Customer Reviews

Encounter (Voyager books)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

First found this book when I was student teaching. Such a powerful book, both to teach history/social studies and to see that every story has two sides. I've been in 2 classrooms since and have decided I can't live without this book.

For the first few years in school, children learn about Columbus the hero. You get the ships and the voyage and the alleged discovery. When I taught third grade I would read this book around Columbus day and it was shock and awe with the kids. The thought that Columbus might not have been such a hero created dead silence around my room. Some felt duped by their second and first grade teachers. A conversation really begins to take hold about information and where it comes from and what you should or should not just assume to be true. It is higher level thinking at its best. After reading this book and having the discussions that followed, many of my students began asking many more questions about the other side of every argument. What a valuable lesson! For many of my students it was a brave new world.

Chris Bowen
Author of, Our Kids: Building Relationships in the Classroom

"The Encounter" written by Jane Yolen, is a historically accurate fiction. As a departure from the other writing style she shows, this book is not light-hearted, but rather a serious work written with an intention to educate. Of course, to keep the reader focussed and interested in a story that s/he may have heard hundreds of times already, some high drama is added.

The book leaves one with a slight over-all feeling of sorrow, but accomplishes its purpose. Read it, even if you decide not to own it. For a bit of a pick-me-up, re-read Jane Yolen's "Wizard's Hall" (very entertaining, even after four years of looking).

The book, Encounter, was so astonishing because of it's vivid descriptions. Not only did it express the arrival of Christopher Columbus through another's eyes, but it was through a child that the story was told. No one believed him because he was so young and they believed that the dream that had been sent to him was just a nightmare. He could tell that they were evil and greedy ever since they set foot in his home. The new arrivers had treated his people like indians, believing that their gifts were to great for such lowly people. Their clothes were so colorful compared to the clothes that wore. After being accepted in a new territory they compensated by having people taken away from them to become slaves. But still no one listened to such a small boy. He escaped and that's how he was able to tell his tale to others, but it was too late. All the people he had once knew were taken away from him forever. I really liked this book because it was in the point of view from someone so young and innocent.

Encounter is a book for young children, usually for a story-telling time. When I was reading the book, I thought the story was highly conceptual. Having written that, it is usually a good idea that the storyteller to explain the details in more informative way. That way, the kids won't be frustrated with the vagueness of it. I warn you, the story of Encounter will lead to a depressing ending, so I am kind of unsure if the book is a good idea for kids to be exposed to the story. It is not depressing in a terrible way but rather in an enlightening way because the story is true and it did happen. The book is quite aimed at defiling the accomplishments of Columbus and his counterparts for creating New World. So, take care of how you want to teach the kids from the book and make it a worthwhile experience. The pictures of Encounter are above average and somewhat drab. There are a few choice words (i.e., zemis) that are not directly explained but rather illustrated in the pictures (and you need to make an effort to look for them). All in all, Encounter could be used for children but wisely.

Through the written word of Jane Yolen and the magnificent illustrations by artist David Shannon, we are given one of the most thought provoking children's books available as to the subject of early American, and indeed, European history. Recent historical writings, fed by some adjustments in our overall way of perceiving the early settlement of the Americas and their exploitation by European powers, have shed a new light on and caused most of us to take a second look as to our attitudes and conclusions as to the famous "Columbus Discovers America" story that most school children almost know by heart.

Before I begin, I must admit that it is extremely tempting to begin a historical, political, social and ethical rant after reading this work as an adult. Make no mistake; I have extremely strong views and opinions when it comes to evaluating Columbus and his actions, which are rather strongly reinforced by a wife who is a rather militant lady of overwhelming Native American heritage. These views and opinions, for me, were forged long before it became the "in" thing to trash the famous explorer. I will not, in this review, place my views to the forefront, but attempt, to simply review the book for what it is.

This is the story of the landing and first encounter of Columbus and his crew as they met the indigenous people of Hispaniola (Haiti) which were called the Taino people. It is told through the eyes of a young boy who through a dream, fears that a great evil has descended upon their land. They boy tries to warn his people not to accept these strange beings; to reject them. His people do not listen to him of course and then the inevitable occurs and of course history is played out.

While the author has used gentle words to form the text of his story and Shannon has beautifully illustrated the work, the adult reader should be aware that this is a very depressing story. There are aspects of the work that the young reader most certainly needs to be guided through; points of understanding that will need explanation. As an example, it should be noted that the author has use a completely illiterate child to tell the story, and done it quite effectively, but some of the opinions and observations of this child would certainly not be politically correct in this day and age. The child does indeed base much of his dislike and fear toward these strangers on the simply fact that they have different speech (they sound like barking dogs to his ear), their skin color, dress and habits. This needs adult explanation in some cases.

As the author points out in his notes, it is estimated that the native populations, Taino men, women and children was approximately 300,000 at the time of first contact. Only 50 years later the population was less than 500. Today there not longer exist "full-blooded Taino. No trace of their original religion remains, no remnants of the social customs linger. It is estimated that throughout the entire area the population of these peoples was probably at 16 million; again, they are no more.

This folks, in my view is more than a little depressing. It is more than likely to put a tear or two in your eye as you finish.

To read this work as a class will bring up hour upon hour of discussion and conversation. It gives a different view of our relative recent past and gives the little ones some food for thought. I personally would not use this work for a class under the 4th grade...but then each class is different and that is for the teacher and/or parent to decide.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

What I like about this book is that it gives the story of Columbus from another perspective, that of the natives. What I don't like is that the pictures portray Columbus as being evil, when I think he might have just been ignorant. He did not deliberately harm the natives. In fact, this comes from Columbus' own diary- "I want the natives to develop a friendly attitude toward us because I know that they are a people who can be made free and converted to our Holy Faith more by love than by force." He also made sure that his men took nothing from the natives without trading something in return. Columbus believed these people were being taken as slaves from others in nearby islands and thought he was helping them by converting them to Christianity and taking them back to Europe. This was ignorance on his part, not bad intentions. If this book is used with school-aged children, I would say to introduce it no earlier than grade three or four.

Encounters is a perfect book to help introduce students to Shakespeare's play, The Tempest. The display of how Columbus reacted to his meeting with the indiginous people is creative and historical. When Prospero and his daughter are exiled to the island and meet the indiginous people there, it is eerily similar.

this book is about when christopher colmbus came to america and first met the natives. It shows that they white explorers wernt really that great, and were not kind to the natives. I think that this book is ok, beacuse it shows the cruelty of the englsih exploers.

This book was received in a timely manner and in great shape. I am using this book to show the students the view of the Native Americans as they saw the white man coming to America.