Friend Penn

Title: Friend Penn 

Author: Rebecca Newswanger 

Illustrator: Igor Kondratyuk 

Picture Book 

    Since I live in Pennsylvania, I found this book fascinating as well as a good resource for teaching my students Pennsylvania’s history. This book highlights the life of William Penn. William Penn’s father was a rich successful man in England. However, William Penn didn’t want the life of the rich and idle. Instead, he chose to join the Quakers. William Penn’s father did not approve of William Penn’s choice. William Penn passionately choose to remain a Quaker despite his Father’s disapproval and being imprisoned several times for sharing his faith. However before William Penn’s father died, he came to respect William Penn’s choice. 

    After his father died, William Penn became very wealthy. William Penn wanted to use this money and influence to alleviate some of the suffering of Christians across Europe. The King of England owed him a large debt. William Penn requested that this debt be paid in land in the New Land. The King agreed and so the colony of Pennsylvania was formed. In this colony, all religions would be given freedom to practice their religion freely. This religious freedom attracted many people and Pennsylvania became a prosperous colony.