Ruth W. Harley

Very few would be solvable to the average child, and I can't imagine anyone older than 9 being interested. The copy on openlibrary.org is missing the last couple of pages, but nothing important. Only good if you're even more 'desperate' than I am for Encyclopedia Brown stories.

This story tells of Ferdinand Magellan's life and the trials he came through. He was born in 1480 in Portugal and he grew up learning navigation in the Queen's palace. He joined the army worked to supply ships, but he knew he wanted to sail on one. After being disgraced by the new King, he went to Spain and the King of Spain agreed to send him on a voyage to secure more land. Magellan had many men who were against him for different reasons, but he was a noble man and took care of his crew show more when times were tough. After sailing across the Pacific Ocean, he realized he had almost circumnavigated around the world. Unfortunately, he was killed in a battle with some islanders. When only one ship returned to Spain, the captain of that ship was celebrated as the hero, but history remembers Ferdinand Magellan as the real hero.

Students may learn from this book about Ferdinand Magellan and the trials a seaman would face during his time over 400 years ago. show less