Get an understanding of one of the world’s ancient civilizations, and find out all about their way of life, intriguing rituals, and bizarre sports in this fascinating account of how the Maya first established themselves more than 20,000 years ago in Central America, and their eventual demise. Pearl/Band 18 books offer fluent readers a complex, substantial text with challenging themes to facilitate sustained comprehension, bridging the gap between a reading program and longer chapter books.