Discovering Christopher Columbus

Children's Literature - Jan Lieberman

To discern historic bias or distortion of facts, read books by many authors and compare. This book is fascinating because we are privy to the research process and see the painstaking efforts of scholars over the course of years to uncover the "truth." It is easy to see how myths are perpetuated until they become "facts."

School Library Journal

Gr 6-9-- While Milton Meltzer's fine biography, Columbus and the World Around Him (Watts, 1990), features the historical panorama surrounding Columbus's voyages, Pelta briefly narrates the important details of the explorer's life in the first two chapters. In the remaining pages, she dwells on several of the more controversial moments of her subject's life, all the while instructing readers about existing theories and methods of historical research. This is not only a fresh approach; it is also profusely illustrated with both color and black-and-white photos and reproductions. There is a lengthy list of sources in paragraph form, complete with annotations, and Pelta's appealing style flows smoothly, spiced with occasional humor. The latter chapters discuss the major primary sources from which information about Columbus's life was found. This title serves less as an introductory biography than Soule's Christopher Columbus: On the Green Sea of Darkness (Watts, 1988), which gives a detailed introduction to the voyages themselves, with an emphasis on the wildlife of the sea. But as inspiration for history teachers pursuing new information, or for students truly interested in research, this book would be valuable, as it clearly shows how history is ever-changing, continually altered by the discoveries of explorers and scholars. A well-researched, well-written study of how the facts surrounding Columbus's life are still being uncovered. --Phyllis Graves, Creekwood Middle School, Kingwood, TX