The Most Beautiful Place in the World [Hardcover]

Ann Cameron (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 12, 1988

"Seven-year-old Juan lives in Guatemala, a place of stunning beauty and grim economic reality. Abandoned by his mother, Juan lives with his grandmother and shines shoes. He passionately wants to attend school, but fears Grandmother will say no. Finally gathering his courage, he is surprised when she not only agrees to send him to school but also chides him about the importance of standing up for himself. Juan tells this bittersweet story, which reads smoothly and powerfully on several levels, with warmth and dignity."--Booklist.  

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5 Juan lives in a remote Guatemalan lake village, physically beautiful, yet desolate with the poverty that is matter-of-factly described by the young protagonist. When Juan's mother wants to remarry, the new man refuses to accept Juan, and he lives with his grandmother, who provides him with a shoeshine kit and puts him to work. Juan teaches himself to read some of the street signs by asking his customers to tell him what the letters are, and eventually asks his grandmother if he can go to school, knowing that she needs the money that he earns. All is well, however; Grandmother simply hasn't remembered that Juan is now old enough for school. Her own surprise is nothing compared to readers', though, when they discover that this boy, virtually on his own for years, is only seven years old. Colorful descriptions of the tropical beauty of Guatemala almost gloss over the exigencies of poverty. Cameron's style has almost a fairy-tale quality in that she takes no positions as to the rights and wrongs of the characters' situations or behaviors. Juan accepts all with stoicism, regarding the loss of his bed as worse than the loss of mother and father. He reflects that he still has his grandmother ( even though her protection seems rather scanty). Their hand-to-mouth existence is redeemed by their attitudes about lifeGrandmother's that the most beautiful place in the world is "anyplace you can hold your head up," and Juan's that that place is "where you love somebody. . .and you know that person loves you." A small , first-chapter book that is a very satisfying example of human values; a serious book for serious moments. Ruth Semrau, Lovejoy School, McKinney, Tex.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

"Seven-year-old Juan lives in Guatemala, a place of stunning beauty and grim economic reality. Abandoned by his mother, Juan lives with his grandmother and shines shoes. He passionately wants to attend school, but fears Grandmother will say no. Finally gathering his courage, he is surprised when she not only agrees to send him to school but also chides him about the importance of standing up for himself. Juan tells this bittersweet story, which reads smoothly and powerfully on several levels, with warmth and dignity."--Booklist.   --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 57 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (September 12, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394994639
• ISBN-13: 978-0394994635
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,115,524 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ann Cameron has worked in publishing, as a university teacher and as a camp cook on a Mayan dig in Belize where boa constrictors climbed into the thatch of the roof to hunt mice at night. Ann has written a number of books for children and those for Transworld's Corgi Yearling imprint feature a small boy called Julian: JULIAN, SECRET AGENT, JULIAN, DREAM DOCTOR AND THE JULIAN STORIES.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful, sincere, and accurate, June 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Most Beautiful Place in the World (Paperback)

This is a delightful children's book about a boy living in San Pablo, a small town on the shores of Lake Atitlán, in Guatemala - truly one of the most beautiful places in the world. The story is a heartwarming, but authentic depiction of the trials and joys of a boy's life in rural Guatemala. The drawings are also accurate portraits of village life. The themes of responsibility, love, and quest for knowledge are timeless. Not only will children enjoy this charming tale, but adults will enjoy reading it to them.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book to read aloud, March 15, 2003

By 

Nancy Slepak (Springer, New Mexico USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Most Beautiful Place in the World (Paperback)

I teach 3rd grade, and I read this book aloud to my students each year. Ann Cameron gives a realistic picture of a child abandoned by his mother, and taken in by his grandmother.
She gives a wonderful message about the importance of education and asking for what is really important to you. Although this book is written in easy to read language and great illustrations, the author's messages are best discussed with young ones. I thank Ann Cameron every time I read this book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Story, Great Model, July 20, 2005

By 

C. Kempton (Merced, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Most Beautiful Place in the World (Paperback)

I have read this book aloud to my first and second grade students for years. It is an excellent story, well told, with all the realities of a different culture in a different situation than USA children. However, it is painted with the strokes of deepest, realistic love that a family can have. This is a great story to teach and talk about the struggles of families everywhere, the world and it's differences, and the importance of character "no matter what". It is the book my second graders yearn to read on their own and therefore is a super motivator. It is rich in geography.