Middleworld (The Jaguar Stones Series #1)

by J&P Voelkel, Pamela Voelkel Narrated by Scott Brick

Overview

“As I see it,” said Max, “all that stands between humankind and the end of the world is two talking monkeys, a crazy archaeologist covered in red paint, and a couple of kids with blowguns. Am I right?”
*
Fourteen-year-old Max Murphy, video-gamer extraordinaire, is furious when his archaeologist parents cancel the family vacation to go on a dig in Central America. But things go from bad to worse when Max is summoned to join them, only to discover that his parents have vanished. With the help of Lola, a fast-talking, quick-thinking Maya girl, Max embarks on a quest to find out just what's going on. Soon Max and Lola are running for their lives in the perilous rainforest, as they unlock ancient secrets, meet mysterious strangers, and begin to understand that, in San Xavier, nothing is ever as it seems.
*********** Fate has delivered a challenge of epic proportions to Max Murphy. But can a teen whose biggest talent is for video games rescue his parents from the Maya Underworld and save himself from the villainous Lords of Death?

Editorial Reviews

Young Adults Books Central

An amazing job of weaving the stories of the Maya into a modern day thriller. The perfect bait to get a videogamer to turn off the TV and read! Five Star Review

New England Children's Bookselling Advisory Council

Funny, fast-paced and entirely original.

Upper Valley Life Magazine

Kids will love the twists and turns of the story, and cheer along with Max as he rescues his parents, gets the girl (well, gets the girl as his best friend) and saves the K'in (the Mayan word for day). Parents will love what the book provides to their teens: a glimpse into the world of archeology, an educational look at another culture and several valuable life lessons.

Kingdom Books

Jon and Pamela Voelkel left a powerful advertising career in England to settle in Norwich, Vermont, where they built a home, welcomed the (surprise) arrival of their third child, and made the ultimate career switch: They started writing for "young adults."

Their adventure novel "Middleworld" became available at the start of October, through a publishing house called Smith & Sons, a mostly theater-related publisher. Its owners were persuaded by their son Peter Kraus, who discovered the manuscript - and insisted that his parents take it seriously. Now, with a New York City launch and an active book tour underway, it looks like Peter's discovery is a hot new success.

Every middle-grade book these days gets compared to the Harry Potter series, and "Middleworld" has already been called "Harry Potter meets the Maya." And the plots have in common magic, a teenage boy, and plenty of battle scenes. But there are more differences than similarities, and the differences make this an exciting fresh book.

Teens Read Too

I predict this trilogy will be popular with fans of Anthony Horowitz, Roland Smith, and even Harry Potter fans... Plenty of action and humour will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Five Star Review

Flamingnet Book Reviews

A simply awesome read. Different to any book I've read because of all the Maya information. I definitely look forward to the next two books in the series! Top Choice Award

Booklist

Newly arrived in "the snake-infested dump" of San Xavier, a fictional Central American country, 14–year–old Max Murphy discovers that his archaeologist parents have disappeared. Aided in his search by resourceful Lola, a descendent of the Maya, Max learns that the gods of her people have chosen him for a mission involving powerful artifacts. The husband and wife coauthors, whose knowledge of the ancient Maya is evident from detailed appendixes and a bibliography, deliver too much information here, giving short shrift to Max's characterization and certain plot elements-such as why the ancient spirits speak English, and why Max, an often-whiny Bostonian with no ancestral ties to the Maya, finds favor with them. In addition, the pains the authors take to avoid making the culture seem exotic or strange are undercut by the wild mysticism surrounding the artifacts. Still, the book's unusual Mesoamerican backdrop is worth marking, and the Indiana Jones-influenced adventure, as well as the book's polished line drawings, will keep readers interested and looking forward to future entries in the Jaguar Stones trilogy.
—Jennifer Mattson

Publishers Weekly

A Boston teenager whose idea of adventure comes from computer gaming finds himself at the center of cosmic struggles between ancient Maya gods within the jungles of Central America, in this husband-and-wife team's first installment of the Jaguar Stones trilogy. Max Murphy's archeologist parents leave him behind, as usual, when they rush off to excavate an ancient Maya temple, and so he is surprised to be summoned to join them a week later. By the time he arrives, however, they have gone missing, and Max can tell that people are holding back the details. Despite his lifelong lack of interest, Max finally has to learn about Maya culture, especially when his parents' disappearance seems to have to do with the five "jaguar stones" used by the ancient ruler-gods and said to confer ultimate powers. This elaborate genre-bender involves ruthless smugglers; family estrangements; a helper in the form of a teenage Maya girl named Lola; two ancient Maya rulers brought to life (and given the bodies of baboons); Maya culture, past and present; zombies; and the Maya gods' eternal conflicts. That Max has somehow been chosen (presumably by the gods) to play the hero goes unresolved here, but between the exotic settings and themes and the breakneck pace, readers may not even notice the thin characterizations and motivations. A detailed appendix surveys the Maya world. Ages 11-up. (Oct.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

School Library Journal

Gr 5-9-Max Murphy is the 14-year-old spoiled and self-centered son of archaeologists who are Ancient Maya experts. Although his parents believe he is headed for summer camp, his enigmatic Central American housekeeper instead sends him to visit his uncle in San Xavier (based on present-day Belize), where his mother and father have recently departed for a new project. Once there, Max discovers that they have disappeared under mysterious circumstances. He joins forces with Lola, a native girl whose ability to navigate the jungle and the rainforest prove invaluable. Max is drawn into a life-or-death battle to rescue his parents from the Ancient Maya underworld and save the country from coming under the rule of the 12 Lords of Death. Suspense and intrigue, human sacrifice, smuggling, and secret doors and escape routes through pyramids ensure that the novel, the first in a projected trilogy, is likely to win legions of fans, who will gravitate toward the nonstop action that echoes Max’s beloved video games. Seven full-page illustrations and numerous line drawings help break up the text. The authors include illustrated information on the Maya’s calendar, pronunciation, math, writing, and cosmology.-Ellen Fader, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

OCTOBER 2010 - AudioFile

Scott Brick's excellent narration makes this a good entry point for a series that throws a 14-year-old Boston boy into the wilds of a fictional Central American country as he searches for his missing archaeologist parents. With a native girl and two howler monkeys as companions, the sometimes-bratty Max Murphy comes to embrace the world of the ancient Mayans and his inner Indiana Jones. He rafts down underground rivers, gets lost inside pyramids, and grapples with the underworld. Not gangsters. Fallen gods. Despite a promising opening and Brick's uncanny ability to create the world of San Xavier, complete with Xaverian accents, the story is a bit heavy with mythology and doesn't throttle up until Max hits the jungle. M.M.C. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940172075063
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	04/27/2010
Series:	Jaguar Stones Series , #1
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

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