This week, we’re celebrating Sydney Salter’s debut! Sydney Salter’s fascination with Mayan culture started when she was six years old and climbed down a steep, dimly lit stone staircase to the elaborately carved tomb of King Pacal who had once ruled Palenque. Visiting Mayan ruins, walking through fragrant Mexican marketplaces, watching women wash clothes in a river, and chasing lizards in the jungle ignited the spark in Sydney’s imagination that led to writing JUNGLE CROSSING. Sydney now lives in Utah with her husband, two daughters, two cats, two dogs, and pair of tortoises. She loves reading, writing, cooking, and traveling—especially to Mexico where she can explore ancient Mayan ruins and swim in underground rivers. She is also the author of My Big Nose And Other Natural Disasters and the upcoming Swoon At Your Own Risk.

Here’s a little bit about JUNGLE CROSSING (Harcourt Children’s Books).

Thirteen-year-old Kat can think of dozens of good reasons not to go on a boring family vacation to hot, grungy Mexico. Number one: missing her friend Fiona’s mini-camp. If she’s not there, she’ll begin eighth grade as a social reject.

And it looks like she’s the odd girl out on vacation, too. When Kat’s parents arrange for her and her younger sister, Barb, to go on a teen adventure tour, Barb makes more friends than she does. The only person who will talk to Kat is Nando, a young Mayan guide (who happens to be quite a cutie). Each day as they travel to different Mayan ruins, Nando tells Kat and Barb another installment in the original legend of Muluc, a girl who lived in the time of the Ancient Maya. The dangerous, dramatic world in which Muluc lives is as full of rivalry, betrayal, jealousy, and sacrifice as Kat’s world at school. And as she makes new friends and discovers new treasures in Mexico, Kat begins to wonder: Is she willing to keep sacrificing her self in exchange for popularity?

If you had to give your book a movie rating: G through Rated R, which one would you give and why?

PG. There is an ancient Mayan sacrifice scene.

What topics, issues, or themes does your book address? What drove you to write about them?

JUNGLE CROSSING is about the friendship issues that dominate a 13-year-old girl’s life. Plus there’s so much tension between a girl and her family at that age (How do I know? I live with one!). My main character also has a lot of worries and fears, which are common to girls going through so many physical and social changes at once.

I also wanted to open a discussion about cultural bias. When the story begins, Kat has a lot of stereotyped views about Mexico, Mexicans, and Mayans. Nando, the Mayan native, has his own inaccurate beliefs about Americans.

In the ancient story that weaves through Kat’s modern story, Muluc is a pampered royal girl who is used to a life of comfort. All that changes when she is captured by warriors and traded as a slave. She, too, learns to widen her perspective and questions aspects of her own culture.

I hope my readers will question their perceptions about people from other cultures, backgrounds, and socio-economic situations after reading JUNGLE CROSSING.

Name three examples of readers who would identify or like your book.

• Kids 10 and up who enjoy adventure stories.
• Kids 10 and up who want to read about friendship issues.
• Kids 10 and up who want to read about Hispanic culture—maybe they’re even headed to Mexico on vacation.

List a few statistically improbable phrases or sentences one might find in your book. These are phrases or sentences you might never find anywhere else.

• Now I knew the world was a dangerous place, full of hurricanes, earthquakes, plane crashes, terrorist threats, bear attacks, contaminated food, bra sizes, mean PE teachers, cute boys who ignore you, and supposedly best friends who treat you like a tube of hairy lip-gloss.
• Muluc turned and saw a tall man with a tattoo of a feathered snake wrapped around his neck.
• Pickle wart.
• Crouched next to a bundle of damp-smelling feathers, Muluc pressed her face into her bent knees and cried, wanting nothing more than to be home in her mother’s compound, fixing chocolate for her father.

How can your book be used in the classroom?

JUNGLE CROSSING can be used during units about ancient civilizations or in Spanish language programs. The novel also focuses on the importance of story-telling and maintaining cultural traditions and would work well in discussions about cultural misconceptions.

Now tell us about other already-published books that readers of your book might enjoy.

Fans of JUNGLE CROSSING will also enjoy reading Well of Sacrifice by Chris Eboch, What The Moon Saw by Laura Resau, and Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Muñoz Ryan.

Now whet our appetites with a teaser.

I scanned the passengers for possible terrorists. Not the people with kids, or the blonde in the wedding veil, although it would make a great disguise. The guy in the seat across from us kept looking around the plane. Our eyes met. Wasn’t he the guy they double-checked at security? I’ll keep my eyes on him just in case.

Are you offering authors visits to schools, libraries, or other organizations?

I’m always happy to speak to students, book clubs, library patrons, or writers either in person or via Skype.

Are you willing to speak nationally?

Yes (I love to travel).

List a few example titles of presentations, talks, or workshops you might give for an author visit.

I talk about turning real life into fiction (using my own diary passages in conjunction with scenes in JUNGLE CROSSING). I can also present workshops on the craft of writing such as generating ideas, journaling, creating characters, etc. I’m happy to create a new presentation tailored to your needs. I am a Regional Advisor for the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) and have experience speaking at conferences about a variety of topics.

This concludes our interview with our latest author, SYDNEY SALTER. We wish her much success with her debut novel JUNGLE CROSSING. To see what Sydney is up to these days, visit her website at http://www.sydneysalter.com or her blog at http://www.mybignose.blogspot.com.

*GIVEAWAY ALERT* Sydney is giving away a signed copy of JUNGLE CROSSING. Tell your friends and leave a comment for the author! Enter by November 17th, 2009 11:59 PM CST.

Your email address will not be displayed publicly and will only be used to contact you if you win! And don’t forget to participate in our other AuthorsNow! giveaways.

About The Author

Sydney Salter held a variety of jobs before becoming a full-time writer, including her brief stint delivering pies and flowers, wrecking vans, and destroying wedding cakes in Reno, Nevada. Sydney now lives in Utah with her husband, two daughters, two cats, two dogs and two tortoises. She loves reading, writing, traveling, and, of course, baking and decorating cakes (but not driving them anywhere).  Read more about Sydney Salter.

Related posts:

1. JUNGLE CROSSING by Sydney Salter
2. MY BIG NOSE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS by Sydney Salter
3. Author Spotlight: Cindy Pon, SILVER PHOENIX : BEYOND THE KINGDOM OF XIA (Giveaway Alert: Now – 05/08/09)
4. Author Spotlight: Michelle Zink, PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS (Giveaway Alert Now – 08/08/09)
5. Author Spotlight: J.A. Yang, EXCLUSIVELY CHLOE (Giveaway Alert Now – 11/17/09)