History Smashers: Christopher Columbus and the Taino People

by Kate Messner, Jose Barreiro, Falynn Koch (Illustrator)

Overview

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth about Christopher Columbus, and learn all about the Taino people. Perfect for fans of the I Survived books and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales.

In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed across the ocean and discovered America. Right? WRONG! Columbus never actually set foot in what is now the United States. His voyages took him to islands in the Caribbean and along the coast of South America.

The truth is, when Columbus first arrived, Indigenous peoples, including the Taino, had been living there for thousands of years, raising their families, running their societies, and trading with their neighbors. He didn’t “discover” the lands at all! And his name? Not even really Christopher Columbus! Cowritten by bestselling author Kate Messner and our country’s premier Taino scholar, this fascinating addition to the series is the one that teachers have been asking for and that kids need to read.

Discover the nonfiction series that demolishes everything you thought you knew about history. Don’t miss History Smashers: The Mayflower, Women's Right to Vote, and Pearl Harbor.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593564264
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	08/08/2023
Series:	History Smashers Series , #8
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	105,440
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	1070L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

KATE MESSNER is passionately curious and writes books that encourage kids to wonder, too. Her titles include award-winning picture books, like Over and Under the Snow; novels, like Breakout and Chirp; the Fergus and Zeke easy reader series and the popular Ranger in Time chapter books; and works of nonfiction with a focus on nature and history.
JOSÉ BARREIRO is a Cuban-born American writer, journalist, and former professor of Native American studies at Cornell University. He is a member of the Taíno Nation of the Antilles.

Editorial Reviews

"With witty text and entertaining sidebars that add context, this highly illustrated myth-buster will entice reluctant readers and history buffs alike." -School Libray Journal

From the Publisher

08/01/2023

Gr 3–7—Messner continues her "History Smashers" nonfiction series with this eighth installment about the infamous Christopher Columbus and his encounters with the Taínos, one of the Indigenous groups that lived in the Caribbean for thousands of years before 1492. Coauthored by Taíno scholar Barreiro, this volume thoroughly bursts the bubble of any Columbus defenders who venerate the explorer for supposedly discovering the Americas. This outing organizes the history by Columbus's four voyages, detailing his quest to find a route to Asia and his multiple failures to do so. Along the way, readers learn about how actively involved he was in the fashioning and falsifying of his own narrative and how he used the recently created Gutenberg printing press to propagate the lies that have been taught in our history textbooks. The engaging design captures the humorous tone of the work. Peppered throughout with Koch's comics-style panels and funny but educational asides, this highly visual package offers a layered and well-rounded presentation of the true nature of the "Age of Exploration" and the genocide of an entire group of people. Reproductions, photos, maps, a time line focusing on the Taínos, recommended reading, and a bibliography back up the ample research. With witty text and entertaining sidebars that add context, this highly illustrated myth-buster will entice reluctant readers and history buffs alike. VERDICT Libraries will want to add where Nathan Hale's "Hazardous Tales," and the previous "History Smashers" are popular. This accessible curricular tie-in is perfect for history units.—Shelley M. Diaz

School Library Journal