Chistopher Columbus

by Ann McGovern

Book by mcgovern, ann

Genres: Biography, American History, Picture Books, Childrens, History, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published January 1, 1962

About the author

Ann McGovern Scheiner (née Weinberger) was an American writer of more than 55 children's books, selling over 30 million copies. She may be best known for her adaptation of Stone Soup, as well as Too Much Noise, historical and travel non-fiction, and biographies of figures like Harriet Tubman and Deborah Sampson Gannett and Eugenie Clark.

Reviews

[Michelle Hessler]

Christopher Columbus written by Ann McGovern details the life of Columbus and all of his accomplishments. This book is told in picture book format which adds to its appeal. The book includes important dates such as when Columbus sailed his ship. This book is a book that falls under informational text. The book is a biography that gives readers an insight into the life of this historical figure. The illustrations in this book were very detailed and were on every page of the book. They really brought the text to life and this added a lot to the book. The illustrations really capture the reader’s attention and help keep it for longer.

This book really enhanced my knowledge of Christopher Columbus and all of his accomplishments in his time. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about this topic. I learned a lot about Columbus’ journey and his travels across the unknown oceans. This book would be good for those in middle school, or even younger grades such as fourth or fifth grades. This book did a great job of introducing and explaining this topic for readers. This book was a very great informational book and fits very well within its genre.

[Jenna Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: This biography is about Christopher Columbus and his journey to America. We learn about his life growing up and his adventures traveling the seas.

Characteristics: This book has beautiful painted images of Christopher Columbus and the seas. There are not pictures on each page so they are carefully placed to help the reader create an image in their mind and then view what the artist paints to portray the ideas.

Mentor Writing Trait:
Organization: This biography is organized in an simple and easy-to-read style. The font is bolded and sentences are spaced well to allow an easier reading experience for students. The images throughout the biography support the text and engage readers in learning about Christopher Columbus.

Classroom Integration: This would be a neat book to have in my classroom library. It teaches students about Christopher Columbus and the discovery of America. It also allows students to visualize what Christopher Columbus was experiencing throughout his life and as he travelled the seas. This book would also be a good biography to have if students are working on research projects.

Reading Level: P

[Shane · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book glosses over many important details about the life of Christopher Columbus and tends to glorify his exploits as mainly positive. Obviously this book is written for children, but maybe it is more appropriate to discuss such topics at a more mature age. Glorifying a man who would use natives as forced labor and continually show no care but for gold is not a person our children should look up to. His voyages were a very important part of history, but should be placed in a proper context.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christopher Columbus, by Ann McGovern starts with Christopher as a child and tells of his entire life, including the good and bad times and the deceptions that the Portagese court pulled on him. It tells of his marriages, children and how he worked toward a life long goal.

The book is based on Columbus's journals, letters and books written about him, one by his son and one by a close friend. At the end is a couple of pages telling how the research was used to write the book, including descriptions of what he looked like, where he traveled and lived and how he finally found backing from the queen of Spain.

This is a well illustrated book that gives historical perspective to an important event in the discover of the Americas.

[Mrs Getz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like this was a good biography read aloud for elementary. It had times of highs and times of lows that kept the students interest and had enough depth to fill a 30 minute class.