GREAT READS

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

by Elizabeth George Speare

After her grandfather dies, 16 year old Kit must choose between marrying a kind but old man, or journeying alone to her Aunt's home in colonial Connecticut.  Kit makes the journey, and a Newbery Award winning book begins.  This much-read classic quietly weaves together a young girl's struggle to hold onto her own essence while trying to fit in with her Aunt's puritanical family, with a vibrant look at New England colonial life.   Kit shares the story with several memorable characters, from her steadfast Uncle to the sometimes unpredictable sailor Nat, whose father owns the ship Kit sailed on.  This story, still popular more than 50 years after it was first published, is also available as a CD Book, narrated by actress Mary Beth Hurt.

Recommended by Carolyn Stepnitz