Who was first? : discovering the Americas

Title:

Author:

Freedman, Russell, 1929-2018, author.

Contents:

Before Columbus -- Admiral of the ocean sea -- Did China discover America? -- Leif the lucky -- The not-so-new world -- Who really discovered America?

Physical Description:

vii, 88 p. : ill. (chiefly col.), col. maps ; 25 cm.

Subject Term:

Explorers -- America -- Biography -- Juvenile literature.

Geographic Term:

America -- Discovery and exploration -- Juvenile literature.

America -- Discovery and exploration -- Pre-Columbian -- Juvenile literature.

Publisher:

Clarion Books,

Electronic Access:

Table of contents only

Publication Date:

2007

ISBN:

9780618663910

Publication Information:

New York : Clarion Books, c2007.

Call Number:

J 970.01 FREEDMA

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607002050584	Juvenile Nonfiction	970.01 FREEDMA	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Many generations of American schoolchildren were taught that Columbus discovered America, and a holiday reminds us every October. But historical investigation in recent years has shown us otherwise. There is evidence that adventurers, explorers, traders, and nomads from various parts of the globe set foot on American soil long before 1492. And expeditions that landed in the Americas reported people already living there--indicating that America had been "discovered" before.
Russell Freedman brings his legendary skills as researcher and storyteller to this fresh and intriguing look at the American past. Colorful legends and first-person accounts are woven into the riveting narrative, which also illuminates the way historians and mapmakers have gathered, evaluated, and recorded information throughout the ages.

Author Notes

Russell Freedman was born in San Francisco, California on October 11, 1929. He received a bachelor's degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley in 1951. After college, he served in the U.S. Counter Intelligence Corps during the Korean War. After his military service, he became a reporter and editor with the Associated Press. In 1956, he took a position at the advertising agency J. Walter Thompson in New York, where he did publicity writing for television. In 1965, he became a full-time writer.

His first book, Teenagers Who Made History, was published in 1961. He went on to publish more than 60 nonfiction titles for young readers including Immigrant Kids, Cowboys of the Old West, Indian Chiefs, Martha Graham: A Dancer's Life, Confucius: The Golden Rule, Because They Marched: The People's Campaign for Voting Rights That Changed America, Vietnam: A History of the War, and The Sinking of the Vasa. He received the Newbery Medal for Lincoln: A Photobiography and three Newbery Honors for Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery, The Wright Brothers: How They Invented the Airplane, and The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights. He also received the Regina Medal, the May Hill Arbuthnot Lecture Award, the Orbis Pictus Award, the Sibert Medal, a Sibert Honor, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, and the National Humanities Medal. He died on March 16, 2018 at the age of 88.

(Bowker Author Biography)

Reviews (1)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 5-9-With characteristic polish, documentation, and readability, Freedman examines the evidence for determining who first discovered the Americas. Despite traditional historical emphasis on European discoveries, "tens of millions" of Native Americans were living here when these renowned explorers arrived. The author devotes separate chapters to Columbus's New World voyages, Chinese treasure-ship expeditions under Admiral Zheng He, and the "New World" wanderings of Leif Eriksson and the Vikings. But, with well-established Native American civilizations already in America, the bigger question is where they came from and when. Theories of Stone Age migration, DNA links to other cultures, and the location of carbon-dated artifacts provide clues but no definitive proof about the mysterious origins of the first Americans. This focused, investigative presentation will enhance collections that typically feature individual explorer biographies or descriptions of specific ancient Native American civilizations. Freedman conveys the allure of history and research through anecdotes, archaeological evidence, maps and illustrations, different points of view, and unanswered questions. His "Chapter Notes" and annotated "Selected Bibliography" are informative models of style and technique for young researchers. Students will discover fascinating information as well as a fine example of the research process in this thought-provoking work.-Gerry Larson, Durham School of the Arts, NC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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Reviews (1)

School Library Journal Review