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Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan will forever be known for leading the first successful expedition to sail around the world. Readers will learn about the early life and voyages of this early sixteenth-century Portuguese explorer, his discovery of what would later be named the "Strait of Magellan" and his fleet's death-defying journey across the Pacific Ocean. Author David Aretha describes how Magellan ingeniously avoided mutiny, struggled against impossible odds to keep his crew alive, and was ultimately killed before his last remaining ship returned to Spain with its few surviving crew members.
* Reviews *
After a preliminary chapter that takes readers into the crux of the story, each book backtracks to the explorers early life and the history surrounding each voyage. Admittedly it is difficult to inject much verve into the Old World politics, but these sections feel dutiful and bland. The books are best when the exploration is underway, although the authors make only limited use of the first-person accounts available. Different problems arise when the adventurers land: specifically, when they meet the locals. In LaSalle, native North Americans are referred to as Indians, a rather dated choice that is extra curious given that in Magellan the natives of the Indian subcontinent are also called Indians. DeSotos slaughter and enslavement of South, Central, and North American native peoples (also called Indians) would seem to merit more discussion, while his actions in battle are called brave and heroic. Photos and reproductions of archival items are often small, cropped, or of poor quality; maps are inconsistent and low on detail, and the design can only be called amateurish. The Library of Explorers and Exploration (Rosen) offers a more balanced and questioning presentation, and has a more extensive use of primary sources and full-bleed art., School Library Journal April 2009
RL
Grades
6-7 IL
Grades
6-12+ GRL
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