Westward With Columbus: Set Sail on the Voyage That Changed the World/Includes Poster (Time Quest Books) - Hardcover

Dyson, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0590438468 ISBN 13: 9780590438469

Publisher: Scholastic, 1991

Synopsis

Retells the story of Columbus's first voyage, and uses the experiences gained by sailing a replica of the Nina to describe what that trip must have been like

About this title

Reviews

A fictionalized account of Columbus's voyage featuring one of the ship's boys is sandwiched rather jarringly in the middle of a brief discussion of a modern-day expedition aboard a replica of the Nina. Just when curiosity is piqued by the contemporary proceedings, the text swerves abruptly to "Spain, May 23, 1492." While the book incorporates abundant information into both its factual and fictitious segments, the format and design seem helter-skelter; the work ultimately attempts too much and succeeds only in confusing the reader. Even the illustrations are an uneasy amalgam of styles: many spreads contain Christopher's excellent photographs, historical drawings and--apparently uncredited--original drawings, charts and maps. Occasional sidebars add to the jumble. It appears that a unique, potentially intriguing account of a stalwart band trying to relive Columbus's historic journey has been sacrificed for yet another fictitious treatment. A better novelization for this age group is Miriam Schlein's recent I Sailed with Columbus . Ages 8-12.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Inspired by a Spanish scholar's belief that contradictions in Columbus's diary imply that the explorer sailed a more southerly route than is generally believed--and that he had a secret chart to guide him--the author and the photographer, in the summer of 1990, retraced his voyage aboard a replica of the Nina. Columbus: For Gold, God and Glory is their full report; this account for younger readers features plenty of color paintings and photos, several side essays, and an easily read text. Six of the eight chapters recount Columbus's first voyage as seen through the eyes of a fictional young crew member, making the modern journey something of a subplot here; still, the reasoning is summarized clearly and concisely and, though Columbus is presented as a heroic figure, the subsequent depredation of the New World is not glossed over. Certainly one of a large crowd, but with a different slant. Glossary; brief bibliography. (Nonfiction. 10-13) -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Edition details

• Publisher: Scholastic
• Publication date: 1991
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0590438468
• ISBN 13: 9780590438469
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 64