Exploration into North America

Asikinack, Bill; Scarborough, Kate

ISBN 10: 079106025X ISBN 13: 9780791060254

Publisher: Chelsea House Pub, 2000

Synopsis

Discusses the exploration, history, and cultures of North America from the earliest times up to today.

About this title

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6?These chronologically arranged series titles begin with a description of the area's indigenous peoples and follow the impact that exploration and colonization had on them. By no means are the Europeans glorified, but they are presented fairly and objectively. Interspersed throughout the texts are marvelous full-color photographs, drawings, and simple maps that clarify the basic routes followed by some of the explorers mentioned in the text. Of course, attempting to reveal the entire history of the exploration of North America or Australia in fewer than 48 pages means that no more than a passing reference is made to any but the most prominent people and incidents. Also, the heavy emphasis on visuals results occasionally in things appearing out of context. But these are minor problems in what are overall satisfactory efforts. Children will most likely be motivated to look for additional information on some of the names and incidents they read about here. Focusing on a single continent, these books compare favorably with Antony Mason and Keith Lye's The Children's Atlas of Exploration (Millbrook, 1993; o.p.) and Neil Grant's The Great Atlas of Discovery (Knopf, 1992), both of which try to cover the world in just under 100 pages.?Linda Greengrass, Bank Street College Library, New York City
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

One in a series of British imports that explore the history of a world region before and after European exploration, this title is brief and riddled with problems. The discussion is limited to Canada and the US, because ``culturally [Mexico] is part of Latin America,'' and therefore included in another book in the series. Generalizations include this terse and misleading summary of North American geography and climate: ``The North is frozen for most of the year and the South is largely desert.'' Elsewhere, the authors state: ``The earliest human fossil remains found in North America are of Homo sapiens, ancestors of ours who lived about 200,000 years ago.'' Other sources place the oldest fossil findings--called ``Meadowcroft''--in North America near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, dated to 19,000 years ago. Throughout, deceptive period paintings and full-color photos are included that may reinforce anachronistic images young readers already carry around from cartoons and comic books, e.g., ``A nineteenth century engraving of an imaginary mammoth hunt'' shows naked warriors in a grassy, tree-lined field using modern bows and arrows to kill a contemporary African elephant. (chronology, glossary, index) (Nonfiction. 10-12) -- Copyright ©1996, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: Chelsea House Pub
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 079106025X
• ISBN 13: 9780791060254
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 48