What do you think?
Rate this book
You Wouldn't Want to Be ...
You Wouldn't Want to Be an Aztec Sacrifice (Revised Edition)
You are a young man of noble family in the Central Valley of Mexico. Your city is about to be visited by your overlords, the Aztecs: fearsome warriors who practice human sacrifice. Will you be one of their victims? This new extended edition includes a map and a timeline of the Aztec civilization, and a selection of chilling facts.
32 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2000
8 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Fiona Macdonald
622 books43 followersFiona Macdonald studied history at Cambridge University and at the University of East Anglia. She has taught in schools, adult education and university, and is the author of numerous books for children on historical topics.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
February 22, 2017
Well, duh . . . but it looks like you've got no choice in the matter as you are captured in battle, and made to trudge across the desert to Tenochtitlan. There, based on your nice skin and strong body, you are judged to be perfect sacrifice material.
Now you can probably look forward to having your heart cut out which will be quick and almost painless thanks to some jungle drugs. If you're unlucky, you'll be drowned, or skinned alive, and your hide will be used to decorate a statue.
Despite the violent subject matter, this one isn't too extreme for most middle-grade readers. There's some blood, and one drawing of a priest holding - gulp! - your heart in his hand. If you don't mind the dying thing, this book is a quite informative, and fascinating look at many aspects of Aztec culture. Yep, it's yet another book that makes learnin' fun.
Now you can probably look forward to having your heart cut out which will be quick and almost painless thanks to some jungle drugs. If you're unlucky, you'll be drowned, or skinned alive, and your hide will be used to decorate a statue.
Despite the violent subject matter, this one isn't too extreme for most middle-grade readers. There's some blood, and one drawing of a priest holding - gulp! - your heart in his hand. If you don't mind the dying thing, this book is a quite informative, and fascinating look at many aspects of Aztec culture. Yep, it's yet another book that makes learnin' fun.
June 21, 2021
[Originally published on DE COLORES: http://decoloresreviews.blogspot.com/... ]
It's no secret that I'm a fierce advocate for literary dignity and equity in publishing. I want to see many more books by writers from underrepresented groups (BIPOC, disabled, queer) published each year for kids and adults alike. However, some folks misinterpret that mission as an implied disavowal of any book written by someone outside the culture depicted in its pages. But I actually do think it’s possible (and for secondary characters, outright desirable) for an author to write about characters and communities that don’t perfectly align with their own lived experiences.
The catch? It’s hard work. You have to put in the time. Research. Advocate. Uplift. Live alongside and be a friend and ally to people from the group in question. Then write with respect and pay a cultural expert from that community to review your manuscript and give you feedback (then incorporate their suggestions or corrections).
“Why, David?” I imagine someone asking. “What’s the worst that can happen?”
The short answer? People can be insulted, deeply hurt, or perhaps even permanently scarred by mistakes you make.
YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO BE AN AZTEC SACRIFICE is an example of an author writing “outside of their lane” and getting things horribly wrong. Mind you, anyone can screw up when writing. We’re human. But this is a book from a major publisher whose entire team really dropped the ball in terms of literary dignity.
A duo of British creatives (author: Fiona Macdonald, illustrator: David Antram) are the guilty parties responsible for the reprehensible book You Wouldn’t Want to Be an Aztec Sacrifice! Gruesome Things You'd Rather Not Know. (Scholastic, 2001). The reader is cast as a random Mesoamerican (presumably Nahua) from some far-flung conquered town who gets captured by “Aztecs” in a flower war and taken back to Tenochtitlan to be sacrificed. Now, flower wars certainly happened. The Triple Alliance—the Mexica, Texcoca and Tlacopaneca peoples now referred to as Aztecs—did require tribute and take warriors prisoner for sacrifice.
But the author has first of all decided to linger on all the lurid aspects of that interchange without noting that the OTHER side also took “Aztec” prisoners for sacrifice.
In fact, the book treats the unnamed protagonist as shocked again and again at “Aztec” beliefs and practices, even though the Triple Alliance was culturally Nahua just like most of the rest of Central Mexico, multiple nation states worshipping the same gods in essentially the same ways.
The book also abounds with exotification and inaccuracy. Because of religious symbols on shields, they are referred to as magical: “Many soldiers believe the magic will protect them on the battlefield.” I can’t imagine the creators of the book saying the same about a cross on the shield of a British knight. The Aztecs are called “energetic and warlike,” “fearsome,” and “ruthless.” Captives are marched through a stereotypical northern Mexican desert to reach Tenochtitlan rather than the actual pine forests that once surrounded Lake Texcoco in the Central Highlands.
Literally every page has at least one completely false statement, from the assertion that all priests stank because of putrid blood in their hair (only one sort of priest had this practice) to the baffling comment that some deceased Nahuas “make a long, miserable journey through the underworld before they finally perish in hell,” which completely miscasts the role of Mictlan (not to mention the fact that the Nahuas didn’t believe in hell). Wherever there’s a debate in scholarship, the creators side with the most extreme, titillating interpretation, as with the possibility of cannibalism (for which the evidence is mostly Spanish, post-Invasion, and in dire need of Indigenous religious context).
As with Me Oh Maya, the inaccuracies and lies are especially harmful because today there are 2.5 million Nahuas (descendants of the “Aztecs” and the related nations they conquered) in Mexico and Central America plus thousands more in the US. In addition, many Mexicans and Mexican Americans of mixed heritage (we often call ourselves “mestizos”) are heirs to a syncretic culture that blends Nahua and Spanish traditions and language. We grow up proud of the accomplishments of the “Aztecs,” Toltecs, and other pre-Invasion Nahua peoples.
For our children, You Wouldn’t Want to Be an Aztec Sacrifice! is a potentially damaging piece of overwrought nonsense from outsiders who have not done the work of living alongside us and considering the vital cultural heritage of the “Aztecs” that is kept alive in our communities.
The book certain does NOT promote the literary dignity of Indigenous or Mestizo people in Mexico and the US. The writer, illustrator, editors, and publisher should be ashamed of the harm they have done in the name of being clever and cute in that supercilious way that conveys to even the densest reader, “These people were bad and weird. It’s good that they’re gone. Western white culture is so much better, isn’t it?”
Such messages are simply unacceptable and must be fought.
It's no secret that I'm a fierce advocate for literary dignity and equity in publishing. I want to see many more books by writers from underrepresented groups (BIPOC, disabled, queer) published each year for kids and adults alike. However, some folks misinterpret that mission as an implied disavowal of any book written by someone outside the culture depicted in its pages. But I actually do think it’s possible (and for secondary characters, outright desirable) for an author to write about characters and communities that don’t perfectly align with their own lived experiences.
The catch? It’s hard work. You have to put in the time. Research. Advocate. Uplift. Live alongside and be a friend and ally to people from the group in question. Then write with respect and pay a cultural expert from that community to review your manuscript and give you feedback (then incorporate their suggestions or corrections).
“Why, David?” I imagine someone asking. “What’s the worst that can happen?”
The short answer? People can be insulted, deeply hurt, or perhaps even permanently scarred by mistakes you make.
YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO BE AN AZTEC SACRIFICE is an example of an author writing “outside of their lane” and getting things horribly wrong. Mind you, anyone can screw up when writing. We’re human. But this is a book from a major publisher whose entire team really dropped the ball in terms of literary dignity.
A duo of British creatives (author: Fiona Macdonald, illustrator: David Antram) are the guilty parties responsible for the reprehensible book You Wouldn’t Want to Be an Aztec Sacrifice! Gruesome Things You'd Rather Not Know. (Scholastic, 2001). The reader is cast as a random Mesoamerican (presumably Nahua) from some far-flung conquered town who gets captured by “Aztecs” in a flower war and taken back to Tenochtitlan to be sacrificed. Now, flower wars certainly happened. The Triple Alliance—the Mexica, Texcoca and Tlacopaneca peoples now referred to as Aztecs—did require tribute and take warriors prisoner for sacrifice.
But the author has first of all decided to linger on all the lurid aspects of that interchange without noting that the OTHER side also took “Aztec” prisoners for sacrifice.
In fact, the book treats the unnamed protagonist as shocked again and again at “Aztec” beliefs and practices, even though the Triple Alliance was culturally Nahua just like most of the rest of Central Mexico, multiple nation states worshipping the same gods in essentially the same ways.
The book also abounds with exotification and inaccuracy. Because of religious symbols on shields, they are referred to as magical: “Many soldiers believe the magic will protect them on the battlefield.” I can’t imagine the creators of the book saying the same about a cross on the shield of a British knight. The Aztecs are called “energetic and warlike,” “fearsome,” and “ruthless.” Captives are marched through a stereotypical northern Mexican desert to reach Tenochtitlan rather than the actual pine forests that once surrounded Lake Texcoco in the Central Highlands.
Literally every page has at least one completely false statement, from the assertion that all priests stank because of putrid blood in their hair (only one sort of priest had this practice) to the baffling comment that some deceased Nahuas “make a long, miserable journey through the underworld before they finally perish in hell,” which completely miscasts the role of Mictlan (not to mention the fact that the Nahuas didn’t believe in hell). Wherever there’s a debate in scholarship, the creators side with the most extreme, titillating interpretation, as with the possibility of cannibalism (for which the evidence is mostly Spanish, post-Invasion, and in dire need of Indigenous religious context).
As with Me Oh Maya, the inaccuracies and lies are especially harmful because today there are 2.5 million Nahuas (descendants of the “Aztecs” and the related nations they conquered) in Mexico and Central America plus thousands more in the US. In addition, many Mexicans and Mexican Americans of mixed heritage (we often call ourselves “mestizos”) are heirs to a syncretic culture that blends Nahua and Spanish traditions and language. We grow up proud of the accomplishments of the “Aztecs,” Toltecs, and other pre-Invasion Nahua peoples.
For our children, You Wouldn’t Want to Be an Aztec Sacrifice! is a potentially damaging piece of overwrought nonsense from outsiders who have not done the work of living alongside us and considering the vital cultural heritage of the “Aztecs” that is kept alive in our communities.
The book certain does NOT promote the literary dignity of Indigenous or Mestizo people in Mexico and the US. The writer, illustrator, editors, and publisher should be ashamed of the harm they have done in the name of being clever and cute in that supercilious way that conveys to even the densest reader, “These people were bad and weird. It’s good that they’re gone. Western white culture is so much better, isn’t it?”
Such messages are simply unacceptable and must be fought.
January 14, 2015
I'm currently writing my senior thesis on Aztec human sacrifice and came across this book as a contemporary portrayal. I had to force myself to finish it because it was ridiculously ethnocentric. Many of the "facts" seemed to not come from credible sources and, overall, do not give an even remotely accurate account, even for kids. I would not recommend this book for any age.
May 26, 2012
You Wouldn’t Want to Be An Aztec Sacrifice is a non-fiction book about what it would have been like to live in Mesoamerica when the Aztecs were becoming all powerful, around 1325. Their goal was to conquer all neighboring lands, taking prisoners who would either be used as slaves, or sacrifices to the gods. See the Aztecs believed that they had to provide sacrifices of all kinds, flowers, drops of blood, first crops, and often humans. What’s interesting about all these “You Wouldn’t Want to Be…” books is that they are all told to the reader as if he or she were the main character, in this case the sacrifice, and they spare no gory details. For example, you must be in good health to be considered a sacrifice. You cannot have any scars, be fat, or unhealthy looking. Also, it’s said that 20,000 men were sacrificed when the Great Temple was dedicated. You’ll have to read this one to find out if the main character becomes a sacrifice or not.
There are all kinds of books in this series, such as You Wouldn’t Want to be a Roman Gladiator and You Wouldn’t Want to Be Cursed By King Tut and You Wouldn’t Want to Live in a Medieval Castle. Check them out!
There are all kinds of books in this series, such as You Wouldn’t Want to be a Roman Gladiator and You Wouldn’t Want to Be Cursed By King Tut and You Wouldn’t Want to Live in a Medieval Castle. Check them out!
April 21, 2018
Pretty much, the Aztec sacrifice people and set them on fire based on the lunar charts and they have sports such as basketball where the losing team are also sacrificed. They might tear out your beating heart, behead you, drown you, flay you or have you tied to a stone while another senior warrior fights dressed with feathers and using wooden weapons to club you to death you if you were an Aztec sacrifice. Note: this book explains the different types of sacrifices and when they are performed; pretty much, not one is saved from becoming an Aztec sacrifice. The Aztec are cannibals, they would eat the arms and legs of their sacrifice. There is so much more information in this book about what it meant to be an Aztec sacrifice that you will find fascinating.
February 26, 2012
While certainly not one you would want to give children on the younger side of the target age range of this series, this was an excellent look at the Aztec culture (what the point of war was, their concept of honour, 'how sacrifices worked' and what the end goal for each sacrifice was, basics of their religion, etc.) and Mesoamerica as a whole at the time. As per usual, the humour was spot on, the drawings were well done and the 'story' that serves as the backbone of the information was well set up.
July 13, 2015
We are reading through this series at the library. This book was our least favorite. Very gruesome but we did learn what the Aztec's did...yuck!
January 7, 2022
We have a few books from this fun history series. I was studying the Aztecs during history lessons at school so it seemed like a good time to re-read this book & top-up my knowledge of life in Aztec times.
The books encourage you to learn about people and places in history by pretending you are one of the people alive at that time. In this book you have to imagine being a young man from an important and noble family living in Mexico in Aztec times (about 600 years ago). Unfortunately for you, the Aztecs arrive and decide that you are the perfect choice to become a human sacrifice in one of their frequent ceremonies.
The book gives you an introduction to who the Aztecs were then takes you on the journey that the captured man would have taken back to the Aztec temple. It explains how and why sacrifices were made as well as the beliefs that people had about gods and what would happen to them after they died.
These books are great for younger history fans. The text is written in simple age appropriate language. The colourful and funny cartoon style pictures make learning fun but include lots of accurate details. These are facts about quite scary and gory things that real people would have experienced but the book teaches younger readers the facts without making it too scary or upsetting. I like the quick fact and Handy Hint boxes. There are lots of Informative captions, as well as a glossary and an index to help you learn and find the information you need.
The books encourage you to learn about people and places in history by pretending you are one of the people alive at that time. In this book you have to imagine being a young man from an important and noble family living in Mexico in Aztec times (about 600 years ago). Unfortunately for you, the Aztecs arrive and decide that you are the perfect choice to become a human sacrifice in one of their frequent ceremonies.
The book gives you an introduction to who the Aztecs were then takes you on the journey that the captured man would have taken back to the Aztec temple. It explains how and why sacrifices were made as well as the beliefs that people had about gods and what would happen to them after they died.
These books are great for younger history fans. The text is written in simple age appropriate language. The colourful and funny cartoon style pictures make learning fun but include lots of accurate details. These are facts about quite scary and gory things that real people would have experienced but the book teaches younger readers the facts without making it too scary or upsetting. I like the quick fact and Handy Hint boxes. There are lots of Informative captions, as well as a glossary and an index to help you learn and find the information you need.
June 28, 2021
I read the book (both the original and the revised edition) after reading David Bowles critique (check it out here http://decoloresreviews.blogspot.com/...), and I agree with his stance that the book does not "promot[e] the literary dignity of Indigenous or Mestizo people in Mexico and the US."
September 6, 2017
Picked up this book mainly because I wanted to find out more about sacrifices from a Mayan historical tour...
Book is very colourfully illustrated and written humourously.
Book is very colourfully illustrated and written humourously.
December 7, 2017
What another great book! It educates you on how awful the Aztecs were. It was gruesome, too. It's great for fourth and fifth graders and up who can handle blood well.
August 25, 2019
I’m currently digging deeper into my obsession of human sacrifice and cannibalism.
This book is a fantastic read.
The Aztec’s were fierce, intelligent and very interesting.
This book is a fantastic read.
The Aztec’s were fierce, intelligent and very interesting.
December 31, 2019
So by being healthy and in good shape, you are rewarded by being a sacrifice...yeah, that makes sense.
December 8, 2020
OMG I LOVE this series! I thought the title was absolutely funny, but with a lot of good facts. I have read a few others in the series and will continue to look for more
December 14, 2021
Gross and sad and really, really interesting.
February 2, 2023
It gave me a quick and easy overview, which is what I wanted.
August 16, 2023
Pretty gruesome. Probably best for ages 8+.
November 15, 2012
We've read several books in the You Wouldn't Want To... series. I like that they tackle serious historical events and show the not-so-nice side of human behavior, but in a somewhat humorous and tongue-in-cheek way. The book puts you as the reader into the center of the story, so you can imagine what life in those times was like.
This book is particularly harsh because you know that you are most likely going to die a gruesome death as the main character of the story. The description of the ancient practices is a bit difficult to take, but I like that the author explains that it is part of their religious beliefs and their sincere desire to appease the gods and not just a wanton desire to kill.
The illustrations are colorful and cartoonish and just as good as we've come to expect from this series. We enjoyed reading this book together and will look for more of the books in this series at our local library.
This book is particularly harsh because you know that you are most likely going to die a gruesome death as the main character of the story. The description of the ancient practices is a bit difficult to take, but I like that the author explains that it is part of their religious beliefs and their sincere desire to appease the gods and not just a wanton desire to kill.
The illustrations are colorful and cartoonish and just as good as we've come to expect from this series. We enjoyed reading this book together and will look for more of the books in this series at our local library.
October 20, 2013
I loved everything about this book. It was funny, interesting and the pictures were fantastic. This is exactly the kind of history book we need to be using with children to help them get excited about he past. It's told through the eyes of someone who is taken captive by the Aztec. As he geos on his journey to be an Aztec sacrifice we learn about the culture and the environment. I wondered how they would pull off the actual sacrifice but they kept it kid-friendly. (As much as sacrifices can be.) I'd love to read other books in this series.
June 30, 2015
We went to Mexico last year on a family vacation and my daughter (then 8) was fascinated by the ruins at Tulum and the guide's monologue on sacrifice. As we prepare for a return visit, she picked this book out at the library and we read it as a family (with her equally fascinated 5 year old brother). It was incredibly interesting, light on the "ick" factors without gratuitous gore, and we all learned something new.
September 28, 2021
As a kid I thought this book was gross and still do. We've read several books in the You Wouldn't Want To... series. I like that they tackle serious historical events and show the not-so-nice side of the event.
The description of the ancient practices is a bit difficult to take in, but the author explains that it is part of their religious beliefs and their sincere desire to appease their gods and not just a wanton desire to kill. This just wasn't for me I wasn't fully invested.
The description of the ancient practices is a bit difficult to take in, but the author explains that it is part of their religious beliefs and their sincere desire to appease their gods and not just a wanton desire to kill. This just wasn't for me I wasn't fully invested.
February 10, 2009
This is a great series for young readers. Filled with great illustrations and an easy-to-understand writing style, this book explains how a man comes to find himself in the terror of becoming a Aztec sacrifice. It explains the different types of sacrifices and how they went about it in tactful ways. A great addition to any library's collection.
October 5, 2016
A.K.A. The Book I Read At Age Six That Scarred Me for Life. If you choose to let your kid read this, read it first, read it with them, or wait until the kid is a bit older. I couldn't sleep for three weeks without nightmares because of this book.
February 8, 2009
I love this series. The subject matter is explained in a really cool way that is very informative and non-scary. My son and I love them.
March 31, 2009
I like the humor in history it gives
November 11, 2010
This was very gory but fun to read!
August 1, 2013
I just love this guy's pictures; these were exceptional. The story was great, too. Everything spelled right, well-put-together.
October 16, 2013
There were two pages with creepy things on them but other than that it was good.
November 16, 2014
I LOVE these books! Found them in the school library and they are great! I wish there were more!
August 15, 2015
One of the few in this series that we've really liked!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews