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Magic Maize
It is the story of Fabian, a Mayan Indian boy, who uncovers a rare jade earplug while secretly planting "magic maize." The earplug and maize lead to adventures so unusual that even Fabian's stubborn father is convinced that the old and new can live in peace.
76 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 1953
2 people are currently reading
126 people want to read
About the author
Mary Buff
21 books2 followersMary Buff, formerly known as Mary Marsh, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on April 10, 1890. Mary had an early interest in arts and poetry but only continued to study art. She studied at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and at the Cincinnati Art Academy and received her bachelor's degree in Kansas at Bethany College. Mary then lived in Albion, Idaho and in the 1920s settled in Los Angeles. In 1922 she married Conrad Buff. Mary was the assistant curator at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Her income was large enough to allow her husband, Conrad Buff, to paint full-time. After marrying Conrad Buff, Mary gave up her pursuit of painting to write children`s books with him. She died in 1970.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 2, 2021
As a physical object, this book was a pleasure to read. I really enjoy the early chapter books of this era, with the large dimensions, beautiful artwork, etc.
I enjoyed the story and thought it had stronger characters than some other Guatemalan-themed books I've read, such as The Corn Grows Ripe.
I understand the complaints about the presentation of white things as being better than Mayan things, but it didn't quite hit me that way. The author made it clear, at least to me, that gringos had often done harmful things to Guatemala and that the Mayans were right to be leery of them. It is also made clear that the gringos are there with the permission of the President of Guatemala, which makes them less colonial and more collegial with the Guatemalans. And, yes, I also get the Monsanto criticism, but I think that's reading a bit extra into it.
This is all a moot point, however, because I find it unlikely that a child will read this book today anyhow. It cannot compete with more recent books, such as Abuela's Weave, Rainbow Weaver: Tejedora del Arcoiris, or Caminar. This one is strictly for completists.
I enjoyed the story and thought it had stronger characters than some other Guatemalan-themed books I've read, such as The Corn Grows Ripe.
I understand the complaints about the presentation of white things as being better than Mayan things, but it didn't quite hit me that way. The author made it clear, at least to me, that gringos had often done harmful things to Guatemala and that the Mayans were right to be leery of them. It is also made clear that the gringos are there with the permission of the President of Guatemala, which makes them less colonial and more collegial with the Guatemalans. And, yes, I also get the Monsanto criticism, but I think that's reading a bit extra into it.
This is all a moot point, however, because I find it unlikely that a child will read this book today anyhow. It cannot compete with more recent books, such as Abuela's Weave, Rainbow Weaver: Tejedora del Arcoiris, or Caminar. This one is strictly for completists.
April 30, 2017
Magic Maize is a short novel about Fabian, a Maya boy in 20th century Guatemala who is caught between his father's love for the old ways and traditional Mayan beliefs and his peddler brother Quin's sympathy for "gringos" (white people) and his willingness to accept the supposed superiority of the white man's brand of maize. As Fabian struggles to reconcile these two opposing worldviews, he grows some of his brother's "magic maize" in secret and also discovers a rare jade earplug that he does not realize may lead to good fortune for his whole family.
This book gives the young reader a bit of insight into the Mayan way of life and the tensions between the Mayas and the white Spaniards. Unlike the Goodreads reviewers of this book, I did not find the authors' treatment of this subject matter to be inherently racist. For the most part, in fact, the attitude of the story is fairly neutral toward the Mayan belief system. It is clear that Fabian's father sincerely believes in the prayers and rituals he performs before planting or harvesting his maize, and though the book ultimately introduces other ways of doing things, it does not ridicule Fabian's parents and neighbors for the way they practice their religion. Fabian and Quin seem to decide - and to convince their father - that perhaps not all new ways are bad ways, but there is nothing overt to suggest that they do this by abandoning their entire way of life.
There is a passage fairly early in the book where Quin articulates quite clearly the book's true message about race:
"I know, I know," answered Quin, "but I see many things as I carry bananas from the jungles to the highlands and maize from the highlands to the jungle. I have known many kinds of people, Fabian, and now I know that they are much alike. Whether they are Indians or gringos, they are alike. Some are good, others are bad. But most of them are neither all good or all bad. It is easy to see why Father hates the gringos. The Spaniards were cruel to the Indians for as long as anyone can remember. But those days are going."
I much prefer this message over the simplistic contemporary notion that to be white is to be evil. Honestly, those who push for diversity in books because it exposes readers to many different types of people and situations ought to appreciate Quin's realization that the diverse people he meets show him how very much alike all human beings really are. I thought that was the point.
In any case, I don't see the value in excoriating authors of old books for not writing according to contemporary standards, and I'm tired of feeling like I need to become an "old books apologist" in every review I write. This book is over 60 years old, and it is a product of its time. If I think of it that way and ignore all the politics of children's book publishing in the 21st century, I can say that it is well-written, makes great use of storytelling as a device within the story itself, and teaches young readers about a culture and time period with which they may not otherwise be very familiar. I also like the sepia-toned illustrations, many of which take up full pages, and all of which help readers to picture and contextualize what is presented in the text. I will admit that the story was a little bland for me, but I would still not hesitate to share it with my kids. It's interesting, memorable, and well-written, and to me, that's really all that matters.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
This book gives the young reader a bit of insight into the Mayan way of life and the tensions between the Mayas and the white Spaniards. Unlike the Goodreads reviewers of this book, I did not find the authors' treatment of this subject matter to be inherently racist. For the most part, in fact, the attitude of the story is fairly neutral toward the Mayan belief system. It is clear that Fabian's father sincerely believes in the prayers and rituals he performs before planting or harvesting his maize, and though the book ultimately introduces other ways of doing things, it does not ridicule Fabian's parents and neighbors for the way they practice their religion. Fabian and Quin seem to decide - and to convince their father - that perhaps not all new ways are bad ways, but there is nothing overt to suggest that they do this by abandoning their entire way of life.
There is a passage fairly early in the book where Quin articulates quite clearly the book's true message about race:
"I know, I know," answered Quin, "but I see many things as I carry bananas from the jungles to the highlands and maize from the highlands to the jungle. I have known many kinds of people, Fabian, and now I know that they are much alike. Whether they are Indians or gringos, they are alike. Some are good, others are bad. But most of them are neither all good or all bad. It is easy to see why Father hates the gringos. The Spaniards were cruel to the Indians for as long as anyone can remember. But those days are going."
I much prefer this message over the simplistic contemporary notion that to be white is to be evil. Honestly, those who push for diversity in books because it exposes readers to many different types of people and situations ought to appreciate Quin's realization that the diverse people he meets show him how very much alike all human beings really are. I thought that was the point.
In any case, I don't see the value in excoriating authors of old books for not writing according to contemporary standards, and I'm tired of feeling like I need to become an "old books apologist" in every review I write. This book is over 60 years old, and it is a product of its time. If I think of it that way and ignore all the politics of children's book publishing in the 21st century, I can say that it is well-written, makes great use of storytelling as a device within the story itself, and teaches young readers about a culture and time period with which they may not otherwise be very familiar. I also like the sepia-toned illustrations, many of which take up full pages, and all of which help readers to picture and contextualize what is presented in the text. I will admit that the story was a little bland for me, but I would still not hesitate to share it with my kids. It's interesting, memorable, and well-written, and to me, that's really all that matters.
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
June 24, 2019
A young Mayan boy helps his family plant crops and tend to their meager farm. One day his older brother brings home some "magic maize" - corn from the gringos, who say it will grow and produce much better than their own - but their father is too distrustful of the white people to use it. So Fabian decides to plant it in secret. This Newbery Honor Book from 1953 feels its age; it's filled with subalterns who can't seem to make ends meet until the White Saviors come to the rescue. Blech.
February 5, 2018
I was very disappointed that the interior illustrations were not full color like the beautiful cover and endpapers. Instead they are done all in brown.
I don't doubt the accuracy of the family's confused melange of Catholic and pagan worship, but it didn't make any sense to me - like it was just not understanding much about either religion or else it was hedging bets.
I don't doubt the accuracy of the family's confused melange of Catholic and pagan worship, but it didn't make any sense to me - like it was just not understanding much about either religion or else it was hedging bets.
May 23, 2015
The book is about a Mayan boy and his family in 20th century Guatemala. I thought it was okay until the ending. I don't like giving away endings, but there is a small spoiler here - sorry. I found it quite insulting that a life's worth of culture and fears and anger can be chased away from a man by giving him a flashlight that he can shine around the room. There were other small lines here and there that seemed slightly racist as well against the Mayan people, and there was a definite theme that white people and their stuff are better than Mayan people and their stuff.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2009
The book is a bit dated and probably wouldn't fly today by anyone's standards of properly representing another culture, but it was okay.
October 8, 2021
This book was written in 1953, long before we became conscious that genetically modified foods might present problems for the consumers--or anyone or anything else. And before we revered the original seeds and grains of ancient peoples (Anasazi beans had quite a vogue several years ago). So here we have a boy growing up on a farm in Guatemala and the father following all the old ways and traditions of that culture, as well as a healthy distrust of Gringos. Yet the young son who is still at home and the older son who has gone traveling introduce through their curiosity the new ways they learn through contact with other cultures. In this case, white corn, instead of the traditional corn with "only" red, yellow, and black kernels. Through a devastating rain storm, the crop is destroyed and the father faces going to work for a coffee plantation. But lo! The older brother has secretly brought white corn seeds he received from two Gringos and the younger brother has secretly planted them. That successful crop saves the day. Viewed from three-quarters of a century later, the story seems so simplistic.
Two other comments: first, the book feels like it was written to fill a void in children's literature, to present a story from a culture that is not white American. There is a kind of "made to fit the market" feel about it. And the Buff books, because the Buffs are prolific and quality writers (they won three Newbery Honors) would find a wide market. Second, although Conrad Buff did the illustrations for their books (they were also runner up for a Caldecott), I find the ones in this book dull. They are all done in sepia tones and they miss capturing the exciting daily circumstances that surround and affect Fabian, our hero. Some of the illustrations might be best served by the sepia, but the vibrant colors around Fabian would have fit especially well with the picture of his mother weaving or the visit to the marketplace just to name two. Color is used for the cover and for the endpapers and these demonstrate how engaging the addition of color is.
Two other comments: first, the book feels like it was written to fill a void in children's literature, to present a story from a culture that is not white American. There is a kind of "made to fit the market" feel about it. And the Buff books, because the Buffs are prolific and quality writers (they won three Newbery Honors) would find a wide market. Second, although Conrad Buff did the illustrations for their books (they were also runner up for a Caldecott), I find the ones in this book dull. They are all done in sepia tones and they miss capturing the exciting daily circumstances that surround and affect Fabian, our hero. Some of the illustrations might be best served by the sepia, but the vibrant colors around Fabian would have fit especially well with the picture of his mother weaving or the visit to the marketplace just to name two. Color is used for the cover and for the endpapers and these demonstrate how engaging the addition of color is.
May 20, 2018
Read this as one of my Newbery collection acquisitions. I did really enjoy the look at modern Mayan village culture as seen several decades ago. This starts out as a really sweet story with a clear love of the people showing in the author and illustrator's handlings. But. . .
It's ruined for me by the typical-of-the-1950's patrinomial attitude where "Gringos" save the day and magically win over a hesitant native's good feeling. Plus, I always have a problem with lauded children's books carrying messages like this one's call to deceive a parent. So, here we have a situation where we get a nice look into a back-country Mayan family's home life, with its blend of pagan beliefs and kiss of Catholicism, and because a child deceives his father and then is given permission by his mother in the father's absence to do something for Gringos that the father would never allow, the family is saved by the new, "magic," stronger and more perfect strain of corn engineered by the whites from far away. [Which, by the way, is a glimpse through the doorway into the nasty corn/wheat problems we have today. . . ::snicker:: I see I'm not the only reviewer who thought this read like a disguised ad from Monsanto.]
It's ruined for me by the typical-of-the-1950's patrinomial attitude where "Gringos" save the day and magically win over a hesitant native's good feeling. Plus, I always have a problem with lauded children's books carrying messages like this one's call to deceive a parent. So, here we have a situation where we get a nice look into a back-country Mayan family's home life, with its blend of pagan beliefs and kiss of Catholicism, and because a child deceives his father and then is given permission by his mother in the father's absence to do something for Gringos that the father would never allow, the family is saved by the new, "magic," stronger and more perfect strain of corn engineered by the whites from far away. [Which, by the way, is a glimpse through the doorway into the nasty corn/wheat problems we have today. . . ::snicker:: I see I'm not the only reviewer who thought this read like a disguised ad from Monsanto.]
March 9, 2021
I’m a Newbery completist- slowly working my way through the Honor books as I find them, I’ve read all the Award winners. I was reading this, thinking how familiar it all seemed, but not quite. Further research showed I’d read The Corn Is Ripe six years ago. How were these two chosen as Newbery Honor books just 4 years apart? The plots are very similar with Mayan gods and Catholicism mixed. Was it during the love for all things Latin that brought us Disney’s Three Caballeros?
September 1, 2017
I loved the legends that were told in this book. This book was neither great nor awful.
April 30, 2023
Cute story that does a basic introduction to Mayan culture in Guatemala. I would have like a little more insight into the culture, but I was still a fun way to introduce a couple Mayan myths.
July 31, 2023
This one is so dated- really struggled to get through it.
August 26, 2023
This was an okay story, but infused with the belief that the new ideas were better.
Want to read
June 15, 20251954 Newbery honor book
August 18, 2020
3 stars. This 1950s era depiction of a non-white culture isn't terrible; it's a bit paternalistic, but generally the Mayan Indian culture is treated with respect. Fabian is a younger son who is tasked with helping his father with planting while the elder son has gone off peddling goods, a practice the father doesn't approve. The author does a good job describing the blend of old Mayan religious custom and Christianity that the family practices, especially in that Christianity isn't touted as the superior. The copy I read was scanned into Open Library/Internet Archive so that the illustrations were somewhat muddies (especially the numerous greyscale ones). All in all this was an enjoyable read about a native people adopting and adapting what it wants of another culture. I read this for my 2020 Reading Challenge (52 Wks "by a female author") and my Newbery Challenge (Honor 1954). Read via Internet Archive/Open Library due to Covid 19.
September 1, 2016
Read it because it won the Newbery Honor. This was written in an era when crop "improvement" meant introducing varieties with higher yield. It reads a little like an ad for Monsanto and GMO foods. How could replacing heirloom varieties with new and improved high yield, bug resilience corn be anything but a wonderful thing? (Okay, I added in bug resilience--that one's not mentioned in the book) Nowadays the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction--there's a increased interest in protecting heirloom varieties and promulgating the idea that planting multiple varieties is better in terms of disease resistance than mono-culture crops. Seed companies are trying to patent their seeds. That's a scary thought. It's a battle between genetically modified "Franken-foods" that last longer on the shelf, and heirloom varieties that taste better and are arguably better for you.
In the story the boy considers planting the new corn on his father's land without asking his permission. He decides to plant it in an area of ancient Mayan ruins instead. The corn grows well and the boy finds a valuable Mayan artifact in the process of planting the corn and secures his family's financial future. I thought it a rather dull story, to be honest. Just another one I had to get through on my list of Newbery Honors.
In the story the boy considers planting the new corn on his father's land without asking his permission. He decides to plant it in an area of ancient Mayan ruins instead. The corn grows well and the boy finds a valuable Mayan artifact in the process of planting the corn and secures his family's financial future. I thought it a rather dull story, to be honest. Just another one I had to get through on my list of Newbery Honors.
December 22, 2022
Fabian's father tells him stories while they burn a field. Tsnuk tells Fabian the story of how woodpeckers got their red heads. Quin tells Fabian about people he met far away who gave him seeds. Fabian wishes he could go to school like his friend Augustin, but his father won't allow him to. Fabian must plant the maize seeds Quin gave him secretly because his father wouldn't approve. His family goes to the market to sell goods. Fabian gets to go with Quin's friends on an archeological dig. They find a match to the jade ear plug Fabian found when he was planting his secret corn, and the men say they will buy it from him, and his family will not have to worry about going hungry, and maybe Fabian will get to go to school. Fabian's father loses his entire crop, but the men give their family many silver coins, and Fabian's father recognizes that the maize Fabian grew is good.
This book was okay. I liked that the father changed his mind about people who are different from him, and that his son might get to have a chance at an education.
This book was okay. I liked that the father changed his mind about people who are different from him, and that his son might get to have a chance at an education.
September 2, 2016
Summary: It is the story of Fabian, a Mayan Indian boy, who uncovers a rare jade earplug while secretly planting "magic maize." The earplug and maize lead to adventures so unusual that even Fabian's stubborn father is convinced that the old and new can live in peace.
My thoughts: As I am going through all of the Newbery awards and honors, I found this a quick read. Not very memorable, nothing stood out in particular. However, it wasn't tedious or torturous to get through, as I've been finding some in my collection of to-reads are.
My thoughts: As I am going through all of the Newbery awards and honors, I found this a quick read. Not very memorable, nothing stood out in particular. However, it wasn't tedious or torturous to get through, as I've been finding some in my collection of to-reads are.
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October 22, 20146b9f05c5-94cb-4e7a-bd6f-0221ce656573
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