Friday, November 13, 2009

Jungle Crossing by Sydney Salter

Salter, Sydney Jungle Crossing, 215 pgs. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2009. $16.00. Language-G ; Sexual Content-PG (topless swimming and brief innuendo); Violence-G.

Kat’s social life in eighth grade is going to be zero if she doesn’t attend Fiona’s annual summer minicamp where five privileged girls create memories and inside jokes for the next year. Kat’s parents planned a trip to Cancun and are forcing her to join them despite her list of “34 Reasons Not to Go to Mexico.” Her parents arrange for Kat and her little sister Barb to join a teen tour group to visit ancient Mayan ruins. Alfredo the tour guide is nice, but his surly young assistant Nando hates “rich” tourists, particularly Kat. Barb asks Nando to tell her a Mayan story. Nando spins a tale about Muluc, an elite Mayan princess, who is captured and sold as a slave. Kat pretends not to care, but every time they travel on the bus she listens intently and sketches the story in her book. In the story, Muluc lives among the poor workers and her perspective about life and privileges change. While Kat listens she find her own perspectives of privilege and popularity changing. Kat and Muluc's stories weave together to create a timeless throught-provoking cultural tapestry.

 EL /MS – ADVISABLE. Samantha, Public Librarian.

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