In 1606, King James I granted a charter to a group of London businessmen known as the Virginia Company to establish an English settlement in North America. In 1607, 104 men set sail aboard three tiny ships on a voyage to a new land. What they found became the first permanent English settlement in the New World--Jamestown.Among the brave adventurers who made the journey was a young boy named Samuel Collier, the page of famed Captain John Smith. Samuel accompanied Smith on the legendary journey to meet the Algonquin leader Powhatan. Disease, famine, and continuing attacks by neighboring Algonquin Indians took a tremendous toll on the settlers. Samuel was one of the few to survive the harsh realities of the New World during the first few years of Jamestown.Based on author Gail Karwoski's careful research of the era, this fictional account portrays the struggles and successes of our country's earliest settlers, as seen through the life of a young man. Young readers will enjoy following this story of courage and survival while learning about this important period in the history of the United States.

Gail Langer Karwoski received a BA from the University of Massachusetts and an MA from the University of Minnesota. She taught third- and fourth-grade students for many years. Karwoski has published several picture books and historical novels for middle readers. She lives in Georgia.

Paul Casale graduated from the Pratt Institute, where he won numerous awards. A member of the Society of Illustrators, he illustrated many children's books before his death in 2013.