Maple class used this book as the main text for studying stories with a historical setting, linked to our IPC theme of 'chocolate'. Through listening to the story (read by the class teacher, shared reading and listening to the audio version) the children really enjoyed learning about the Aztecs and it gave them an ideal model on which to base their own historical stories. The children, particularly the boys, enjoyed the more gruesome aspects of the story. A book that engages 8-9 year old boys has to be good. The historical aspects of the story gave a true and accurate representation of Aztec history and enabled the children to engage in high-level debates about the rights and wrongs of war and conquests. The complex characters and their relationships provided an ideal tool for studying emotions, inference and deduction.
We thoroughly enjoyed this book.