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 ( )

The boy picked this up at e library today and had me read it to him as soon as we got home, given his current preoccupation with world history. Interesting for sure . . . But I could have waited a few years before having a conversation about flaying. ( )

You are flung back to 1428 when the Aztecs have conquered Mesoamerica. You are taken on a journey from when you are a happily married young man from a noble family, to when you are a frightened, drugged, and brutally sacrificed man on the steps of an Aztec temple.
You Wouldn’t Want to Be an Aztec Sacrifice is about a fairly dark gruesome topic, yet it’s told in a light educational manner. Each page is artfully (and quite humorously) decorated. The text is written in a big font and there is very little of it on each page, which means that young learners will be able to capture the information easily and effectively. The content is educational, but it is written in an upbeat and colourful style that makes learning fun. You Wouldn’t Want to Be an Aztec Sacrifice would be an excellent choice for doing research on a report or essay, or for grossing out the rest of your family at the supper table! ( )

This is an awesome book for my 6th graders. It tells all about the Aztecs and about sacrifices. It also gives a lot of other cool facts about this ancient civilization. ( )

Humorous treatment of a ghastly subject...this is our first encounter with the You Wouldn't Want To... Series. You Wouldn't Want to be an Aztec Sacrifice: Gruesome Things You'd Rather Not Know is an over the top cartoonish, yet factual and upfront look at the history of Aztec sacrifice told as if YOU were there...the one being sacrificed to the Gods! This wonderful book has an introduction that gives some basic background on the Rise of the Aztec civilization, including an inset map showing the location (handy for young readers) and then a progression of chapters starting with how you would have lived (being an Aztec noble), paying tribute, being captured in a "flower battle" (nothing to do with actual flowers, heh), the long walk through the desert to the Aztec capital, how sacrifices were chosen, and goes into exactly what happens as the day of sacrifice approaches. This is a ghastly subject that is given a humorous spin, yet still manages to tell the whole story, loaded with interesting facts and tidbits about life in Mesoamerica! Each two page spread features a main narrative in addition to a set of "photo" illustrations along the bottom or side with additional information and in the top right hand corner, each has a "handy hint" to help you along the way...these hints include advice like "make an offering to the city's guardian god - he might protect you from the Aztecs" (offered on the page where the Aztecs are coming for the tribute payments or "Always keep plenty of obsidian (volcanic glass) for weapon blades. If danger threatens you won't have time to climb the volcano to get more!"

Overall, I love the format and humor used to deal with a subject that might otherwise be hard to effectively teach to kids without it becoming really depressing and/or for those subjects that never seem PC, but still really, really need to be taught. I give it five stars and recommend it as part of a larger reading set on the Aztec, after your child(ren) reads some other books on the culture and history of these Mesoamericans!! Excellent text, lots of humor, and the illustrations really bring the message home and include their own humor...they really make the story! ( )