Genre:
Middle Grade/ Fantasy/ Adventure/ Mystery/ Science Fiction
Description:
“Koolura
is no ordinary girl. Neither is her best friend Leila. While visiting
Mexico, the girls discover a device which hurtles them back in time
to an early Mayan civilization. The Mayans have troubles of their
own—the alien Aquari people have all but enslaved them. They need a
goddess to set them free. Could Koolura be the one?”
Author:
“Michael
Thal is the author of five published novels—Goodbye
Tchaikovsky, The
Abduction of Joshua Bloom, and
The Koolura Series—The
Legend of Koolura, Koolura,
Koolura and The Mystery at Camp
Saddleback, and Koolura and
the Mayans. He is also a columnist for the Los Angeles Examiner writing
articles about parenting and education.”
“Michael
has a masters’ degrees in Education from Washington University, St.
Louis and California State University, Northridge. Previously a
middle school teacher, after suffering from a severe hearing loss
leaving him near deaf, Michael redefined himself to become an award
winning writer.”
Michael
Thal is also a Pal here at BigAl’s Books and Pals. To learn more
check out his website, where you will find Pop’s Blog, or the
Koolura Series Facebook page.
Appraisal:
I think
Koolura and the Mayans
is my favorite book in the Koolura
Series so far. Not only is it
a fun adventure, it is a bit educational as well. I wouldn’t be
surprised if this story sparked an interest in some to learn more
about Mayan history. Of course there were plenty of fantasy elements
woven in to make the story unique and captivating. Koolura gained new
insight about her powers as well. The aliens added a fascinating
element to the story. Advanced alien technology has often been
theorized to be involved at many ancient sites around the world.
The plot is
fast-moving as Koolura and her best friend, Leila, teleport to
Oaxaca, Mexico to attend Koolura’s father’s wedding to Terri
Lather. Leila’s parents are archaeologists, specializing in
pre-Columbian culture, and Leila is anxious to explore ancient Mayan
ruins. Their first stop is Monte Alban,
the most important archaeological site in the Valley of Oaxaca. While
they are exploring one of the ancient pyramids, where they don’t
belong, they are thrown back in time over a thousand years where they
encounter an alien race from the future enslaving the Mayans.
There
were several twists which, without Koolura’s and Leila’s fast
thinking, could have left us all with a wholly different future. The
fact that the girls stumbled along the way added a touch of realism
to their adventure. They are only twelve years-old, but they are
smart, and a bit mischievous — they did break into a pyramid —
after all. I also love the fact that these two friends communicate
using American Sign Language like it is their own secret language. I
can’t wait to see where their adventures take them next, the
possibilities are now endless.
FYI:
Koolura and
the Mayans is the third book in the Koolura
Series. Following book one,
The Legend of Koolura,
and book two, Koolura and the
Mystery at Camp Saddleback. As
with the first two books of this series, I think Mr. Thal included
enough background material that this book could be enjoyed as a
standalone.
Format/Typo
Issues:
I noticed
no issues at all with proofing or formatting.
Print
Length: 137 pages
Rating:
***** Five stars
Reviewed
by: ?wazithinkin
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