Who Discovered America?
Grade 4–6—With interesting sidebars and engaging illustrations and photos, this "whodunit" of sorts describes, on a spread each, evidence for the journeys of various groups who discovered, or claimed to have discovered, this continent. Since most explorers arrived here by water, boats play a large role in the story. In the early 1400s, for example, "swimming dragons," with decks bigger than football fields, set out from China. Wyatt writes clearly about how scientists unlock clues to how and when various groups could have made landfall. Columbus gets a mention, along with the Norse, Welsh, Irish, Africans, and, of course, the aboriginal settlers from Asia. The time line dates from 40,000 years ago to Columbus's voyage. Raising perhaps more questions than it answers, this book leaves it to readers to decide the solution to the mystery. It complements Russell Freedman's more in-depthWho Was First?: Discovering the Americas(Clarion, 2007).—Anne Chapman Callaghan, Racine Public Library, WICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to theHardcoveredition.