Johnny Pearce and Andy Loneragan are embarking on a project for 9-year-olds through to 13-year-olds or so. In UK terms, this is Year 5 through to Year 7 and beyond. Heck, even adults should enjoy this one. The book fits in within the loose remit of Loom in being fiction from a skeptical or philosophical perspective.
Let’s set the scene of the book.
It centres around the actions of two twins, Verity and Ethan, twelve years old. The twins’ mother has passed away recently from cancer and the twins live with their father, an archaeologist. With no one to look after them one holiday, they have to accompany their father on an archaeological dig to Guatemala to work on a newly found site. There is some excitement as the dig uncovers an ancient mask that could possibly explain the end of the Maya civilisation.
The Curse of the Maya
The twins have quite different characters in that Verity is a girl who enjoys learning at every opportunity. With a sceptical mind, she likes to look at evidence and science. She is not one to jumping around and being exciting, preferring to concentrate her energies on more intellectual matters. Her brother Ethan, on the other hand, is a very sporty boy with a penchant for conspiracy theories. He takes risks and courts excitement.
It is in this context that they both approach the mask and its discovery. Things get tricky as they become embroiled in a plot that involves danger and the kidnap of their father. Can they save their father? Do they have the skills to escape the clutches of some very unsavoury characters? Can they unlock the mystery as to the end of the Maya civilisation? – all set in the context of Guatemala, the forest, and the Maya civilisation, the story is an exciting romp that also involves touches of philosophy that should provoke thought for the reader and leave them questioning and wondering.
Watch out for more information involving The Curse of the Maya.
