You Wouldn't Want to Be a Mayan Soothsayer!

Book excerpt: You are the son of a Mayan soothsayer, living near the city of Copan in about AD 710. Becoming a soothsayer yourself means you could become an important man. However, you'd rather stay in your peaceful village being a farmer - get something wrong as a soothsayer and you'll be sacrificed! This title in the best-selling children’s history series, You Wouldn't Want To…, features full-colour illustrations which combine humour and accurate technical detail and a narrative approach placing readers at the centre of the history, encouraging them to become emotionally-involved with the characters and aiding their understanding of what life would have been like as a Mayan soothsayer. Informative captions, a complete glossary and an index make this title an ideal introduction to the conventions of information books for young readers. It is an ideal text for Key Stage 2 shared and guided reading and helps achieve the goals of the Scottish Standard Curriculum 5-14.