Heart of a Jaguar

by Marc Talbert and Marc Talberl

Book Overview

Balam, a Mayan boy struggling to achieve manhood, participates in fasts, prayers, and rituals to appease the gods and bring rain to his village.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 068980282X
• ISBN13: 9780689802829
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Atheneum Books
• Length: 197 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.9" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Heart of a Jaguar Book Report

Have you ever been through an extreme drought? Or wrestled with a jaguar? If not you should read, Heart of a Jaguar. Writing this story Marc Talbert vividly describes Maya going through a difficult time in their civilization. The problem was, Lack of rain.Crys rang out from among the camp. A baby was being born, twin infact. Balam does not remember this day, but his father has told him about it many times. The day when his mom died giving birth to him and his brother who also died. His father is married again, and Balam is now 14. He is a boy who is longing to become a man. Giving up playing with the little boys, he hopes that the bachelors will recognize he is no longer a kid, and will allow him to come and live with them in the baclelors hut.Falling in love with a girl named Ixbacal, he is forever watching her. He knows that he is going to marry her. Suddenly his dreams are shattered when Ixbacal is kidnapped by an enemy while she was going to the cenote. Later they find out that she was sacrificed to there gods. Balam immediately fell apart. Longing to become a man, he followed the bachelors into the woods. They were going to spy. Quietly and cautiously, he followed them. Then all of a sudden they got out of site. Where did they go? Balam was scared, he was now lost in the wood alone. While standing there he heard a noise which startled him. Looking around, he spotted a viscous jaguar. Castings his spear the jaguar died. After killing it, he then got the pelt and the heart and wandered back home. Walking up to the camp, he removed the pelt from his head. In doing so, the little white bead which symbolized he was a child was ripped off. Back at camp the leaders were deciding who to sacrifice, they chose Balam. Balam was to fast for ten days to purify himself. On the tenth day Balam was sacrificed to the gods for rain. Reading this book, you would go back in time and experience the Mayan civilization first hand going through an extreme drought. Although the ending was different, surely many would enjoy this book. You should defiantly read Heart of a Jaguar if you were studding Maya.

Heart of a Jaguar: The Review

I think that Heart of a Jaguar is a very good novel. There are only a few places that it could be improved. Especially in the fight of the bachelors, it was a bit too gruesome. The violence in the fight could have definitely been removed. Even though that probably happened in the Maya civilization, Marc Talbert did not have to include it in the book. Heart of a Jaguar was a very vivid book, especially in the dreams of a young boy. Marc Talbert was able to create a very real story that was very clear and plausible (within the Mayan empire). The ending was very detailed also though it was expected. The author's note in the beginning sets the scene of the story very well. The book takes place two days away from the collapsed Mayan city. The book is written about the 1200s in the Post-Classic Mayan period. It greatly develops the story of the novel and prepares you for this excellent book.

Review for Heart of a Jaguar

Heart of a Jaguar By Marc Talbert "It's literally heart stopping"-Lydia By LydiaI think that Heart of a Jaguar is a good novel. It tells the tale of a boy, Balam, waiting to become a man. When a drought plagues his village, everyone tries to bring rain. However, the rituals are a bit sordid, so I would recommend this to mature readers. This book depicts what happened in the Post-Classic period of the Mayas. Rituals in the book are not made up, but quite real. Mark Talbert did a good job of studying and preparing for the book. He was well ready to write the book. The author's note is helpful because it sets the location, two days away from Chichen Itza. However, the tone buttered you up. This was a good book, but could have had a few lighter points.

Heart of a Jaguar Review

Heart of a Jaguar is a fascinating book. You don't know what's going to happen until the end. You have to keep on reading. This is a book that opens excitingly and holds you interest all the way through. It is beautifully crafted and written. The exotic jungle setting and the Mayan everyday life are different and give you a taste of a unique culture. Through this book you live the life of a 14-year-old boy. The adventure is stunning, and if you read this book, you'll experience it too. The characters add to the story. The plot is dramatic and you won't be just reading, you'll be living it too.