The books listed below may be available through publishers, distributors such as bookstores or online retailers, or library systems.
Books for Independent Reading
EASY- The Discovery of the Americas
- by Betsy Maestro. Lothrup, Lee & Shepard, 1991
- The story of hypothetical and historical voyages of discovery to the Americas, from the Phoenicians to Magellan.
- Exploration and Conquest
- by Betsy Maestro. Lothrup, Lee & Shepard, 1994
- Illustrated account of European exploration and conquest of the Americas.
- In 1492
- by Jean Marzallo. Scholastic, Inc., 1991
- Rhyming text describes Christopher Columbus's first voyage to the New World.
- Old Silver Leg Takes Over
- by Robert Quackenbush. Prentice-Hall, 1986
- A brief biography of the Dutchman who arrived in 1647 to be governor of New Amsterdam.
- Pueblo Boy: Growing Up in Two Worlds
- by Marcia Keegan. Dutton, 1991
- The adventures of a boy growing up in a pueblo in New Mexico that looks today almost as it did when the Spanish arrived in the American southwest.
- Sarah Morton's Day
- by Kate Waters. Scholastic, Inc., 1991
- Text and photos follow a Pilgrim girl through a typical day at Plimoth Plantation.
- Clambake: A Wampanoag Tradition
- by Russell M. Peters. Lerner Publications, 1992
- A twelve-year-old Wampanoag native American learns from his grandfather how to prepare a traditional clambake.
- The Double Life of Pocahantas
- by Jean Fritz. Putnam, 1983
- Biography of the famous young Native American woman from Virginia.
- I, Columbus: My Journal 1492-93
- by Peter and Connie Roop. Walker and Co., 1990
- Columbus's voyage of discovery as recounted in the journal he kept of his travels.
- Marco Polo
- by Gian Paolo Cesarani. Putnam, 1982
- The adventures of the 13th century Venetian merchant who wrote about his travels and life at the court of Kublai Khan.
- Where Do You Think You're Going, Christopher Columbus?
- by Jean Fritz. Putnam, 1980
- An engaging look at the voyages of Columbus who was determined to beat everyone in the race to the Indies.
- Who Really Discovered America?
- by Stephen Krensky. Hastings House, 1987
- Examines the many sides of the controversy over who really “discovered” America.
- Beyond the Mists
- by Nathaniel Benchley. Harper Collins, 1975
- The story of a young Viking boy as he survives battles and explores Greenland and Vinland (North America).
- Christopher Columbus: How He Did It
- by Charlotte & David Yue. Houghton Mifflin, 1992
- A detailed description of Columbus's voyage to the New World in 1492.
- Constance, A Story of Early Plymouth
- by Patricia Clapp. Lothrup, Lee & Shepard, 1968
- Constance's voyage from England to America on the Mayflower and the struggles and triumphs of her new life.
- Hakon of Rogen's Saga
- by E.C. Haugaard. Houghton Mifflin, 1963
- The saga of a young Viking as he comes of age and seeks his birthright.
- Henry Hudson
- by Ronald Syne. Morrow, 1955
- A biography of Hudson, the sailor who explored the river and the Arctic bay that now bear his name.
- Morning Girl
- by Michael Dorris. Hyperion, 1992
- Morning Girl and her brother, Star Boy, take turns describing their life on an island in pre-Columbian America.
Read Aloud and Reference Books
READ ALOUD BOOKS- Samuel Eaton's Day
- by Kate Waters. Scholastic, Inc., 1993
- Text and photos follow a young Pilgrim boy through a busy harvest day.
- Thunder From the Clear Sky
- by Marcia Sewall. Atheneum, 1995
- The story of the meetings between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoags that led eventually to King Philip's War.
- Circling the Globe
- Sue Grabham, ed. Kingfisher, 1995
- This comprehensive cultural atlas tells about countries, their peoples, and their ways of life.
- Columbus and the World Around Him
- by Milton Meltzer. Franklin Watts Ltd., 1990
- Describes the voyages of Columbus, the impact of the Spanish on the Native Americans, and finally the cultural influence of the Native Americans on Europeans.
- Life in the Time of Montezuma and the Aztecs
- by Roy Burrell. Raintree Publishers, 1993
- The history, religion, social structure, and daily life of the Aztecs and their contact with the Spanish.
- The Travels of Marco Polo
- by Richard Humble. Franklin Watts Ltd., 1990
- The journeys of Marco Polo, including his trip to the court of the Mongol emperor, Kublai Khan.
- The World's Great Explorers: Leif Erikson and the Vikings
- by Charnan Simon. Childrens Press, 1991
- The voyages of the Norse explorer who sailed west from Greenland in search of new land.