Mabalo's Balloon

Mabalo 's Balloon is an adventure book is aimed primarily at teen readers, but can be enjoyed by any age. Ken has over a dozen books published worldwide, but this is his first book directed at young readers. It follows the adventures of Mabalo, a young Mayan fellow in pre-Columbian Guatemala. Together with his father, they build a prototype hot air balloon. Later they have a larger version which can carry two passengers plus provisions. Mabalo picks his best friend to accompany him. They travel to an Aztec region and later to a desert where they meet a Hopi young man. The adventures continue, over the Rocky Mountains and down into what's now the SE USA where they interact with Choctaw Indians. Their travels continue to a Caribbean island, the Amazon jungle and beyond - with harrowing adventures sprinkled throughout. The story is loosely historically based, where it describes aspects of the various tribes Mabalo and his fellow explorers encounter. This book would also be excellent as a guide for teaching students who are studying English as a second language. It contains many advanced English words which won't be found in children's (or most other) books. Plus, besides being history-based, it's a fun story. So what better way to advance the English language than having students enjoy an adventure-packed and fast-paced story book?!