Jungle Crossing
By Sydney Salter
(Harcourt Children's Books, Hardcover, 9780152064341, 224pp.)
Publication Date: September 2009
Other Editions of This Title: Google eBook, Google eBook, Paperback
Categories: Family - Vacation, Social Issues - Self-Esteem & Self-Reliance, Social Issues - Values
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Kat can think of dozens of good reasons not to go on a boring family vacation to hot, grungy Mexico. Number one: missing her friend Fiona's minicamp. If she's not there, she'll begin eighth grade as a social reject.
Despite her reluctance, Kat ends up on a teen adventure tour where she meets Nando, a young Mayan guide (who happens to be quite a cutie). As they travel to different Mayan ruins each day, Nando tells Kat his original legend of Muluc, a girl who lived in the time of the Ancient Maya. The dangerous, dramatic world in which Muluc lives is as full of rivalry, betrayal, and sacrifice as Kat's world at school. And as she makes new friends and discovers treasures in Mexico, Kat begins to wonder: Is she willing to keep sacrificing her self in exchange for popularity?
SYDNEY SALTER's fascination with Mayan culture started when she was six years old and climbed down a steep, dimly lit stone staircase to the elaborately carved tomb of King Pacal who had once ruled Palenque. Visiting Mayan ruins, walking through fragrant Mexican market places, watching woman wash clothes in a river, and chasing lizards in the jungle ignited the spark in Sydney's imagination that led to writing Jungle Crossing. Sydney now lives in Utah with her husband, two daughters, two cats, and two dogs. She loves reading, writing, cooking, and traveling--especially to Mexico. She is also the author of My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters.www.sydneysalter.com
"Kat’s snarky comments about her family and fellow tourists . . . are funny . . . This story-within-a-story of young Mulac’s capture and escape from slavery takes up a good part of the novel. It’s an effective device, adding depth to the plot and leading to the readers' understanding of how Kat’s growth and insights come about."--Booklist
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