WHO DISCOVERED AMERICA?

Designed to appeal to middle-grade readers, this overview of the many theories and archeological discoveries relating to human presence in the Americas goes backward in time, from Columbus in 1492 to the possible footprints in Toluquilla Quarry near Mexico City from 40,000 years ago, or earlier. Photographs and Woo’s gently humorous cartoon illustrations enliven topical double-page spreads; occasional maps and boxed sidebars add information. Wyatt ranges far more widely than most writers on this subject, mentioning potential explorers and discoverers from as far away as Australia and as distant in time as Paleolithic Europe. She mentions archeological discoveries by an African-American cowboy and a teenage boy as well as the more usual experts. Readers will be delighted by the variety of boats shown—replicas of the Santa Maria, a Chinese “swimming dragon” and the Irish Saint Brendan’s leather boat as well as a Welsh coracle and Inuit umiak. Fascinating fare for the historically curious. (timeline, index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)