#28- You Wouldn't Want to Be an Aztec Sacrifice!

#28- You Wouldn’t Want to Be an Aztec Sacrifice!

You Wouldn’t Want to Be an Aztec Sacrifice!

Written by: Fiona Macdonald

Illustrated by: David Antram

The Salariya Book Company Ldt, 2003

29 pages

Multicultural (Aztec)

“One thing you know for sure is that you wouldn’t want to be an Aztec sacrifice!”

            The book begins by putting you, the reader, in the role of a villager who lives in a Mexican city. You hear about the Aztecs conquering lands, taking captives, and sacrificing them for their gods. The Aztecs have come to your village, and you have to help defend your city from them. At the end of the battle, you have been taken captive. The book then takes you through the process captives go through to be sacrificed for the gods. At the end of the book, you are sacrificed, and the gory details of what happens to your body are described.

            The artistic medium is not given in this book, but it looks like Antram used watercolor and pen to illustrate the book. The pictures are funny, vibrant, and sometimes gory. Every page contains a picture on a double-page spread. Other pictures dot the pages to bring out important details in the text. The text placement is very informal.

            This book is only appropriate for upper elementary level students. I am not sure I would read this book aloud, because some of the details are too explicit for some students to hear. However, the book would be a great book to provide for your students to read on their own. If you deem your class to be mature enough, you could read the book aloud to stimulate class discussions during a history lesson.