Cooper, Michael. Jamestown, 1607. Holiday House, 2007. ISBN 9780823419487. $18.95. 98 p.
Reviewer: Cassandra Fugal
Reading Level: Primary, Intermediate
Rating: Dependable
Genre: Informational Books;
Subject: Colonists--Virginia--Jamestown--History--17th century--Juvenile literature; Colonists--Virginia--Jamestown--History--17th century; Jamestown (Va.)--History--17th century--Juvenile literature; Virginia--History--Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775--Juvenile literature; Jamestown (Va.)--History--17th century; Virginia--History--Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775. Books—Reviews;
In his book Jamestown, 1607, Cooper depicts the founding and first two years of the Jamestown settlement in Virginia. The book mostly follows the doings and concerns of the most famous Jamestown settler, John Smith, who was the most active settler in negotiating with local natives and leading the other settlers until his departure in 1609. The language is easy to read and deftly explains the politics involved within the settlement, and between the settlers and the natives. Cooper also skillfully tells the history of Jamestown without romanticizing either side or showing either side in a more sympatric light. The book is well written but a bit dull in places.
