Jungle Crossing
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Description
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?
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Product details
- 12-17
- Hardback | 215 pages
- 147.32 x 210.82 x 25.4mm | 408.23g
- 28 Sep 2009
- HOUGHTON MIFFLIN
- Boston, MA, United States
- English
- Maps
- 0152064346
- 9780152064341
Review quote
"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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Our customer reviews
Kat is very upset. Her family has decided to take a vacation to Mexico right during her best friend, Fiona's, mini-camp. This is social suicide in her junior high.
How Kat wants to stay home - but that is not to be.
She makes her family suffer with her comments and attitude. Once there, Kat and her little sister join a teen tour. She meets Nando, who is Mayan, and he tells them a story about a Mayan princess named Muluc. Muluc was abducted from her home and sent to Chichen Itza to be a slave. How she escaped sacrifice and slavery becomes Kat's and her sister's obsession.
I love the lesson Kat learns about friends and how you can sacrifice not only your life but also your self for others. About how you have to be yourself and not do things just because someone tells you to. For example, Kat's hair is short even though a longer style might be better, just because Fiona told everyone to cut their hair in matching styles.
The history of the Mayans and how some live today was fascinating. I liked the characters and their stories. I highly recommend JUNGLE CROSSING.show more
by TeensReadToo