Recommended Reading
Young Readers
Intermediate Readers
Advanced Readers
Supplemental Reading
Most of the books in the Spanish Empire Classical Library are intended for
intermediate and advanced readers rather than grammar school age students.
Stories of the early Spanish explorers and adventurers are suitable for
students of any age, but in the realm of politics, Spanish and Latin
American history present difficulties for youngsters, particularly during
the 19th century, when Latin countries throughout the Americas gained
their independence, but struggled to form stable governments.
Young Readers' Core Selections
These selections are engaging and easy-to-read for elementary school students.
They focus mostly on exploration rather than political history.
Stories from Don Quixote is a particularly good rendition of the classic,
appropriate for grammar school students.
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The Men Who Found America by F. W. Hutchinson
This book provides an excellent introduction to the exploration of the Americas.
It provides adventure packed short biographies of Columbus, Cortez, Pizarro,
Hudson, La Salle, Balboa, De Vaca, Raleigh, Champlain, and many others. The
author is very even handed in his treatment of explorers and Indians, and makes
moral distinctions between the most abusive conquistadors, and the relatively
noble missionary explorers.
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Stories of Don Quixote by James Baldwin
This adapted version of Cervantes' classic Don Quixote was rewritten to make it
accessible to grammar school children. The tone and humor of the original is
well preserved. Cervantes' original is famous for its portrayal of quirky
characters, and Baldwin's book does an excellent job of faithfully representing
these fascinating towns-fellows.
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The Story of Columbus by Gladys M. Imlach
The Story of Columbus does not end when he discovered the American Continent in
1492. In his lifetime he made four voyages to the New World and instead of
enjoying honor and rewards, he suffered a great deal due to jealous colleagues
and scheming courtiers. The promise of gold brought out the worst in almost
everyone, as this book, which retraces the fifteen years after Columbus's great
discovery, makes clear. A fascinating character study appropriate for
sophisticated grammar school students.
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Intermediate Readers' Core Selections
The intermediate selections include easy-to-understand comprehensive
histories of Spain and Latin America. Our selection on the history of Mexico focuses only on
the Spanish conquest of Mexico, and does not present a complete Mexican
history, but it is a terrifically compelling story that is sure to
hold the interest of any reader. The Adventures of Magellan
is only one of a number of excellent biographies of explorers, but
it gives fascinating insights into the lives of both the
Spanish conquistadors and the native peoples.
The legend of El Cid, one of the
greatest heroes in Spanish history, provides an insightful study into the
Spanish character and its traditional ideal of chivalry.
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The History of Spain by Frederick Ober
This short history of Spain provides a succinct introduction to
Spanish history for the intermediate reader. It was written by an
American author who lived for many years in the West Indies, and covers all the
important events of Spanish history from the age of the Phoenician and
Carthaginian Traders to the Spanish-American War of 1898.
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Stories of South America by E. C. Brooks
This book provides an excellent introduction to history of South America,
with special attention to the 19th century. It introduces all the major
heroes of South American independence in insightful detail, including
Miranda, San Martin, Bolivar, O'Higgins, and Don Pedro of Brazil. It also
provides a more thoughtful critique of the various republican factions
that embroiled the continent, than some other histories.
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The Boys' Prescott by Helen Ward Banks
The Conquest of the Empire of the Aztecs by Cortes and his
conquistadors is one of the most dramatic and consequential tales in all
history. This book tells the story in fascinating detail and is based on
Prescott's famous and sympathetic account. The story of how Cortes was
able to rally his desperate band of followers, conquer and befriend
dozens of neighboring tribes, and topple an aggressive empire with hundreds
of thousands of warriors in arms, is simply astounding. The secondary characters
including Montezuma, Cortez' translator and consort Marina, his Spanish enemies
Velasquez and Narvaez, and his Tlaxcalan allies are all portrayed with
great depth and interest. A truly spellbinding story
told with supreme insight.
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The Adventures of Magellan by George M. Towle
The story of Magellan's voyage around the world is one of almost
uninterrupted adventure and peril. His men faced harrowing hardships,
storms, mutiny, disease, starvation, sunstroke, shipwreck, cowardice
and desertion, treachery, savage warfare, and vicious national jealousies.
Yet at great cost they prevailed over all obstacles and after three
years one of Magellan's ships returned to Spain with only 18 of the 250
who set forth. This book follows one of the greatest adventure stories
of all time and introduces dozens of fascinating indigenous peoples the
Spanish encountered in their voyages.
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The Story of El Cid by Calvin Dill Wilson
The Legend of the Cid was based on a real character in medieval Spain, who has
been honored by all Spaniards as a model of chivalry. This delightful rendition
is tells the complete tale of the Cid, a noble Christian knight who served a
faithless king. Driven into exile by jealous courtiers, he conquered much of
Moslem Spain, including the great city of Valencia, and won admiration from both
his Christian and Moslem subjects by his bravery and fair dealing.
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Advanced Readers' Core Selections
The advanced selections feature more sophisticated histories of
Spain and Mexico than are provided by the intermediate collection.
Noll's A Short History of Mexico, is shorter
and more balanced than many other Mexican histories, and Bonner's
A Child's History of Spain is a very readable and complete
account of Spanish history.
Selections from two other particularly excellent series are also
recommended for advanced readers. Charles Morris's Historical Tales,
includes volumes on Spanish and Spanish American history that
are full of entertaining and romantic episodes from Latin history.
Just as compelling is Frederick Ober's
Heroes of American Exploration series, which provides detailed and fascinating biographies
of the adventurers and conquistadores who discovered the American
continent. We have only included his volume on Balboa in the
following selections but the whole series, is excellent.
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A Child's History of Spain by John Bonner
This concise and well-illustrated history of Spain begins with stories from
Visigoth Spain, and ends in the late 19th century, immediately before the
Spanish-American war. It covers the history of the Moors in Spain and the
Reconquista thoroughly, and fairly. Much attention is paid to the exploits of
Columbus and Cortes, but most other Spanish explorers are not discussed in
detail. The final portion of the book is dedicated to the decline of Spain under
the Hapsburg and Bourbon monarchs.
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A Short History of Mexico by Arthur Howard Noll
This history of Mexico from the earliest history of the Aztecs to the
administration of Porfirio Diaz in 1900 is a thorough and well-balanced
look at the troubled history of Mexico. It includes three chapters on
the achievements of the Spanish Viceroys—a peaceful period frequently
omitted entirely from Mexican histories, and presents a balanced rather
than a partisan view of the century-long conflict between clerical and secular
interests following Mexico's Independence from Spain.
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Stories of South America by E. C. Brooks
This book provides an excellent introduction to history of South America,
with special attention to the 19th century. It introduces all the major
heroes of South American independence in insightful detail, including
Miranda, San Martin, Bolivar, O'Higgins, and Don Pedro of Brazil and
provides a more thoughtful critique of the various republican factions
that embroiled the continent, than some other histories.
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Historical Tales: Spanish,
Spanish American by Charles Morris
This collection of stories from Latin America begins during the age of the
Spanish Conquistadors and include lesser known tales such as Lantaro, the hero
of the Araucanians, Hidalgo, Paez, and Cudjoe of the Maroons, as well as
familiar stories of Pizarro and Cortez. The histories are continued all the way
to the end of the 19th century, and the years prior to the Mexican Revolution.
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Vasco Nunez de Balboa by Frederick Ober
Balboa is most famous for discovering the Pacific ocean, but this was but one
incident in a swashbuckling life. After running amok in Hispaniola, Balboa
escaped from the island by stowing away in a barrel, and founded the first
Spanish settlement in the region of Darien (modern Panama) by first battling,
and then making alliances with several important chieftains. After making his
famous discovery he lost control of the colony, and for the next few years was
at loggerheads with the new governor Pedrarias, his arch-nemesis. It was a
battle he ultimately lost, along with his head on the executioners block.
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Supplemental Reading Selections
We recommend that students who are studying Exploration and the Spanish Empire
read four or more selections from our supplemental
reading list in addition to their core material.
The selections should be age and interest appropriate, but students can select their
supplemental reading from any difficulty level.
Copyright © Heritage History 2012
All rights reserved
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