Secret of the Andes (Puffin Book) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "What are you doing, Cusi?..." (more)
Key Phrases: ychu grass, golden earplugs, llama trail, Salt Pits, Keeper of the Fields, Holy City (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"The story of an Incan boy who lives in a hidden valley high in the mountains of Peru with old Chuto the llama herder. Unknown to Cusi, he is of royal blood and is the 'chosen one.' A compelling story."--Booklist. Newbery Award Book.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Puffin; Later Printing edition (October 28, 1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140309268
• ISBN-13: 978-0140309263
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #135,040 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Important Reading, October 17, 2001

By	oddsfish (Winters, TX) - See all my reviews

Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark is a marvelous children's novel which can be very important reading for children. The beautiful novel certainly earned its Newbery Medal.

The novel is the story of Cusi. He is an Inca boy who has been raised in a remote valley of the Andes mountain range by an old man, Chuto. Cusi is of royal Inca blood, but this is four hundred years after the Spanish conquest. Cusi has been raised in the traditional Inca manner. The plot of the novel concerns Cusi's search for himself. He has been raised without a "family" (at least in the traditional sense), and he is sent from the valley, with the companionship of his pet llama, to find his path in the world, a task that he sees as finding himself a family. The world Cusi goes into is one which is very different from the one he has been raised in because the Spanish culture has become predominant. Then, Cusi is forced to come to terms with his own way of life and with what his concept of "family" should be.

Secret of the Andes is an amazing book. I think that it can be extremely important in helping children to understand the view-point of Native Americans and helping them to understand Native American literature later in life. I also found that this novel was, in ways, similar to adult novels like Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. It aids in this understanding through a fairly simple story of a young, regular boy who can be related to. Ann Nolan Clark really created a masterpiece with Secret of the Andes.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My view on this wonderfully imaginative book, February 4, 2002

By	A 12-year old reader (Concord, NC USA) - See all my reviews

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be part of an ancient culture? Well here is your chance! "Secret of the Andes" is a excellent book to read if you have ever asked yourself this question. This book is about a young Incan boy, by the name of Cusi, who lives high in the Andes of South America. He is a llama herder, a noble and very common occupation where he lives. His keeper is a man by the name of Chuto, a secretive and mysterious man. The one thing Cusi wants in his life is a family. One day his llama guides him to a temple, there Cusi finds something very peciular....
This book was written for twelve to thirteen year olds. It contains emotional struggles that anyone younger would'nt be able to grasp.
One main topic of this story was that of family. The one thing Cusi ever wanted was a family. The only family he had ever known. One day a family moves into the valley below. After seeing this he deides that one day he will go in search of his own family.
Another topic is culture. One day Cusi finds out that he is the last of a long line of Incan royalty.
"Secret of the Andes" is a good book for anyone who enjoys reading about far off places and different cultures.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully told story, September 1, 2000

By	Barbara Forgue (Ludington, MI United States) - See all my reviews

The Secret of the Andes is a very moving story of a modern Inca boy with a very esoteric connection to his Inca past. I raise llamas, and have a great interest in these wonderful creatures and the people who saved them from extinction during the Spanish 'conquest'. I couldn't put this book down.

It uses high language and a lot of esoteric imagery. I read it to my seventh grade students who found it much more interesting when I played "Sukay" music of the Andes, and passed around photos of native Quechua people and llamas.

The story was very believable. It helps to have some knowledge of Inca beliefs, the history of the Spanish 'conquest' and a knowledge of llamas. If you have this information, the story seem more like history than fiction.