If you ever wanted to know what happened when the Aztecs were invaded by Cortez's band of thugs – uhm, I mean "explorers," then Shelley Tanaka's book is the one to read. This book is designed for older children and teens and gives a fascinating overview of the Aztecs, how their leader Moctezuma was so easily fooled by the offers of goodwill by Cortez, and how Cortez and his men slaughtered the city of Tenochtitlan and eventually built upon it another colony in the Spanish conquest.

The illustrations by Greg Ruhl are very well maintained, drawn realistically and do not have a cartoon look – nearly photographic!

I also enjoyed the flavor of the book. The blood sacrifices that occured at the time were not watered down – we get to see where the hearts were thrown! And new photos of the archeologic digs in Mexico City were also fascinating and interesting.

This book is part of the "I Was There" series, five titles illustrated by Greg Rhul.

- The Buried City of Pompeii
- In The Time of Knights
- Lost Temple of the Aztecs
- Secrets of the Mummies
- First on the Moon

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If you ever wanted to know what happened when the Aztecs were invaded by Cortez's band of thugs – uhm, I mean "explorers," then Shelley Tanaka's book is the one to read. This book is designed for older children and teens and gives a fascinating overview of the Aztecs, how their leader Moctezuma was so easily fooled by the offers of goodwill by Cortez, and how Cortez and his men slaughtered the city of Tenochtitlan and eventually built upon it another colony in the Spanish conquest.

The illustrations by Greg Ruhl are very well maintained, drawn realistically and do not have a cartoon look – nearly photographic!

I also enjoyed the flavor of the book. The blood sacrifices that occured at the time were not watered down – we get to see where the hearts were thrown! And new photos of the archeologic digs in Mexico City were also fascinating and interesting.

This book is part of the "I Was There" series, five titles illustrated by Greg Rhul.

- The Buried City of Pompeii
- In The Time of Knights
- Lost Temple of the Aztecs
- Secrets of the Mummies
- First on the Moon

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This is a 46 page book detailing the fall of the Aztec. The book has historical illustrations and artifacts, as well as interesting information in the epilogue concerning the excavation of Aztec buildings in Mexico City. It also depicts the Aztec religious culture and the brutality of the Spanish. Some of the information is a little graphic for younger children. It can be used in upper elementary grades as a supplementary source, but use your discretion. When I read it to my fourth graders, I skipped the sentence which stated the Spanish fed some of the Aztec captives to their dogs. Could be used in grades 4-5 with discretion and in grades 6-12. ( )

This informational chapter book covers the rise and fall of the Aztec empire. This book would keep students interested because every page is filled with illustrations, diagrams, maps, photographs and informational sidebars, which help the student visualize what they were not there for. I believe it would be appropriate for anyone who wanted to learn about the Aztec empire or students in grades 3-9. ( )

Aztecs > History > Juvenile literature >/Juvenile literature/Aztecs > Social life and customs > Juvenile/literature/Mexico > Discovery and exploration > Spanish >/Mexico > History > Conquest, 1519-1540 >/Aztecs > History/Indians of Mexico > History/Mexico > History > Conquest, 1519-1540