Jon and Pamela Voelkel are the authors of a new YA fiction series based on Mayan culture. Jon grew up in South America, Pamela in England, and they both had “high-creative” careers in Great Britain before moving to rural Vermont in 2001 to begin work on the Jaguar Stones series. The first volume, Middleworld, earned enthusiasitic reviews from School Library Journal and several teen-oriented sources. We've been corresponding with the Voelkels -- they've put together a nice collection of teachers' resources and lesson plans “designed to bring alive the Maya world for grades 5-9” across a range of subjects (including math, social studies, earth sciences, debate and PE). It's on a free CD that includes an illustrated 26-page teacher's guide, and you don't need the novels to use the materials. Send them your name and school address for a free CD.