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Where Do You Think You're Going, Christopher Columbus? by Fritz, Jean (1997) Paperback
Discusses the voyages of Christopher Columbus who determined to beat everyone in the race to the Indies.
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First published October 12, 1980
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About the author
Jean Fritz
93 books156 followersJean Guttery Fritz was an American children's writer best known for American biography and history. She won the Children's Legacy Literature Award for her career contribution to American children's literature in 1986. She turned 100 in November 2015 and died in May 2017 at the age of 101.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
October 22, 2014
Video - animated storybook on Overdrive. 30 minutes.
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November 20, 2012Grade/interest level: Upper Elementary/Middle School (4-8)
Reading level: Lexile 890/Grade level equivalent 5.6
Genre: Informational/Biography
Main Characters: Christopher Columbus
Setting: Various
POV: Third person
Summary:
This is a traditional depiction of the discovery of the America’s by Christopher Columbus. The biography tells of his travels, his expectations and his discoveries. It explains that Columbus originally set out to travel to the Indies in hope of gold and spices, but encounters many unexpected problems. It discusses the native people the he meets when he discovers “a whole new world”.
There are wonderful illustrations that accompany the text and help the reader visualize the things and people that Columbus encountered throughout his trip.
Classroom use/theme:
I would pair this with a text that discusses another perspective of the “discovery” of the America’s. More specifically, a text that looks at the point of view of the native individuals that already inhabited the continent. I think that students usually get the Christopher Columbus perspective and see him as a great explorer and founding father, but they do not always get to see the other side. I think there is importance in both stories and the significance of each can be better understood when they are taught side by side.
Reading level: Lexile 890/Grade level equivalent 5.6
Genre: Informational/Biography
Main Characters: Christopher Columbus
Setting: Various
POV: Third person
Summary:
This is a traditional depiction of the discovery of the America’s by Christopher Columbus. The biography tells of his travels, his expectations and his discoveries. It explains that Columbus originally set out to travel to the Indies in hope of gold and spices, but encounters many unexpected problems. It discusses the native people the he meets when he discovers “a whole new world”.
There are wonderful illustrations that accompany the text and help the reader visualize the things and people that Columbus encountered throughout his trip.
Classroom use/theme:
I would pair this with a text that discusses another perspective of the “discovery” of the America’s. More specifically, a text that looks at the point of view of the native individuals that already inhabited the continent. I think that students usually get the Christopher Columbus perspective and see him as a great explorer and founding father, but they do not always get to see the other side. I think there is importance in both stories and the significance of each can be better understood when they are taught side by side.
September 20, 2017
If one must teach their child about Columbus' true history in a way that is not grotesque but is still honest and true, this is the one to read to your child. It was hilarious at times because of the sarcastic tone that Jean Fritz uses! I really liked how she explains the actions of Columbus, his upbringing, the history of the man, the mistakes he made, the slavery he contributed to, the exploration portion behind the man, the pride issues he had.
Every parent should read THIS book to your children. I am glad I did. It made me glad it was written. It is a wordy book but there are some pictures. It is a great one to use as a history lesson for homeschooling, like we did.
Every parent should read THIS book to your children. I am glad I did. It made me glad it was written. It is a wordy book but there are some pictures. It is a great one to use as a history lesson for homeschooling, like we did.
August 29, 2017
This month, while the Old School Kidlit Reading Challenge has been focusing on nonfiction, I decided to finally sit down and read a stack of the late Jean Fritz's books about the history of the United States. In total, I read 8 titles:
And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? illustrated by Margot Tomes (1973)
Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (1974)
Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May? illustrated by Margot Tomes (1975)
What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? illustrated by Margot Tomes (1976)
Will You Sign Here, John Hancock? illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (1976)
Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? illustrated by Tomie dePaola (1977)
Where Do You Think You're Going, Christopher Columbus? illustrated by Margot Tomes (1980)
Shh! We're Writing the Constitution illustrated by Tomie dePaola (1987)
All of these except the last one are biographies of key figures in early America. In each biography, Fritz focuses on a representative quirk of each individual she profiles, which serves as a unifying thread for the important events of that person's life. For John Hancock, whose signature looms so large on the declaration of independence, this is his desire for attention and the ostentatious ways he went about trying to get it. For Sam Adams, it is his refusal to learn to ride a horse, for Columbus, his terrible sense of direction and tendency to stumble upon good fortune, and for King George, his blind paternalism toward the colonists, even when they have made very clear their disdain for him. In the last book, Shh! We're Writing the Constitution, Fritz tells the story of the difficulties and compromises that occurred among different historical figures as the U.S. Constitution slowly took shape.
In both types of books, Fritz focuses heavily not just on historical events, but on the personalities of the key figures who contributed to the outcomes of these events. Fritz does not simply idolize these men for their greatness; instead she shows both how they were ordinary (stubborn, foolish, insufferable, laughable, quirky, selfish, etc.) and extraordinary. No one is treated as all good or all bad, but instead they are portrayed as very human. For a reader like me who reads books mainly for their characters, I found this approach refreshing and endearing. Whereas I struggle to focus on lengthy informational texts that try to drill details into my memory, the "characters" in each of these books were fascinating to me. As I read in the evenings, I kept saying to my husband, "Hey did you know...?" and "I never knew that..."
None of these books is enough on its own to convey all the details of the discovery of America, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, or the drafting of the Constitution, but every single one of them provides context for understanding those events on a more personal and emotional level. The straightforward facts which are included alongside the biographical details are made more memorable by Fritz's engaging and humorous writing style, and everything she writes about comes to life in a way that school textbooks never could.They would make wonderful read-alouds for elementary kids who are studying colonial America, but they are just as entertaining as independent reads for older readers who want a refresher.
Also wonderful are the illustrations for each volume. There are three illustrators for these books: Margot Tomes, Trina Schart Hyman, and Tomie dePaola. Though all three artists' styles suit the mood and content of the books, my personal favorite is Hyman. Her pictures have the most detail, and in my opinion, the most personality. Tomes is a close second - I especially like the way she draws children - but found that I associated dePaola too much with other books and other genres to feel like he was a good fit for this subject matter. Still, I think the designer for these books did a great job of keeping a consistent look to the whole series that places the reader in a particular frame of mind regardless of who drew the pictures.
Now that I have read all of these books, I understand why they were so popular in my school library during childhood and why I hear so much about them in homeschooling circles. I plan to use them with my kids when we study U.S. history and I hope they will learn to love history (as I never did as a child) by observing how much fun Fritz clearly had writing about it.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? illustrated by Margot Tomes (1973)
Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (1974)
Where Was Patrick Henry on the 29th of May? illustrated by Margot Tomes (1975)
What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? illustrated by Margot Tomes (1976)
Will You Sign Here, John Hancock? illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman (1976)
Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? illustrated by Tomie dePaola (1977)
Where Do You Think You're Going, Christopher Columbus? illustrated by Margot Tomes (1980)
Shh! We're Writing the Constitution illustrated by Tomie dePaola (1987)
All of these except the last one are biographies of key figures in early America. In each biography, Fritz focuses on a representative quirk of each individual she profiles, which serves as a unifying thread for the important events of that person's life. For John Hancock, whose signature looms so large on the declaration of independence, this is his desire for attention and the ostentatious ways he went about trying to get it. For Sam Adams, it is his refusal to learn to ride a horse, for Columbus, his terrible sense of direction and tendency to stumble upon good fortune, and for King George, his blind paternalism toward the colonists, even when they have made very clear their disdain for him. In the last book, Shh! We're Writing the Constitution, Fritz tells the story of the difficulties and compromises that occurred among different historical figures as the U.S. Constitution slowly took shape.
In both types of books, Fritz focuses heavily not just on historical events, but on the personalities of the key figures who contributed to the outcomes of these events. Fritz does not simply idolize these men for their greatness; instead she shows both how they were ordinary (stubborn, foolish, insufferable, laughable, quirky, selfish, etc.) and extraordinary. No one is treated as all good or all bad, but instead they are portrayed as very human. For a reader like me who reads books mainly for their characters, I found this approach refreshing and endearing. Whereas I struggle to focus on lengthy informational texts that try to drill details into my memory, the "characters" in each of these books were fascinating to me. As I read in the evenings, I kept saying to my husband, "Hey did you know...?" and "I never knew that..."
None of these books is enough on its own to convey all the details of the discovery of America, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Revolutionary War, or the drafting of the Constitution, but every single one of them provides context for understanding those events on a more personal and emotional level. The straightforward facts which are included alongside the biographical details are made more memorable by Fritz's engaging and humorous writing style, and everything she writes about comes to life in a way that school textbooks never could.They would make wonderful read-alouds for elementary kids who are studying colonial America, but they are just as entertaining as independent reads for older readers who want a refresher.
Also wonderful are the illustrations for each volume. There are three illustrators for these books: Margot Tomes, Trina Schart Hyman, and Tomie dePaola. Though all three artists' styles suit the mood and content of the books, my personal favorite is Hyman. Her pictures have the most detail, and in my opinion, the most personality. Tomes is a close second - I especially like the way she draws children - but found that I associated dePaola too much with other books and other genres to feel like he was a good fit for this subject matter. Still, I think the designer for these books did a great job of keeping a consistent look to the whole series that places the reader in a particular frame of mind regardless of who drew the pictures.
Now that I have read all of these books, I understand why they were so popular in my school library during childhood and why I hear so much about them in homeschooling circles. I plan to use them with my kids when we study U.S. history and I hope they will learn to love history (as I never did as a child) by observing how much fun Fritz clearly had writing about it.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
May 7, 2025
Christopher Columbus is a hard person to write about for children's literature. I've previously read my kiddos a short story that heroized Columbus and another that villainized him to balance, and most of the children's lit. covering Columbus falls into one of those two camps. Fritz does a lovely job of portraying him as a deeply flawed human being, yet also frames him within the context of his time. Furthermore, Margot Tomes' illustrations are enchanting, and her cover art remains how I mentally picture Columbus.
April 24, 2012
This book is all about Christopher Columbus' life as he sets out for his voyage to the Indies. He wants to travel here to find gold and other goods that can be brought back to Spain. The three ships that are used for the voyage are the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. Throughout the expedition, Columbus and his crew run into some problems.
Christopher Columbus is and explorer that is commonly know by children. They will become interested in the ships that he is using on his voyage to carry passengers and all the items they need to survive during their trip. Children already have the knowledge that the Earth is round, so viewing the perspective of Columbus' theory that the Earth is flat can bring attention to the children.
On every page of the book, there are illustrations that go along with the text. These pictures will help make Columbus and his voyage more real because they allow readers to see the people that he met on the way and the places that he visited. Readers will believe that these events have happened through the drawings, and they could already have some prior knowledge on the topic. Along with the pictures, the text is very accurate about what Columbus went through in his life and on his voyage. This information highlights the struggles, the high points, and the low points in Columbus' life.
In this book, the author definately wrote in an engaging style for children. Throughout the pages he places questions in the book as if he were asking the readers for their opinion. He also wrote phrases in the text that will catch the attention of the readers.
I thought this book was full of great information for the readers. It can give children many opportunities to learn more about the subject in different lessons, such as writing a journal as if you were on one of the three ships, come up with items that could be found in the Indies, and even conducting some more research about Columbus. I think this book has a lot of valuable information that can be easily used in lessons.
Christopher Columbus is and explorer that is commonly know by children. They will become interested in the ships that he is using on his voyage to carry passengers and all the items they need to survive during their trip. Children already have the knowledge that the Earth is round, so viewing the perspective of Columbus' theory that the Earth is flat can bring attention to the children.
On every page of the book, there are illustrations that go along with the text. These pictures will help make Columbus and his voyage more real because they allow readers to see the people that he met on the way and the places that he visited. Readers will believe that these events have happened through the drawings, and they could already have some prior knowledge on the topic. Along with the pictures, the text is very accurate about what Columbus went through in his life and on his voyage. This information highlights the struggles, the high points, and the low points in Columbus' life.
In this book, the author definately wrote in an engaging style for children. Throughout the pages he places questions in the book as if he were asking the readers for their opinion. He also wrote phrases in the text that will catch the attention of the readers.
I thought this book was full of great information for the readers. It can give children many opportunities to learn more about the subject in different lessons, such as writing a journal as if you were on one of the three ships, come up with items that could be found in the Indies, and even conducting some more research about Columbus. I think this book has a lot of valuable information that can be easily used in lessons.
October 10, 2011
While this book is clearly based on nonfictional events, some of it is clearly supposition, thus I have classified is as historical fiction.
wide reading for CI 546
grade level: content would be elementary but reading level probably late elementary to middle school.
genre: realistic historical combination of nonfiction and fiction.
themes: discovery, exploration, history of the Americas
school use: I used a few paragraphs of this as a read-aloud with my 7th graders. There's some vocabulary that requires scaffolding (or a glossary if kids were reading this on their own).
review: A pretty good book. It's really good on Columbus' confusion about geography, on his plan to beat the Portuguese, and on his interactions with the Spanish royalty. It's a step above our social studies textbooks in terms of actually telling a story and giving some details and showing Columbus' outright ignorance about some things we know quite well in hindsight.
But it still ignores some really blatant stuff that teachers/adults have access to -- per Columbus' own journals, his involvement in enslaving the natives, in murderering or maiming those who did not bring him gold. So it doesn't really present an objective full picture although it is a fuller one than in many texts.
wide reading for CI 546
grade level: content would be elementary but reading level probably late elementary to middle school.
genre: realistic historical combination of nonfiction and fiction.
themes: discovery, exploration, history of the Americas
school use: I used a few paragraphs of this as a read-aloud with my 7th graders. There's some vocabulary that requires scaffolding (or a glossary if kids were reading this on their own).
review: A pretty good book. It's really good on Columbus' confusion about geography, on his plan to beat the Portuguese, and on his interactions with the Spanish royalty. It's a step above our social studies textbooks in terms of actually telling a story and giving some details and showing Columbus' outright ignorance about some things we know quite well in hindsight.
But it still ignores some really blatant stuff that teachers/adults have access to -- per Columbus' own journals, his involvement in enslaving the natives, in murderering or maiming those who did not bring him gold. So it doesn't really present an objective full picture although it is a fuller one than in many texts.
September 19, 2015
I consider Jean Fritz to be a Wow author. Anyone who can take the facts from history and weave them together in a story that grabs my fifth graders' attention is a winner in my book.
Fritz has taken the basic story of Christopher Columbus that my students know so well and has filled in all the details from history in a way that allows students to see the significance and the difficulty of what Columbus did. Fritz also doesn't mince words or paint Columbus as a perfect hero who never did wrong, but instead she helps the reader empathize with the choices Columbus made by explaining his motives and thoughts in the context of his worldview. This book definitely helped my fifth graders understand the life and times of Christopher Columbus and was paired with Jane Yolen's Encounter to become the basis of a Paideia discussion about whether Columbus was a hero or a villain, or perhaps both.
I would recommend any of Jean Fritz's narrative nonfiction to teachers of history who want their students to appreciate the true story of our past.
Fritz has taken the basic story of Christopher Columbus that my students know so well and has filled in all the details from history in a way that allows students to see the significance and the difficulty of what Columbus did. Fritz also doesn't mince words or paint Columbus as a perfect hero who never did wrong, but instead she helps the reader empathize with the choices Columbus made by explaining his motives and thoughts in the context of his worldview. This book definitely helped my fifth graders understand the life and times of Christopher Columbus and was paired with Jane Yolen's Encounter to become the basis of a Paideia discussion about whether Columbus was a hero or a villain, or perhaps both.
I would recommend any of Jean Fritz's narrative nonfiction to teachers of history who want their students to appreciate the true story of our past.
August 10, 2015
An excellent overview of the life of explorer Christopher Columbus. The story is kept fairly simple and in narrative form, so that my fifth grader can easily follow it. It does stress the idea that Columbus thought he was led by (the Christian) God to "India", aka the new world, though always in terms of "he felt that", not that he "was". This could be a minor differentiation for middle school children, but could also be a good opportunity to discuss motivation and results (would the Native Americans have agreed that Columbus was divinely led? etc). There were a couple sticking points I had that were resolved in the endnotes, which should be easy to read but aren't necessarily clearly marked in the text; at least, I didn't see the usual indications for end notes. I'd recommend checking these out.
Overall, I enjoyed the read and the illustrations. It makes a great jumping off point for the life and exploration of Columbus.
Overall, I enjoyed the read and the illustrations. It makes a great jumping off point for the life and exploration of Columbus.
March 30, 2015
Fritz always has a fun, unifying idea for her biographies; for this one, she presents Columbus as a constant wayfarer, always off on an adventure or dreaming of one. Fritz mentions how "lucky" some events in Columbus's early life, but she also highlights how convinced Columbus was that God was leading him to do certain things (or sending him signs confirming his "chosen" status for certain events). Around a 5th grade reading level, its length and the cheerful, humorous, engaging prose makes it accessible to strong, younger readers as well. Margot Tomes' illustrations look dated at first glance, but they are a solid accompaniment. There are too few genuinely interesting and readable biographies for this age group! Look for the others by Fritz (there are quite a few about Revolutionary War era heroes).
April 19, 2012
Where do you think you're going, Christopher Columbus is about his journey to find a trading route from Spain to the Indies. It discuss how he landed in the new world thinking that it was Japan.
Christopher Columbus is someone that all of the students know about. He is also someone that some students would want to learn about outside of class because he is believed to be the founder of the new world. The author is very good at presenting Christopher Columbus as a real person.The information presented in the book was accurate and authentic based on the knowledge of researchers.
I feel that this book would be a good book to put out on the bookcase during Columbus day and when you are teaching the lesson about Christopher Columbus.
Christopher Columbus is someone that all of the students know about. He is also someone that some students would want to learn about outside of class because he is believed to be the founder of the new world. The author is very good at presenting Christopher Columbus as a real person.The information presented in the book was accurate and authentic based on the knowledge of researchers.
I feel that this book would be a good book to put out on the bookcase during Columbus day and when you are teaching the lesson about Christopher Columbus.
January 29, 2015
1. What is the main idea? Columbus's life and journey.
2. What is a fact? He is Italian.
3. What happened after Columbus went there? War began.
4. Why did war start? People thinks Christopher is stealing their land.
5. What is different between Columbus and some people in Italy? They sometimes disagree.
6. What do you think will happen next? War will start.
7. What does Christopher mean? Christ bearing.
8. You can tell that Columbus is cruel.
9. What is an opinion? Columbus is cruel.
10. What is a lesson? Don't be cruel.
11. What does American Indians refer to? Native Americans.
12. What can happen? Christopher sails.
2. What is a fact? He is Italian.
3. What happened after Columbus went there? War began.
4. Why did war start? People thinks Christopher is stealing their land.
5. What is different between Columbus and some people in Italy? They sometimes disagree.
6. What do you think will happen next? War will start.
7. What does Christopher mean? Christ bearing.
8. You can tell that Columbus is cruel.
9. What is an opinion? Columbus is cruel.
10. What is a lesson? Don't be cruel.
11. What does American Indians refer to? Native Americans.
12. What can happen? Christopher sails.
July 26, 2018
This is the story of Christopher Columbus's life and tells about the discovery of the New World by Columbus and several other explorers. Columbus is not glossed over and made to be a hero--he is described truthfully and realistically. The pictures that are included make the book more readable and help explain portions of the text. The reality of the story is pretty dark, but explained very matter-of-factly. There are disasters where lots of people drown, pictures show drowned faces under the water, and slave-taking is a usual occurrence. The story is a sad one, but children should know the legacy of their ancestors.
June 14, 2017
I love Jean Fritz! Her style is so fun, maybe even a little sarcastic. I think the tone of the book gives facts without judging the historical characters. After all, Columbus (who really did some terrible things) was just a product of his time. How can we, who live in a completely different era, judge him when really he thought he was doing everything for God, Gold, and Glory?
I learned so many fascinating things about Columbus and his 4 journeys to the Caribbean. Definitely a good primer for further study.
I learned so many fascinating things about Columbus and his 4 journeys to the Caribbean. Definitely a good primer for further study.
January 12, 2014
This biography by Jean Fritz is a good fit for middle-grade students. The book is not overly simplistic, nor is it bogged down with too many details. Fritz writes in a mildly entertaining manner which kept my son engaged in the material. The view of Columbus is relatively balanced. With a little bit of coaching, my son was able to conclude that, “although he was a good sailor, Christopher Columbus was not a good leader.”
September 3, 2017
Where Do You Think You’re Going, Christopher Columbus? tells the story of Christopher Columbus. It is made a bit gentle for kids, but does not shy away from things like capturing natives and sending them to Spain to be sold as slaves. Like all books by Jean Fritz, it’s easy to read and understand. I highly recommend this book for kids learning about Christopher Columbus or the opening of exploration of the new world by Europe.
April 1, 2015
There's plenty of information packed into this compact 80 page illustrated account of the famous "discovery" of the new world.
Of course C. Columbus died believing it was China, Japan, and India and NOT a "new world".
Of course C. Columbus died believing it was China, Japan, and India and NOT a "new world".
September 12, 2016
Great title, I think. A non-glorified and not simplistic story of CC. We enjoyed it.
April 6, 2014
Just right for an 11 year old who likes history. My son finished it in one sitting and said it was "very thorough."
August 16, 2014
Glad my son had to read this for school...I got a lot out of it, hearing more than just the glorified tales of Christopher Columbus.
May 17, 2015
Every child deserves to read Jean Fritz books. Well researched, a touch of humor and fascinating small facts. I continue to love history because of Fritz's writing.
February 5, 2024
A lighthearted, factually balanced account of Christopher Columbus's exploration and discovery of the new world.
January 27, 2018
Wrong info people followers of muhamed are called muslims not muhamedian this person was hiding under a rock all her life
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 12, 2018
Not a fan. At. All. Way too long. Not engaging. Not well illustrated or colorful. Just poorly done.
Read
February 9, 2020Jean Fritz's conversational, plain English style of telling history is also very insightful and interesting. She writes in a way that helps you know and understand a character that most history narratives miss.
In this book focusing on Christopher Columbus, Fritz reveals Columbus's motivations, drives, successes and failures in a way that helps you understand how it could all happen as it did. She also helps us see from the point of view of others around him.
In my experience with Jean Fritz, children actually miss many of the insights that adults get from these books. So this would be a great guided reading experience. Furthermore, it could lead to some wonderful critical thinking opportunities discussing whether Columbus is a "good guy" or "bad" based on what he did, especially in a day when Columbus has fallen out of favor for the ways his choices negatively affected native peoples.
In this book focusing on Christopher Columbus, Fritz reveals Columbus's motivations, drives, successes and failures in a way that helps you understand how it could all happen as it did. She also helps us see from the point of view of others around him.
In my experience with Jean Fritz, children actually miss many of the insights that adults get from these books. So this would be a great guided reading experience. Furthermore, it could lead to some wonderful critical thinking opportunities discussing whether Columbus is a "good guy" or "bad" based on what he did, especially in a day when Columbus has fallen out of favor for the ways his choices negatively affected native peoples.
February 11, 2025
If we must read of Columbus I suppose this is a good book for it.
Jean Fritz does a good job of describing Columbus and his journeys, the thoughts he had, and the support (and lack of support) he was given.
She gets quite sarcastic in much of the language, which, as an adult I can appreciate, but I’m not sure I do for children. We took quite a lot of breaks to explain specific language choices and why certain phrases were written in certain ways.
Columbus is an incredibly flawed man, he made many terrible choices and treated people incredibly poorly. I do not enjoy reading of him, but then again, history is filled with awful people and I am reminded of my own flaws as well.
This is a great point to introduce colonization and everything that it brings about.
I enjoyed it paired with the early American history guide from Beautiful Feet Books, it provided us with some wonderful questions to spark conversation.
Jean Fritz does a good job of describing Columbus and his journeys, the thoughts he had, and the support (and lack of support) he was given.
She gets quite sarcastic in much of the language, which, as an adult I can appreciate, but I’m not sure I do for children. We took quite a lot of breaks to explain specific language choices and why certain phrases were written in certain ways.
Columbus is an incredibly flawed man, he made many terrible choices and treated people incredibly poorly. I do not enjoy reading of him, but then again, history is filled with awful people and I am reminded of my own flaws as well.
This is a great point to introduce colonization and everything that it brings about.
I enjoyed it paired with the early American history guide from Beautiful Feet Books, it provided us with some wonderful questions to spark conversation.
October 6, 2024
Read aloud for part of 1st grade history. My 1st grader was able to track with the depth of content and it created healthy dialogue about how a man might have done something brave, but still was not someone to model ourselves after
January 2, 2025
This is an entertaining book about the confusion and stubborn persistence of Christopher Columbus. He is certain that he has found a passage to Eastern Asia, even though he is discovering new lands of the Americas.
Read
December 5, 2023Kids enjoyed this, and it’s a fairly balanced view of Columbus.
October 2, 2024
Read aloud
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews