PEDRO'S JOURNAL

Chosen for his ability to read and write, young Pedro de Salcedo becomes a ship's boy on the Santa Maria—and keeps a diary of his own on the expedition, recounting the voyage across the Atlantic and the subsequent exploration of the Indies. Among the several recent fictional accounts, all told from the perspective of a ship's boy, this one is distinguished by its revisionist approach: Columbus is portrayed as an ill-tempered egoist, and the Indians are given their due as kind and gentle people, cruelly mistreated by the Spanish. Conrad's story, while not remarkable, is the best of the lot so far—a quick, pleasant read with possible appeal for reluctant readers: historical details are skillfully integrated, characterization is adept, and this popular author of suspenseful YA books brings her narrative skill to bear here. Koeppen's b&w drawings are competent; they give the "diary" an added personal touch. (Fiction. 8-12)