Molly's Pilgrim

Molly's Pilgrim

Picture book
I was very frustrated this past Thanksgiving with what I saw as
hypocracy. Even as though, across the country, families sat down to
celebrate how long ago native Americans had rescued the poorly
prepared Pilgrims there was a lot of talk about how to keep out
today's Syrian refugees. Not in my back yard. Not in my state. Not
in my country. How many of us would be here or even alive if the
original inhabitants had taken such a hard line? Then, shelving in
the Orono Public Library children's wing I found a book sadly as
relevant today as the era of the true story on which it was based:
Molly's Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen.
Molly is miserably alone in the town to which she and her
parents have moved. English is a challenge. The popular girls in her
third grade class pick on her.
As Thanksgiving approaches Molly's teacher decides to make a
Pilgrim village model as a class project. The children are told to
make the people at home. Molly's is not like the others and makes a
very important point: that Pilgrims are still coming to America.
Sunday school and secular teachers and youth leaders can find
this vintage book quite useful in discussing with youngsters who
today's pilgrims are and why we should grant them refuge.
On a personal note, the Orono Methodist Church was quite fortunate
when the Greater Lincoln Community Choir performed a Christmas concert
for us. The music was beautiful, uplifting, and joyous. I couldn't
resist the urge to dance.
A great big shout out goes out to those choir members who shared so
generously of their amazing talents!



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