Middleworld

This novel is an unforgettable adventure. We meet the main character, Max who is just looking for a vacation of video gaming, laying around the house, and visiting family in Europe. When his parents get an opprotunity they cannot refuse everything does not go as Max had hoped.

His family's strange and mysterious housekeeper, Zia, soon sends him off to stay with his uncle. His uncle lives where Max's parents went missing. As Max uncovers some of his Family's secrets, he soon is swept up in an adventure with a girl named lola and her monkeys. Along the way Max meets some very interesting and unique characters.

When Lola and Max go into the temples, Max has to use his skills in video gaming to help them get through the temple. I like how the show more Authors took Max's video gaming skills and had him use them in real life. Throughout the novel Max becomes a better person.

The fate of the world lies on Max's shoulders in Middleworld. Will he be able to save everyone? Will he ever find his parents? Will he get the girl?

I really did like Middleworld, but at times I had to push myself to keep reading. Even with pictures throughout the book it still is a long read. Well worth the time though! The ending is just amazing and I can not wait for book two!

I would recommend Middleworld to anyone who is looking for an adventure in a place you have never been to before. If you like Percy Jackson you'll like Max too. Instead of mythology you will get to know the Mayans. Middleworld is a battle of good and evil. It is full of the value of friends, family, and where you come from. Also, in the back of the book are some fun extras! You will not want to miss this book.

4.5 Stars! show less

Max, 14, lead character of Middleworld by J&P Voelkel has archaelogist parents who are obsessed with the Maya. Essentially, he has the coolest parents EVAR! However, he thinks his parents are lame. Um, what? Max, dear, have you met MY parents? Their interests include country music, fart jokes, and complaining about how much things cost. Anyways, priviledged Max really grated on my nerves, I kept wanting to tell him to STFU or GTFO.Max winds up in Central America, in a chase for the Jaguar Stones which are like the sorceror's stone in Harry Potter, only these stones control the gods. He whines a whole lot in Central America. He's rude to the natives. Eventually, he comes across a Mayan girl named Lola. She's like a 14 year old Lara show more Croft. Girl has got it going on. She was definitely my favorite character, aside from the gods. I think this was because Lola was SO different from Max.I will say, this book is quite funny in several instances. However, the humor is a bit juvenile for MY tastes. But, it's a juvenile book, so really, what do I expect. It's also quite educational. I learned quite a bit about the Mayan religion, calendars, and food. This isn't really an adult-YA-MG crossover. I think the appeal is strictly for te MG set, which is fine. Not every book has to appeal to children and adults. Ultimately this would be great for middle schoolers, but not me, an adult reader of YA. show less

Max, 14, lead character of Middleworld by J&P Voelkel has archaeologist parents who are obsessed with the Maya. Essentially, he has the coolest parents EVAR! However, he thinks his parents are lame. Um, what? Max, dear, have you met MY parents? Their interests include country music, fart jokes, and complaining about how much things cost. Anyways, privileged Max really grated on my nerves, I kept wanting to tell him to STFU or GTFO.

Max winds up in Central America, in a chase for the Jaguar Stones which are like the sorcerer's stone in Harry Potter, only these stones control the gods. He whines a whole lot in Central America. He's rude to the natives. Eventually, he comes across a Mayan girl named Lola. She's like a 14 year old Lara show more Croft. Girl has got it going on. She was definitely my favorite character, aside from the gods. I think this was because Lola was SO different from Max.

I will say, this book is quite funny in several instances. However, the humor is a bit juvenile for MY tastes. But, it's a juvenile book, so really, what do I expect. It's also quite educational. I learned quite a bit about the Mayan religion, calendars, and food. This isn't really an adult-YA-MG crossover. I think the appeal is strictly for the MG set, which is fine. Not every book has to appeal to children and adults. Ultimately this would be great for middle schoolers, but not me, an adult reader of YA. show less

Reviewed by Theresa L. Stowell for TeensReadToo.com

Massimo Francis Sylvanus Murphy hates to be called by his whole name. It’s much too formal, like his parents who are famous archaeologists and Harvard professors. He much prefers Max. Max is much more fitting for a fourteen-year-old who loves video games, pizza, and the drums.

Max has his summer vacation planned out; he and his parents are going to Italy to visit his grandmother. Unfortunately, his parents come home early one night and ruin his plans – they are going on a dig, Max is staying home with Zia, the weird maid, and Italy is out of the question.

A week after his parents leave, however, Max finds a plane ticket next to his breakfast cereal. Zia tells him that “they” have show more told her that Max is special and she is sending him to San Xavier to meet his parents as a result. Max never does find out who “they” are, but he’s on his way within hours.

Strangely enough though, his uncle (with whom his parents are supposed to be staying) isn’t all that welcoming. He wants Max to stay out of the way while he deals with mysterious business associates and disappears into a strangely empty office for hours at a time. Uncle Ted doesn’t count on the fact that Max isn’t the type to avoid a challenge, and Max discovers a hidden treasure room that contains Mayan treasures. One of the treasures is the Red Jaguar of Chahk, a fabulous jewel carved into the shape of a jaguar’s head.

When Max spies two monkeys stealing the Red Jaguar, he sets off on an adventure to find his parents, who is turns out are missing, and the other three jaguar stones. Along the way he joins up with Lola, a Mayan girl, who has more than just a passing interest in his quest. The story takes the two on an exciting adventure through the San Xavier jungle as they seek the answers to the mysteries of the jaguar stones, Max’s parents, and the dangerous villain Count Antonio de Landa.

This is a great story for both boys and girls who enjoy a hero journey tale. Not only are the characters engaging, and the quest hair-raising, but subtle history lessons about the ancient Mayan civilization provide an extra layer of depth. show less

Fourteen-year-old Max's archaeologist parents have abandoned him yet again in favor of a Maya excavation. But his lazy summer gets cut short when he gets a mysterious ticket to join his parents in the Maya jungles of San Xavier. This city boy soon finds himself caught up in a fantastical world of artifact smugglers, ancient magic, and grand adventure accompanied by a headstrong Maya girl named Lola and her two howler monkeys. Can Max save his parents and the end of the world?

Authors Jon and Pamela Voekel have created an action-packed adventure story filled with Maya history and culture. With the 2012 phenomenon, interest in the Maya is sure to be high and the book includes an informative glossary and explanation of the Maya calendar. show more While it's not a groundbreaking work of children's literature, the story is compelling and sets the groundwork for an eventual trilogy. The history and magic make this a good choice for kids graduating from the Magic Tree House books, but should appeal to many young readers in the 8-12 age range. show less

Middleworld, book one of the Jaguar Stones, is a new Young Adult novel starring Massimo Francis Sylvanus “Max” Murphy, the son of 2 famous archaeologists, specializing in ancient Maya culture.

One day after school his parents arrive home early with a surprise. The family is not going to spend this summer’s vacation in Italy visiting Grandma. Max’s parents are going to San Xavier (a little country on the Yucatan peninsula) for a dig that has just opened. Needless to say Max is unhappy with the situation. Shortly after his parents depart, Zia the housekeeper/baby sitter tells Max she was told to send him to San Xavier as well.

Once there, Max has to stay with an uncle who he’s never met and discovers his parents have disappeared show more after the last big storm. He learns that his uncle isn’t what he pretends to be. A mysterious stone Max finds in his uncle’s secret vault causes all kinds of problems, the first of which is Max getting lost in the jungle. Max is saved by Lola, a Mayan girl his own age. We go on an adventure with Max and Lola as they race from Count Antonio de Landa and his goons, battle the Lords of Death, try to prevent the Apocalypse, and save Max’s parents from the underworld.

This is a great Young Adult novel. It is an exciting well written story, full of interesting facts about the Mayan culture. Many of which I was completely unaware. The authors did their homework and integrated Mayan myths, legends and facts to create an excellent story. show less

Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Husband and wife team Jon and Pamela Voelkel have created a tale set in the Central American rain forest. The story focuses on the Maya culture and traditions as the characters battle to prevent the evil forces of an ancient empire from destroying today's world.

In MIDDLEWORLD readers meet Max Murphy. His parents are archaeologists. He is sick of the old pottery and ancient artifacts that are forever causing his parents to head off to foreign countries. Max is always left in Boston to fend for himself with the help of Zia, their housekeeper. Max would like a little adventure -- as long as it involves pizza and video games. Adventure begins for Max when Zia informs him that show more plans have changed this time. Instead of heading off to a wilderness camp in Maine, Max is being sent to San Xavier to join his parents.

Max arrives in San Xavier only to find that Mr. and Mrs. Murphy have disappeared. Uncle Ted becomes Max's instant guardian, and the search for his parents begins. At the time of their disappearance, they were exploring an ancient Maya pyramid deep in the rain forest. All that's left is Mr. Murphy's jacket and Mrs. Murphy's earring. Max soon finds himself lost in the rain forest that may be responsible for his parents' death.

As the story unfolds, readers will learn quite a bit of Maya history. Hidden pyramids and ruins are scattered throughout the rain forest, and each holds mysterious treasures and secrets of the ancients and how they may still have powers in the modern world. The adventure is filled with crazy characters, secret passageways and hidden chambers, Maya traditions and superstitions, talking monkeys, and blood-thirsty warriors. The mysterious Jaguar Stones hold the power to change the world. The danger comes if all five are brought together. The good guys have some and the bad guys have some, and both are out to get their hands on them all.

Recommended for ages 12 and up, this is not for the faint-hearted reader. At nearly 400 pages, with additional pages devoted to information about Maya symbols and terminology, readers will be challenged as well as entertained. I predict this trilogy will be popular with fans of Anthony Horowitz, Roland Smith, and even Harry Potter fans, once they have finished book seven. Plenty of action and humor will keep readers on the edge of their seats. show less