Q&A with Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt Q: How did you become interested in writing about the Maya? A: When I visited Cancun several years ago, I took a day trip to the Maya ruins of Chichén Itzá, in Mexico’s northern Yucatán Peninsula. In the center of the ruins is a pyramid topped by a temple called El Castillo, the Spanish term for “the Castle.” As I climbed the skinny stone steps, it felt weird to realize I was reenacting history, walking the very steps that Maya priests and kings climbed on the balls of their feet to offer up the blood of human sacrifices to their many gods. I got so dizzy at the top of the pyramid that I had to sit down! The Maya practice of sacrificing humans gives me the willies, but surely that religious practice didn’t give the Spanish invaders the right to torture the Maya. The Maya were not the savages the Spanish made them out to be. Q: In researching the book, what information surprised you the most? A: That the Maya were so advanced in language, art, mathematics, farming, and even studying the stars. They knew so much! But that knowledge, which they carefully recorded in special bark books called codices, was destroyed in bonfires set by the Spanish. Why? Because the Spanish priests set on converting the Maya to Catholicism considered them to be of the Devil. The world is fortunate, indeed, that a handful of the books survived when they were sent back to Europe as souvenirs. The books were discovered in European libraries only after John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood alerted the world to the Maya ruins by publishing their book Incidents of Travel in the Yucatán in 1843. Q: What is the most important invention or creation that came out of the Maya Civilization? A: Perhaps there is no single invention that was most important, as their contributions were lost to the world for so many years. But it’s important to recognize their achievements, given that the Maya living in the rainforests of Central America today are held in low regard. Obviously, the fact that they were the only Mesoamerican people with a complete writing system makes them unique, as does their practice of using the number zero as a place holder in mathematical equations. And as many medicinal remedies used by the Maya are currently being studied by researchers, to find cures to alleviate pain and disease, it’s important to recognize those contributions as well. Q: What purpose do the activities serve in the book? A: To make history come alive for kids. We all learn more by doing than reading or listening. The activities in Amazing Maya Inventions You Can Build Yourself will help kids retain information about the accomplishments of the ancient Maya. As they make a model of a pyramid, for example, they’ll “get” how knowledgeable and exact the Maya were when building. And when they make a replica of a death mask, they’ll “get” the value that ancient Maya placed on creating first-class art. They’ll also understand how the Maya’s religious beliefs permeated every aspect of their society. When they carve their own glyph from a bar of soap, they’ll trace a symbol used by ancient Maya scribes. And when they make a hat from corn husks, they’ll “get” how critical this crop was to the Maya. Corn was, so the Maya believe, what the gods made the first humans from. Q: What do you hope kids come away with after reading Amazing Maya Inventions You Can Build Yourself? A: I hope they’ll gain an appreciation of what these people accomplished—without any of the dazzling technology that we have today. And I hope they’ll get a sense of just how dependant civilizations are on their members, just as a clock relies on its internal springs and wheels to keep telling perfect time. Societies must always keep an eye on the big picture in order to thrive. Things must be kept in balance. If one aspect of society gets out of whack, such as the overpopulation that most likely led to the failure of many ancient Maya cities, things begin to fall apart. We need to keep that in mind today, given the demands we place on our planet. The destruction of the world’s rainforests is a huge problem that the world needs to focus on. Q: After researching the book, did you come away with any favorite stories, legends or anecdotes? A: I found it very interesting that the Maya did not have money like we do. Instead, they used cacao beans as currency. And there were those who tried to make counterfeit beans by filling the husks with sand. Savvy buyers and sellers soon learned to bite the beans to make sure they were solid! I was also struck by how the Maya relied on visual clues to announce their station in life. Slaves had it bad: not only was their hair cut short, but their bodies were painted in black and white stripes! And this is really interesting: when Maya warriors attacked rival cities, their wives traveled with them. Each night, after the sun set on the day’s battle, the wives made dinner for their husbands. Talk about commitment! Contributor: Nomad Press For Interesting facts about the Maya click here Reviews Amazing Maya Inventions You Can Build Yourself Sheri Bell- Rehwoldt     I thought I knew a bit about the Maya, but after reading Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt's book, I realized that I knew very little. This civilization which flourished for about 3,000 years has left traces that have really only been more fully understood in the last century and as far as decoding the writing system only for the last 35 years. The Mayan civilization was complex and while there is still much that remains unknown, what we do know is fascinating. The Mayan social hierarchy, their ability to create accurate calendars, count, and support a civilization with major city states that included as many as 50,000 inhabitants is truly amazing. The layout is busy, but kids don't seem to mind finding information all over a page-boxes with facts and pronunciation guides, pictures and illustrations, plus straight text. It all works, and there really is a wealth of data. The activities are there, and they can be used to reinforce learning. They range from something as simple as making a chocolate drink, to playing a complicated game called Bul to those that require considerably more skill such as creating a loom, spinning cotton into thread and actually making a piece of cloth. (That is probably the most difficult activity because it takes many of the steps for granted or covers them in text like "Then cut all warp threads from your cardboard loom and tie pairs of strings on each side together in a tight knot.") If I hadn't undertaken a project of that nature previously, I would be a bit lost. It is almost a misnomer to consider this publication an activity book--it is a social studies lesson with some activities added. Not a criticism, because the book offers a tremendous amount of information. The single color printing works and perhaps in the future a book in full color may be in order. If you have an interest in the Maya or will be addressing the civilizations of Central America, do add this book to your collection. 2006, Nomad Press, Ages 9 up, $14.95. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot ISBN: 0-9771294-6-2 ISBN: 978-0-9771294-6-1 Art Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt     This title is part of a series published by Thomson Gale for high school students, “Careers for the Twenty-First Century.” Interestingly, the only career discussed in this book which directly involves the creation of fine art is sculpture. Although passing reference is made to arts such as painting and drawing, the assumption seems to be that there are no actual careers to be found in these fields. While many fine artists make their living in art education, the author of this book apparently does not consider that relevant to a discussion of careers in art. Nor is the extensive field of illustration discussed. Instead, chapters are devoted to work as a conservator (an area that requires extensive specialized knowledge of historical practices), art therapist (requiring at least some training in psychology) and graphic design (nowadays almost exclusively dominated by computer specialists). Jewelry design, to which a chapter is devoted, is generally considered more craft than art. While the material included in this volume is undoubtedly accurate and certainly clearly presented, the gap between the promise of the title and the actual subject matter covered is too wide to ignore. Counselors and art teachers seeking to advise students of career opportunities in art would do well to have more complete resources on their shelves. 2005, Thomson Gale/Lucent Books, $28.70. Ages 12 up. Reviewer: Michele Tremaine (Children's Literature). ISBN: 1-5901-8394-0 Great World War II Projects You Can Build Yourself Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt     For classes studying World War II, this book would be an ideal addition to a classroom curriculum. In straightforward, highly readable prose, it provides a thorough overview of the events leading up to America’s entry into the war, life for GIs on the battlefield, and life for women and children on the home front. In addition, each chapter includes one or more hands-on projects that will help children understand life during the war. From a recipe for sugarless cupcakes--called “ration cakes”--and directions for planting a tabletop Victory Garden, to building “spotter” aircraft models and creating a Morse-code signaling device, there are projects that will appeal to many different interests. Grandparents and other older adults will also find these projects to be excellent vehicles for sharing personal memories and experiences with young children. This book is part of the “Learn Some Hands-On History” series. 2006, Nomad Press, $14.95. Ages 9 to 12. Reviewer: Barbara Carroll Roberts (Children's Literature) ISBN: 0-9771294-1-1 Law Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt     This title, part of the “Careers for the Twenty-First Century” series, provides a look at the variety of careers available in the field of law. Jobs examined include paralegals, lawyers, judges, law librarians, court reporters, and mediators. For each of these careers, the basic day-to-day duties of the position are described, as well as training and standards, qualifications, required skills, and outlook. In addition, unique qualities and challenges specific to each job are explored. The author does an effective job in balancing the positives and negatives of each career, providing a fairly honest assessment. The book also includes web site addresses and contact information for professional organizations in the legal field, as well as a list of books and web sites that readers can utilize for additional information. High-school students exploring future career options or those possibly interested in a career in the legal arena may find this book to be a useful resource. 2005, Thomson Gale, $28.70. Ages 14 to 18. Reviewer: Mark Love (Children's Literature). ISBN: 1-5901-8401-7 To stay up to date on new books by this author, consider subscribing to The Children's Literature Comprehensive Database. For your free trial, click here. Added 2/28/07