kit as she realizes the differences in the way she grew up to how her new family and community expect her to live in 1667. The devil is found in every other reading except the Bible. Days are spent tending to chores. And church is every Sunday — a morning and afternoon service.

Early on she’s considered “different” because she can float (only witches can float), and she can read. She soon meets a widowed old woman who accepts her for who she is. But when Kit learns that this new friend of hers is considered a witch, she does everything she can to protect her friendship. Kit rebels from her family, who forbid her to see the widow woman, and soon finds herself on trial for witchcraft.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond is a great read for the 10- to 14-year-old age group. The historical references put that time period in to perspective, as Speare’s story reflects the culture and societal mores of that time. The reader will find a story about standing up for what you believe in, finding your own voice, finding not just the bad in people but also the good, and trusting in family. It will also put in to perspective that even in 1667 there were struggles with people accepting others who were thought to be “different.” And what it shows is that we’re all different, and being a leader is better than being a follower.

An author’s note at the end tells readers that though the story is imaginary, a few of the characters, such as the royal governor, magistrate, schoolmaster and a reverend were “important men of their time…” struggling to preserve their freedom from the royalists.

The unique qualities to the book were the use of boldface type font and the language itself in telling the story. You really felt like you were transported to that time period. The language follows some of the traditional Old English words and phrases, and can sometimes be hard to read if you are not following closely.

The title and sales copy eludes to be more about actual instances of witchcraft. But instead it tells the story of people being accused of witchcraft, how people lied about things they “saw,” and how people chose sides — with religious beliefs playing a big part in everything.