School Library Journal Review

Gr 4-6-Cartier looked for a northwest passage to China; instead, he discovered and explored Canada. Magellan initiated the first sailing voyage around the world but died en route. Coronado explored the American Southwest in search of gold and other riches. Public opinion considered their quests, grounded in the search for wealth, a failure at first. The men's lives are examined in balanced, well-written texts that objectively share the impact of the explorations on the environment and on native populations. Numerous color reproductions of old prints, maps, paintings, and manuscripts add validity to the texts. Full-color photographs, most notably of the geographic sites as they are today, complement the texts as well. Each book has a time line, a list of each explorer's important contemporaries, and a "Did You Know?" section of trivia. The "Want to Know More?" section includes books, Web sites, and places to visit and write for more information.-Pamela K. Bomboy, Chesterfield County Public Schools, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.