Middleworld (The Jaguar Stones, Book One) [Paperback]

J&P Voelkel (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 27, 2010 | Age Range: 10 and up

Fourteen-year-old Max Murphy is looking forward to a family vacation. But his parents, both archaeologists and Maya experts, announce a change in plan. They must leave immediately for a dig in the tiny Central American country of San Xavier. Max will go to summer camp. Max is furious. When he's mysteriously summoned to San Xavier, he thinks they've had a change of heart.

Upon his arrival, Max's wild adventure in the tropical rainforests of San Xavier begins. During his journey, he will unlock ancient secrets and meet strangers who are connected to him in ways he could never have imagined. For fate has delivered a challenge of epic proportions to this pampered teenager. Can Max rescue his parents from the Maya Underworld and save the world from the Lords of Death, who now control the power of the Jaguar Stones in their villainous hands? The scene is set for a roller-coaster ride of suspense and terror, as the good guys and the bad guys face off against a background of haunted temples, zombie armies, and even human sacrifice!

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

More Praise for MIDDLEWORLD:

"A simply awesome read. Different to any book I've read because of all the Maya information. I definitely look forward to the next two books in the series!"
--Flamingnet Book Reviews - Top Choice Award

"Kids will love the twists and turns of the story, and cheer along with Max as he rescues his parents, gets the girl (well, gets the girl as his best friend)and saves the K'in (the Mayan word for day). Parents will love what the book provides to their teens: a glimpse into the world of archeology, an educational look at another culture and several valuable life lessons."
--Upper Valley Life Magazine

"I predict this trilogy will be popular with fans of Anthony Horowitz, Roland Smith, and even Harry Potter fans... Plenty of action and humour will keep readers on the edge of their seats."
--Teens Read Too - Five Star Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Author

Here are some more things you should know before you read on . . . The Ancient Maya called our world Middleworld, because it was sandwiched between the upper world of the heavens and the underworld, which they called Xibalba.
The Jaguar Stones are fictional, as are all the main characters except for Friar Diego DeLanda. He was the true-life Spanish priest who, in 1562, reduced the sum of Ancient Maya knowledge to ashes by making one huge bonfire of all their hundreds of folding bark books. (As far as we know, only three books and a fragment of a fourth survived.)
San Xavier is a fictional country based on present-day Belize. Maya or Mayan? We have followed the scholarly precedent of using Maya as both noun and adjective to describe the people and their culture, reserving the word Mayan for the family of thirty languages still spoken by the six million Maya living in Central America today. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: EgmontUSA; Revised edition (April 27, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1606840711
• ISBN-13: 978-1606840719
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 1.2 x 7.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #75,947 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #38 in Books > Children's Books > Literature & Fiction > Historical Fiction > Ancient Civilizations

More About the Author

J&P Voelkel co-write and illustrate The Jaguar Stones books, an adventure series for 10-14 year-olds, set in the rainforests of the Maya. Jon grew up in South and Central America, while Pamela grew up in a seaside town in England. They met at an advertising agency in London, and now live in rural Vermont with their three children. http://www.jaguarstones.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A thrilling, exciting book! November 6, 2007

A Kid's Review

Format:Hardcover

The thrilling scenes of this book will keep you on the edge of your seat. It's like the book is pulling you into the ancient Maya world. When the book was over, I was pining for a sequel.J&P Voelkel are two extremely talented writers. I recommend this book for all ages! It is Sherlock Holmes and Harry Potter rolled into one book that will have your eyes popping out. It includes action, mystery, romance and fantasy: the recipe for a good book. This is one of the best books I've ever read.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too October 1, 2007

By TeensReadToo

Format:Hardcover

Husband and wife team Jon and Pamela Voelkel have created a tale set in the Central American rain forest. The story focuses on the Maya culture and traditions as the characters battle to prevent the evil forces of an ancient empire from destroying today's world.

In MIDDLEWORLD readers meet Max Murphy. His parents are archaeologists. He is sick of the old pottery and ancient artifacts that are forever causing his parents to head off to foreign countries. Max is always left in Boston to fend for himself with the help of Zia, their housekeeper. Max would like a little adventure -- as long as it involves pizza and video games. Adventure begins for Max when Zia informs him that plans have changed this time. Instead of heading off to a wilderness camp in Maine, Max is being sent to San Xavier to join his parents.

Max arrives in San Xavier only to find that Mr. and Mrs. Murphy have disappeared. Uncle Ted becomes Max's instant guardian, and the search for his parents begins. At the time of their disappearance, they were exploring an ancient Maya pyramid deep in the rain forest. All that's left is Mr. Murphy's jacket and Mrs. Murphy's earring. Max soon finds himself lost in the rain forest that may be responsible for his parents' death.

As the story unfolds, readers will learn quite a bit of Maya history. Hidden pyramids and ruins are scattered throughout the rain forest, and each holds mysterious treasures and secrets of the ancients and how they may still have powers in the modern world. The adventure is filled with crazy characters, secret passageways and hidden chambers, Maya traditions and superstitions, talking monkeys, and blood-thirsty warriors. The mysterious Jaguar Stones hold the power to change the world. The danger comes if all five are brought together. The good guys have some and the bad guys have some, and both are out to get their hands on them all.

Recommended for ages 12 and up, this is not for the faint-hearted reader. At nearly 400 pages, with additional pages devoted to information about Maya symbols and terminology, readers will be challenged as well as entertained. I predict this trilogy will be popular with fans of Anthony Horowitz, Roland Smith, and even Harry Potter fans, once they have finished book seven. Plenty of action and humor will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars GreenBeanTeenQueen Reviews July 16, 2010

By GreenBeanTeenQueen VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

This is a rare book that is action/adventure without being too heavy on the fantasy. There are some fantasy elements, but they're worked into the story to be more realistic than fantasy. I think this one will have great tween appeal. It doesn't take too long for the adventure to start and once it does, it doesn't slow down. There's a lot of Maya history packed into the book which I think readers who enjoy facts will appreciate. This might even be a fiction book that your usual non-fiction readers will pick up.

The book is somewhat long (almost 400 pages) and while I thought some of that could have been cut down, my tween readers don't seem to mind long books. The ending wraps some things up, but leaves it open for more and I believe this is set to be a trilogy.

As an adult, I found it somewhat annoying that there were pronunciation's thrown into the text for every Maya word-I would have preferred a glossary, but I can see where this would be helpful to younger readers. Also, I thought some of the adventure was too coincidental, but again, I'm sure younger readers will overlook this and instead be caught up in the adventure of the story.

I liked how the book mixed history with adventure. The blurb on the back calls Middleworld "Percy Jackson meets Indiana Jones" and I have to agree (although I could see this having appeal to the readers who enjoyed The Red Pyramid because of the archeology aspects). It also reminded me a bit of the Journey to the Center of the Earth movie. A fun start to a new series, give this to tweens looking for a new adventure series.