From School Library Journal:
Grade 4-7-A readable and informative history of North Atlantic exploration. Beginning with the sometimes accidental exploration of the Vikings, the Wests touch on Columbus, and then take a detailed look at John Cabot's voyages. A final section discusses Verrazano and Cartier and mentions Frobisher and Hudson's searches for the Northwest Passage. With lively discussion of cartography, ethnic populations, archaeological evidence, and the uses and limitations of primary-source material, this is a compact, accurate resource. At a lower reading level than Warren Brown's The Search for the Northwest Passage (Chelsea, 1991), the Wests' title gives more in-depth coverage to Cabot and those explorers more interested in simply getting across the Atlantic rather than through the continent. Maps and black-and-white photos are well placed with appropriate text, and the book as a whole has a handsome appearance. The dust jacket is, alas, scholarly looking, but won't discourage use for reports. A short bibliography and comprehensive glossary complete this sound example of historical research.
Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist:
Gr. 4^-6. The Wests' well-designed volume, illustrated with black-and-white reproductions of period maps, paintings, prints, and manuscripts as well as photographs of sites and artifacts, offers a history of trans-Atlantic voyages from the sixth century through the seventeenth. Explorers discussed include St. Brendan, Erik the Red, Leif Eriksson, Christopher Columbus, John Cabot, Sebastian Cabot, Giovanni Verrazano, Jacques Cartier, Martin Frobisher, and Henry Hudson. The clearly written text offers a straightforward presentation of the subject as well as sidelights on related topics such as navigation, the Micmac people, and the questions of authenticity surrounding the so-called Vinland Map. A map showing the explorers' routes, a chronology, a glossary, and a list of suggested readings complete a useful and intriguing book. Carolyn Phelan
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