BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW
Luis de Torres, or Yosef ben HaLevi Halvri, his true name, decides to leave Spain, as he is a Jew. The Queen and King of Spain decreed all Jews must convert to Catholicism or leave Spain. Luis boards a ship for the Far East, hired on due to his language skills. He meets other Jews aboard the ship, waiting to set sail. The original sail date was a holy day for Jews, a bad day to sail. The commander agrees to not sail until a bad storm passes. Luis is aboard the Santa Maria, with Columbus, on his way to freedom.
Illustrations in Luis De Torres Sails to Freedom are detailed and seem true to the time the story took place. Text flows smoothly with the illustrations, a moderately easy read, however, there are some Jewish words that younger readers may struggle with. Overall, the story is short and to the point, with illustrations that showcase the text. The story of Luis de Torres is historical fiction, although Luis de Torres was truly selected by Columbus to serve as his interpreter and there were other Jews on board sailing to freedom. The Author’s Note is worth reading for further information. The characters were Jewish and from Spain.
Luis de Torres, or Yosef ben HaLevi Halvri, his true name, decides to leave Spain, as he is a Jew. The Queen and King of Spain decreed all Jews must convert to Catholicism or leave Spain. Luis boards a ship for the Far East, hired on due to his language skills. He meets other Jews aboard the ship, waiting to set sail. The original sail date was a holy day for Jews, a bad day to sail. The commander agrees to not sail until a bad storm passes. Luis is aboard the Santa Maria, with Columbus, on his way to freedom.
Illustrations in Luis De Torres Sails to Freedom are detailed and seem true to the time the story took place. Text flows smoothly with the illustrations, a moderately easy read, however, there are some Jewish words that younger readers may struggle with. Overall, the story is short and to the point, with illustrations that showcase the text. The story of Luis de Torres is historical fiction, although Luis de Torres was truly selected by Columbus to serve as his interpreter and there were other Jews on board sailing to freedom. The Author’s Note is worth reading for further information. The characters were Jewish and from Spain.
Deanna M. - Elementary Media Tech.
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