A Journey with Christopher Columbus

November 1, 2017

Gr 4-7-Each volume opens with an introductory chapter citing a primary document, such as a letter to King Charles V about Hernan Cortes's expedition to Mexico, and offering a short definition of primary sourcing and discussion of its significance. The design throughout the series is colorful and images are frequent, including contemporaneous engravings, paintings, and maps. Reflection questions appear at the foot of many pages, asking readers, for example, what Christopher Columbus might have said to kings to try to convince them to fund his voyages. The writing is simple and direct, though rich with detail. Potentially problematic topics, such as the treatment of Indigenous people by invaders, are handled sensitively and honestly. Numerous complementary sidebars treat subjects such as Sieur de La Salle learning local languages from First Nations people. VERDICT These are first-rate research materials presented with much care for reluctant readers.

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2017
Grades 4-6 The Primary Source Explorers series provides basic information about the lives and accomplishments of European explorers while commenting on the role primary sources play in determining historical conditions and events. Opening with an introduction to primary sources, each colorfully illustrated book covers topics such as the explorer's personal story, his ambitions, the funding for his voyages, and his experiences in the New World. Although reproductions of artifacts and historical documents often appear in children's books, here period portraits, paintings, prints, drawings, and maps are considered in terms of whether they are primary source documents or later works. The often-dire effects of European contact on the North American people whose lands were explored and exploited are also addressed. Though one sentence mistakenly refers to the Mediterranean Ocean, the otherwise sound Christopher Columbus contains pertinent sidebars, including a journal entry in which Columbus describes the Taino people and a discussion of archaeological artifacts as primary source material. This series offers a useful perspective on Europe's age of exploration.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)