Book Synopsis: Girls of the World, Book One

Come explore exciting civilizations during their height through the eyes of one of its incredible young inhabitants!

Itzel: Mayan Empire, 770 A.D.

As a young helper to the Temple Chief, Iztel is given many tasks to help keep order and keep the gods happy.  Through her work, Itzel learns about the complex way her Mayan society marks time using the movement of the stars.  When she's entrusted with hiding the great jade necklace, Itzel is thrown into a whirlwind of danger.  Then the Temple Chief discovers a star alignment that might mean disaster.  Overwhelmed, Itzel doesn't know where to turn to for help.  She might have to ask her brother to risk his future to ensure the survival of the Mayans.

Buy the book to find out what happens!

Content Summary

My Content Types include the following:

• Long-form Article -- "7 Great Teacher Resources for Mayan History"
• Short-form Article -- "Overview of the Girls of the World Book Series"
• Summary of the first book in the series
• Video -- Related Content Video on the Decline of the Mayan Civilization
• Photo Gallery -- Photos of Mayan Culture
• Map -- A map of the Mayan Civilization

Girls of the World is a new book series that takes place in various ancient civilizations including Mayan, Aztec, Incan, Imperial China, Gupta Empire (Golden Age India), Khmer Empire (Cambodia), and Nabataean Empire (Jordan).  Please visit our site to read book synopses and for information, including teacher resources, about those civilizations.

Photo Gallery of Mayan Culture

A selection of photos showcasing the Mayan culture, including hieroglyphs of their written language, clay pot artifacts, temples, traditional dress, and statues.

Close-up of a Mayan hieroglyph carved in stucco.

A panel of Mayan hieroglyphs carved in stucco.

Mayan artifacts found in a cave in Vaca Plateau, Belize.

The current state of an ancient Mayan temple.

A Mayan man dressed in a traditional Mayan ceremonial outfit.

Many Mayan statues are still intact today.

What a Mayan temple might have looked like at night.

Map of the Mayan Civilization

The Mayan Civilization occupied territory in present day Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras. 

The Decline of the Mayan Civilization

The History Channel: Who Killed The Maya?
Watch this portion of the History Channel's episode that tries to uncover the reasons why the Mayan Civilization, despite advanced math, astronomy, and writing skills did not survive.  The Mayan Civilization is covered in the first book of the Girls of the World series, Itzel. 

Overview of Girls of the World Book Series

The Girls of the World books are an exciting new series, aimed at readers aged 8-12, that cover several ancient civilizations.  The books provide both entertainment and enjoyment by providing compelling stories within a historically accurate framework. 

Each book will cover a different ancient civilization.  The seven civilizations currently explored are: 

1. Aztec (Central and South America)
2. Inca (South America)
3. Mayan (Central America and Mexico)
4. Imperial China
5. Gupta Empire (Golden Age India)
6. Khmer Empire (Cambodia)
7. Nabataean Empire (Jordan)

Girls of the World books are available at:

• All major retail stores (Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Independent Bookstores)
• Amazon.com
• the iBookstore
• Libraries around the country
• Select museums and school book fairs
• And here, on our website

7 Great Teacher Resources for Mayan History

A curated list of resources to aid teachers when planning Mayan History lesson plans; excellent supplemental information to the first Girls of the World book, Itzel.

1.  National Geographic - Know for their breathtaking photographs and detailed, thoroughly-researched information, this site has numerous articles on Mayan history.  Whether you're looking for background information for yourself or for kid-friendly facts, National Geographic is a top notch resource.  A few things, you'll find here: articles, quizzes, blog posts, and interactive maps.

2.  The Caracol Archeological Project - Ongoing research from the largest Mayan archeology site in Belize.  Treat you students to an in-depth look a specific archeological site; while some of the content may be too advanced for your students, the glossary and timeline can definitely be used in your lessons.  The Kids Section focuses more on archeology in general, but it does present being at an archeological dig from a young individual's perspective.  The Kids Section also includes an interactive game that demonstrates how Mayans did math.

3.  Wikipedia - Great for general information about the Mayan civilization.  You can't beat Wikipedia to give you a condensed, hyperlinked, informative entry on just what you're looking for!

4.  Brooklyn Children's Museum's - This website dedicated to Latin America, is admittedly not the best designed website (you may need to try a few different browers), the information it provides is excellent and tailored directly to your students.  It was created by a partnership of the Brooklyn Children's Museum, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and the Brooklyn Public Library.

5.  Penn Museum - The University of Pennsylvania's Museum of Archeology and Anthropology includes massive amounts of in-depth information.  While most of it is at a level far above your students, the extensive coverage is excellent and can easily be distilled down to an accessible level.  A great example is their article on chocolate.  The website for their "Painted Metaphors" exhibit could quality as a resource in itself - the video gallery includes a short clip on languages of the Maya.

6.  Peabody Museum - The Peabody Museum of Archeology and Ethnology at Harvard University offers a free Teacher's Guide that includes three fully-developed activities relating to the Maya. 

7. NOVA's Maya-Related Sites - Companion websites to NOVA's television episodes Lost King of the Maya and Cracking the Maya Code offer great information.  Consider presenting part of the shows to supplement your lessons.