Blood on the River - James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone

If it wasn't for the first pioneers, we wouldn't be celebrating Thanksgiving in the "New World." In Blood on the River, Elisa Carbone writes a detailed story of the first settlers on the Virginia Shore, lead by Captain John Smith. What many people don't realize is that the first settlers in James Town colony were sent by The Virginia Company who expected goods and minerals to be sent back to England to be sold for profit. In addition to trying to survive and provide natural resources for the Virginia Company, they were also instructed by King James to let the Native Indians know that they were now his subjects (which obviously wasn't received well by the Indians).

Elisa Carbone is a gifted writer and gives us a glimpse into life in Jamestown through the eyes of a young boy, Samuel Collier, who is escaping poverty and life in the alleys of London to become Captain Smith's page.

Study guide here