📖 Exploration and Conquest by Betsy and Giulio Maestro. The second book of the American Story Series covers the time period from 1500–1620, with a focus on the New World explorations undertaken by the Spanish, English, and French. – Elementary

🔗 Content Connection: World History – Exploration. Learn more about the European Age of Exploration.

🔗 Content Connection: World History – Vikings. The Vikings established a settlement in North America around 1000 AD.

📖 Follow the Dream: The Story of Christopher Columbus by Peter Sis. Peter Sis' beautiful illustrations recommend this book as an introduction to the story of Christopher Columbus and his journey across the Atlantic. Minimal text. – Preschool • Elementary

📖 A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus by David Adler. This entry in Adler's Picture Book series provides a brief account of Columbus' childhood, his efforts to get support for a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean, and his arrival in the New World. – Preschool • Elementary

📖 Encounter by Jane Yolen. In Encounter, the story of Columbus' arrival is told from the point of view of a young Taino boy; this is not a happy book. – Elementary • Middle

📖 Pedro’s Journal by Peter Koeppen and Pam Conrad. This is a fictional account of Christopher Columbus’ first voyage, told from the perspective of a cabin boy. “It is August 3, 1492 and Pedro de Salcedo has had little experience at sea or aboard a ship. But he can read and write—a rare skill for a boy of his times—and because of this, he is assigned as ship's boy to a sailing vessel bound for India. The ship’s commander is … Christopher Columbus, and Pedro de Salcedo, along with the 40 other men aboard the Santa Maria, are riding with him into history.” – Elementary • Middle

📖 Beyond the Sea of Ice: The Voyages of Henry Hudson by Joan Goodman and Fernando Rangel. This beautifully illustrated book details the four voyages of Henry Hudson, two of which brought him to the North American continent and to the bay and river that today bear his name. – Elementary • Middle

📖 Walk the World’s Rim by Betty Baker. “A 14-year old Indian joins Cabeza de Vaca's 16th-century expedition through the Southwest. – Elementary • Middle