Harley James and the Mystery of the Mayan Kings
by Leah Cupps
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GENRE: Children's Middle Grade
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BLURB:
Will Harley Find the Missing Mayan Statue & Save the World?
Amateur cryptologist Harley James has just landed in the sticky jungle of Tikal, Guatemala—home to the famous Mayan ruins. She’s made a few friends, a few mistakes…and a ground-breaking discovery.
The legendary statue of the long-lost Mayan King.
Just as she is about to impress her father with her discovery, the statue is stolen. Right from her own room!
And what’s worse? The legend says if the statues of the three kings are reunited, they’ll bring back an army from the dead to rule the world.
Follow along with Harley as she tracks down the missing Mayan statue, solves a few riddles and stumbles upon a secret society that will change her life forever!
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Excerpt Two:
Tikal, Guatemala, Present Day
You know how you just know something in your “knower”? As if you had a crystal ball built into your brain?
Well, today I had a feeling. This was going to be my year.
I, Harley Rebecca James, am going to win the Junior International Cryptography Competition.
What is that, you ask?
JICC is an online competition that follows the story of two explorers as they embark on a cryptographic adventure. Solving riddles and clues are my favorite things to do, so naturally, I love cryptography. Each week for twelve weeks, a new chapter is released, with a new code to break. Thousands of kids enter to win. And I was about to solve the clue for week two.
Thirty-nine characters. A famous phrase… got it!
I scribbled the answer down in my journal and smiled.
“Where there is ruin, there is hope for treasure,” I whispered to myself.
A quote from the ancient philosopher Rumi. Of course, I’ve heard Dad say this a hundred times.
The code itself had been easy to crack. The technique used was a simple Caesar shift. The hard part had been finding the key to unlock the cipher.
I couldn’t wait to get back to my room so I could log on and enter the answer.
“Harley? Have you finished your report on Mayan glyphs yet?” A voice suddenly broke through my thoughts.
Report?
Right. I was supposed to be finishing my homework, not cracking codes.
“Almost,” I replied, tucking a piece of unruly blonde hair out of my face. I was with my tutor Jessica Rodríguez and her dog, Daisy, sitting under the shade of one of the famous temples of Tikal, an ancient Mayan site nestled in the dense Guatemalan forest.
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Review: “If the statues were reunited on the Eve of the thirteenth Baktun, the Three Kings would return. And, in their revenge, they would bring an army of the dead to rule the world.”
Harley James, daughter of a renowned archeologist and world traveler, was a kid that loved riddles and solving puzzles. Currently, she was in Tikal, Guatemala, knowns for its archeological sites and Mayan temples. While walking about, Harley was pulled off the path and into the jungle, where she uncovered a glowing statue. She thought she could impress her dad with it, until…it goes missing from her possession. A series of clues follow as she searches for that missing statue. Can these spy kids find the statues before they fall into the wrong hands and bring about the end of the world?
With great black-and-white illustrations, this adventure story captures the reader from beginning to end. With its easy and witty narrative, story is seamless, mysterious, and exciting. Harley utilizes some crafty critical thinking and crypto smarts. Don’t we all wish that we were as good as Harley. It’s like a mini version of Indiana Jones.
I look forward to more Harley James adventures. A great and fun read!
Rating: 5 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
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Leah Cupps is an author, designer and entrepreneur. She came up with the idea for Harley James with her oldest daughter Savannah. Savannah had taken an interest in Mayan history and so the two of them worked together to come up with the idea for the first Harley James book; the Mystery of the Mayan Kings.
Leah lives in Indiana with her husband and three children. She is also the cofound of Vision Forty Press, a small family owned publishing company.
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09XGWL688
Author website: https://harleyjamesadventures.com
Author social media links
https://www.instagram.com/harleyjamesadventures/
https://www.facebook.com/harleyjamesadventures
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GIVEAWAY:
Leah Cupps will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the post the book sounds really good.
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