Pedro's Journal

Because I've learned so much about History through the fictional books that I have read, I wanted to teach my kids the same way. We have been reading "The Story of the USA" in History and have recently finished the chapter on Columbus. To go with it, I checked out a book from the library titled, "Pedro's Journal...A Voyage with Christopher Columbus August 3, 1492-February 14, 1493" by Pam Conrad. Pedro, the fictional character, sailed with Columbus on his voyage to America and captured the experience in his journal. While this journal is only fiction, the writer uses what is historically known about Columbus and his trip to write the book. It put the kids right there in the ship and on the journey. It also taught them some bad things about Columbus that they didn't know, but that is all part of History...no need to sugar coat it. All in all, it was a great journey for the kids to go on with Pedro. Next, I am going to check out one about the pilgrims journey to America and the start of the colonies. I'm so excited to be able to incorporate these books into our curriculum. I LOVE TO READ!! I have learned so much through books...fiction and non-fiction. I think the fictional books are great tools for learning :).