Around the World in a Hundred Years - Hardcover

Fritz, Jean

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0399225277 ISBN 13: 9780399225277

Publisher: Putnam Juvenile, 1994

Synopsis

Brings to life the accomplishments of ten extraordinary explorers--including Henry the Navigator, Vasco da Gama, John Cabot, and Ferdinand Magellan--who braved the unknown to discover uncharted lands and to find their way around the world.

About this title

About the Author

Acclaimed biographer, Jean Fritz, was born in China where she lived until the age of thirteen. She tells her story in Homesick, My Own Story, a Newbery Honor Book.

     Ms Fritz is the author of forty-five books for children and young people. Many center on historical American figures, gaining her a reputation as the premier author of biographies for children and young people.

     Among the prestigious awards Ms. Fritz has garnered are: a medal from the National Endowment for the Humanities, a May Hill Arbuthnot Lecture, a Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, an American Book Award, a Christopher Award, a Boston Globe-Horn Book Non-Fiction Award, a New York Times Notable Book of the Year, and many ALA Notable Books of the Year, School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, and ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice Awards. 

 

Reviews

Grade 4-7-A look at "the first great wave of European exploration" (1421-1522) through brief portraits of various participants. Fritz does many things well here. She writes with ease and humor, including details that add color and humanity to historical figures, and skillfully incorporates research into her narrative. She presents the heroic aspects of the voyages, as well as evidence of the arrogance, cruelty, and greed many of these men displayed. Despite all the good attributes, the book suffers because of the complexity of the subject matter. By including so many different individuals, the issue becomes complicated; after a while, the Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese names start to run together. Some of the men's lifetimes and discoveries overlap, which makes it even more difficult to sort out who did what... and when. The illustrations are beautiful, entertaining, Renaissance-inspired pencil drawings. They include many amusing touches, such as the island of Porto Santo being overtaken by rabbits, but because they are in black and white and almost too finely drawn, they do not have a great deal of child appeal. A map at the beginning of each chapter shows the explorer's route. An outline of the continents appears on the end papers, but there aren't enough world maps throughout the book to enable readers to get a more complete picture of how the "discovered" countries fit into the world as a whole. The text is not straightforward enough for reports, but interested readers may enjoy perusing these tales of adventure and scientific discovery.
Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Noted biographer and historian Fritz ( Bully for You, Teddy Roosevelt ) offers a wickedly funny look at 10 explorers who, between 1421 and 1522, ventured into what contemporaneous mapmakers called the Unknown. While presenting the salient facts, Fritz approaches them with playful irreverence; accordingly, the frequently traveled material can seem refreshingly new. Discussing Amerigo Vespucci, she writes, "Some give him credit for recognizing a continent when he saw one. Others call him an out-and-out faker." This tone proves especially effective when Fritz addresses such problematic issues as the treatment of native people and the often accidental nature of many of the discoveries. Reflecting the humor of Fritz's text, Venti's lighthearted black-and-white drawings use subtle strokes, as in a picture of Balboa, heavily in debt, stowed away on a ship and peering out from the barrel he'd hidden inside. Readable, attractive maps begin each chapter, providing useful visual references for each voyager's route. Ages 7-11.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Deftly navigating the politically correct waters of revisionist history, Fritz surveys the brief period, beginning early in the 15th century (when the world known to Europeans consisted mostly of Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia), during which most of the globe's coastlines were first mapped. She firmly places ten such daring explorers as Diaz, Columbus, and the atypically kind Balboa within the context of their own culture, depicting their curiosity and greed, and their cruelty and courage, with an even hand. As always, the Wilder medalist turns in a fast-paced narrative enriched and enlivened by fascinating stories and details of the sort that rarely appear in standard textbooks; her wry wit is much in evidence--but never at the expense of truth--in descriptions of these men who pushed the world's boundaries but thought nothing of enslaving native peoples along the way. Venti's soft-pencil illustrations pick up amusingly on Fritz's humor (though not on the wry indignation that frequently propels it), while his frequent maps help to clarify the journeys. Notes amplifying the information; bibliography of sources; index. (Nonfiction. 7-11) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Gr. 4-6. Beginning with a historical summary of geographical knowledge from Ptolemy through the Dark Ages to Prince Henry the Navigator, Fritz tells of that 100-year period when Europeans explored the world and mapped the globe. As ever, she includes details that other writers overlook, such as the fact that Balboa's dog Leoncico, "who received a captain's pay on every expedition," led the attack dogs on his master's trip to the Pacific. Although each chapter focuses on one explorer, the text ties their stories into one extended narrative. For example, Leoncico was named after Ponce de Leon, who gave Balboa one of the puppies of his beloved dog Bercerillo. Softly shaded pencil drawings capture the author's humor as well as the more serious and occasionally violent parts of the story. Students looking for a fill-in-the-blank approach to history assignments may prefer standard biographies of explorers, but those seeking a broader picture will find this an intriguing view of the age of exploration. Carolyn Phelan

Edition details

• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
• Publication date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0399225277
• ISBN 13: 9780399225277
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 128