Sir Francis Drake

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6 Each book presents an overview of the lives of the major figures concerned, from childhood to adulthood, and specifics regarding their accomplishments. Readers are provided with artists' renderings of people and events in color and black-and-white illustrations, which successfully complement the details of the text. Each book is divided into brief chapters, usually of two pages in length, and contains a listing of important dates, suggestions for further reading, and an index. Terms deemed to be unfamiliar to young readers appear in bold print throughout the text and are defined in a glossary. The material is written in a fluid style. Hook treats Drake objectively, without presenting Drake's ``feats'' in a glorified manner. The book could serve as a point of discussion in elementary social studies classes, particularly with regard to Drake's connections to the slave trade and Queen Elizabeth I's blanket acceptance of his piracy and slave trading expeditions. Henry VIII presents a generalized view of the monarch and does not omit discussion of some of Henry's less desirable characteristics and deeds. Readers should find both books informative and easy to read. Karen P. Smith, Graduate School of Library and Information Study, Queens College, N.Y.