A early chapter book with a lot of kid action and time travel. I read all the Magic Treehouse books so I struggled reading this book. Although there were fun character and interesting names this book didn’t sit right with me. The story is about two boys who time travel with a book. This time they travel to the Mayan world and we’re going to sacrificed. Basketball saves them and the two friends make new friends and beat the high priest. In the classroom I believe a teacher use it as a read aloud but may need to replace some of the words. Blood sacrifice could be softened by saying sacrifice only. The theme friendship and trust. ( )

Summary: Joe, Sam & Fred from the Time Warp Trio series get transported to the Ancient Civilization of the Mayans. Their special book takes them there and they have to find the book to get back to their own time. Meanwhile, they have to play an ancient mayan ballgame to not get killed.
Personal Response: I like to read this book to my class when I'm teaching Ancient Civilizations. I'd like it to be a little more informative because it mostly revolves around the ball game.
Curriculum Connection: Maya, Ancient Civilizations ( )

Summary: In true Jon Scieszka style, this is the slightly quirky story of Joe, Sam, and Fred who find themselves moved from a Brooklyn basketball court to a Mayan ball court. They find the rules a little different than what they're used to and have to get home before they get killed losing.

Genre: Fantasy

The book sends the trio back in time 1,000 years to Chichén Itzá, where the boys make friends with fallen Maya Royals who they help restore to there rightful place in society. I like the books and they are very popular with series readers, especially boys. The Maya are a living breathing people still unlike neanderthals or european pirates and it is not awful, good for beginers to read . In particular spot in the book, Scieszka ridicules the evil Maya rulers name as "Kakapupahed". i mention this to whoever takes the book out. Still, the series is clever and popular with for people my age to read.

The boys warp back 1000 years to a Mayan village. While there they challenge the High Priest Kakapupahed to a ball game in order to oust him from power and to get their hands on The Book. Final chapter titled 'Professor Sam's Maya Math' explains how to write numbers the way the Mayans did. ( )