Solving Zoe (16 page)

Books About Codes and Ciphers

Paul B. Janeczko,
Top Secret: A Handbook of Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Writing
, Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press, 2004.

Karin N. Mango,
Codes, Ciphers, and Other Secrets
, New York: Franklin Watts, 1988.

Mark Fowler and Radhi Parekh,
Codes & Ciphers
,
Usborne Superpuzzles—Advanced Level
, Tulsa, Okla.: EDC Publishing, 1995.

Joel Rothman and Ruthven Tremain,
Secrets with Ciphers and Codes
, New York: Macmillan, 1969.

Simon Singh,
The Code Book
, New York: Anchor Books/Random House, 1999. This isn't a kid's book and it's hard, but if you're fascinated by codes and ciphers, give it a try!

Books About Mayan Civilization and Writing

There are many great books in the adult section of your library. To learn how Mayan scholars try to decipher Mayan writing, read Michael D. Coe's
Breaking the Maya Code
(New York: Thames and Hudson, 1992). For a more general look at Mayan civilization, try
The World of the Ancient Maya
by John S. Henderson (Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1981) and
Everyday Life of the Maya
by Ralph Whitlock (New York: Dorset Press, 1987, © 1976). A word of warning, though: The photos in these books are amazing, but the text can be pretty challenging.

 

Two fun and kid-friendly books are:

Nancy Day,
Your Travel Guide to Ancient Mayan Civilization
, Minneapolis: Runestone Press, 2001.

Elizabeth Baquedano,
Aztec, Inca & Maya
, Eyewitness Books, New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1993.