Encounter

This retelling of Christopher Columbus's first landfall is told from the point of view of a Taino boy who senses that it will be bad from the time that the ships lay anchor in the harbor. He sees through all the supposed kindnesses that Columbus and his men offer and is one of the Taino that are tricked into being kidnapped by the sailors when they depart. He luckily jumps overboard, however, and returns to the islands to warn his people. Sadly, his warnings go unheeded because he is a child, and his people are overcome by the Spaniards that are to come later until no more of his culture remains. This is a well told story, despite its depressing overtone. It's historical, and when a period in history is that dark, there's no avoiding the tone matching the history. This is another great example of historical fiction by Jane Yolen. ( )

Good read aloud for Columbus day any age.... 9 2nd- 5th) offers a view point from the natives when Columbus landed in the "new World." Good illustrations - multi cultural iimages

Jane Yolen offers a converse view of Christopher Columbus' discovery of the new world from the perspective of the indigenous people who were the resipient of Spanish colonization. The acrylic artwork, provided by David Shannon, adds depth and context to the story by showing the mental and physical visions of the native child who recalls the arrival of the "pale strangers." This book should definitely be used in conjunction with other literary resources when discussing Christopher Columbus to show the differences in author intent and subject matter. ( )

Prolific TRAD, FAN author
Spanish language edition also available
Shannon's acrylics powerful in both realistic & fantasy genre here; notes his concerns about historical accuracy and audience.
Read-aloud for History, New World intro units

This is a good text to use when trying to help students develop their critical literacy skils. The story is told from the perspective of a young native boy whose island is 'found' by Columbus. The boy tells the reader how he distrusts Columbus and his men and tries to warn his people who don't see Columbus as a threat. The boy and others are taken by Columbus, but the boy escapes and swims back to the island. He regrets how Columbus destroyed his people and their culture. ( )