You-are-there history for 4th grade and up

A 500-year-old secret. The clash of Mayan, Aztec, and Spanish cultures. A gifted slave girl, caught in the crossfire. Published by Mondo Publishing in 2007, Malinali, the Slave Who Traded Words for Freedom is a 48-page book, beautifully illustrated with original art, 16th century drawings, and Mayan calendar glyphs, is a first-person Native American account. Includes detailed bibliography, resource pages.

     “An engrossing, well-researched story that successfully weaves the lush language of legend with the harsh reality of historical events. Malinali’s authentic voice will cause readers to ache and cheer for her as she witnesses the clash and conquest of cultures—and ultimately wins her freedom. Mayan calendar symbols mixed with colorful period art imbue the story with a strong sense of place and time. Highly recommended for multicultural collections and classroom reading.”

    --Lee Wardlaw, former teacher and author of 25 award-winning books, including Punia and the King of Sharks

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Odd jobs, ancient jobs win readers

Working IX to V, published in 2007 by Walker & Company, will soon be winning hearts, minds, and readers worldwide with publication in the UK, Norway, Italy, Sweden, Brazil, and other countries. Author Vicki León knows why this book’s appeal is universal. “What folks did for a living 2000 years ago opens a door into their lives and their workplaces. In this way, we suddenly see how much we still have in common.”

A prolific author of non-fiction

            Author of numerous books for young and old, Vicki León delights in unearthing unusual facts, fresh anecdotes, and uncommon statistics to create her books on the natural world and the flip side of history. Her book have won rave reviews from a long list of media that includes People magazine. Publishers Weekly, the Los Angeles Times, Voice of America, and numerous NPR stations.

Her bestselling titles for 10 and up include A Raft of Sea Otters (125,000 in print), The Secrets of Tidepools (58,000 in print), and three titles in the Outrageous Women series (45,000 in print).

Her popular titles for older readers include Uppity Women of Ancient Times, Uppity Women of the Renaissance, and the other Uppity titles (335,000 in print) and the travel title Scenic Highway One (77,000 in print)