"Five hundred years ago, in November 1519, Hernando Cortés walked along a causeway leading to the capital of the Aztec kingdom and came face to face with Moctezuma. That story--and the story of what happened afterwards--has been told many times, but always from the point of view of the Europeans. After all, we have been taught, it was the Europeans who held the pens. But the Native Americans were more intrigued by the Roman alphabet than the Spaniards...

"Fifteen-year old crown prince Acolmiztli wants nothing more than to see his city-state of Tetzcoco thrive. A singer, poet, and burgeoning philosophical mind, he has big plans about infrastructure projects and cultural initiatives that will bring honor to his family and help his people flourish. But the two sides of his family, the kingdoms of Mexico and Acolhuacan, have been at war his entire life - after his father risked the wrath of the Tepanec...

Describes the Aztec way of life, including their religion, society, capital city, and government.

Tells how the Aztecs established an empire in Mexico and what happened when they, led by Montezuma, encountered Cortés and the Spaniards in the early sixteenth century.

Describes archaeological excavations in Mexico and what the findings reveal about the ancient Aztec civilization.

Profiles the myths of the ancient Aztecs and Maya and discusses how those myths became the basis of their religion, where the myths originated, what each myth means, and other related topics.